Bridesmaid Dresses

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ljellybean678

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Hello,

My fiancee and I are in search of modest dresses for our bridesmaids. We are really struggling to find anything that works that is relatively inexpensive. Does anyone know of good resources?

We are hoping for dresses that are:

Ankle or floor length. Or at least past the knees.
Covered shoulders/armpits, preferred long sleeves
Dark blue
At least somewhat fashionable???

Thank you, God Bless you!
 
A lot of places will work with you to add sleeves, modesty panels, or skirt length. I was just looking at David’s Bridal’s website and they have a lot of options, even if it’s not what’s off the rack. eShakti.com might be another option (I have ordered a couple dresses from there, though not formal ones, and they are very accommodating about skirt length and other alterations, and many of the alterations are free.)

You could also try looking at dresses designated for “mothers.” They tend to be more modest but especially now they can be very stylish and not frumpy at all.

Another option is to find a local dye shop who can do the dyeing for you.
 
You might give the girls some guidelines within which to work, and then recommend they get their own dresses. Some brides do this and it can look quite lovely. Ex. - “this is the colour I want, this is the fabric I want, they need to be modest”. This option is often chosen by brides who have bridesmaids with different body shapes and sizes.
 
It might be difficult to find something long sleeved as summer is approaching. Try Modcloth. You can search for below the knee dresses and go from there.
 
ljellybean678 said:
Hello,

My fiancee and I are in search of modest dresses for our bridesmaids. We are really struggling to find anything that works that is relatively inexpensive. Does anyone know of good resources?

We are hoping for dresses that are:

Ankle or floor length. Or at least past the knees.
Covered shoulders/armpits, preferred long sleeves
Dark blue
At least somewhat fashionable???

Thank you, God Bless you!
Click to expand...
Do you have a Dillard’s near you? They have some dresses like you describe (the one in this link is modest, dark blue and floor length). I have purchased several special occasion dresses there that are more modest.

dillards.com/p/decode-1.8-beaded-gown/504806637?categoryId=PDPZ1
 
ljellybean678 said:
Hello,

My fiancee and I are in search of modest dresses for our bridesmaids. We are really struggling to find anything that works that is relatively inexpensive. Does anyone know of good resources?

We are hoping for dresses that are:

Ankle or floor length. Or at least past the knees.
Covered shoulders/armpits, preferred long sleeves
Dark blue
At least somewhat fashionable???

Thank you, God Bless you!
Click to expand...
Define what you mean by “relatively inexpensive” when it comes to wedding attire, please.

And how many do you expect to need, and in what sizes?

The chances of finding bargains in the right size goes down with the more you need and the more obscure the size.

In some areas, you might be able to find rentals of women’s formal wear, but that would likely cost more than finding the two or three dresses on the clearance rack.

It may be easier to find a dress with a separate matching wrap for the top.

Also, look at “Mothers of the Bride” styles, as they often have more coverage.
 
ljellybean678 said:
Hello,

My fiancee and I are in search of modest dresses for our bridesmaids. We are really struggling to find anything that works that is relatively inexpensive. Does anyone know of good resources?

We are hoping for dresses that are:

Ankle or floor length. Or at least past the knees.
Covered shoulders/armpits, preferred long sleeves
Dark blue
At least somewhat fashionable???

Thank you, God Bless you!
Click to expand...
We’ve had a lot of luck recently with JCPenney (online). They often have door buster sales on top of regular sales, plus coupons!
 
Landa Designs has a line of modest bridesmaid dresses. My bridesmaids wore one of their designs, and the (very traditional) priest who married us had no problems at all with it. They’re also generally available in a wide range of colors. They’re in the midrange on prices: think $150-$250/dress.

You might also look at getting their dresses custom made. DressilyMe, for example, made my wedding gown, and was able to tailor it to my specifications–I wanted a higher neckline than most, etc–while not charging much at all. They also have the advantage of custom-making a dress to a woman’s measurements (get them done at a tailor’s for $5-$10 or so) in order to avoid later alterations, which, as others have said, can be pricey. I believe their custom charge is $15, and they do good work.
 
You might try searching for regular dresses rather that “bridesmaid” dresses. That’s what my wife did. She wanted to find something that everyone would be able to wear again if they wanted rather than something that stood out solely as a “bridesmaid dress.” With all the girls wearing the same thing, it has the same effect anyway. That could increase your options.
 
We bought special occasion blouses on clearance from Dillards and my grandmother made simple full length skirts from special occasion fabrics. If you find clearance items you like the staff can usually check the stock at other stores and have them hold the items for you or ship them to you if they are out of town.

I think we spent maybe $40 per outfit. My bridesmaids needed separate tops and skirts because 2 of my bridesmaids were nursing young babies at the time.
 
I went to Michaels, got a pattern, chose some formal wear material, and had a seamstress make my sister’s. The ones at the store were either strapless or unaffordable. Ours were sleeveless, but very modest I thought. Not strapless like they do today. But they had formal dress patterns of all styles and sizes. We did buy my dress. But got it on clearance cause it was “out of style” I guess :rolleyes:, but we scored a deal and it was beautiful with fake pearls and satin and lace and only $100…and it was my size!!! I know God helped me find that dress, I just know it!!! 😃
 
ljellybean678 said:
Hello,

My fiancee and I are in search of modest dresses for our bridesmaids. We are really struggling to find anything that works that is relatively inexpensive. Does anyone know of good resources?

We are hoping for dresses that are:

Ankle or floor length. Or at least past the knees.
Covered shoulders/armpits, preferred long sleeves
Dark blue
At least somewhat fashionable???

Thank you, God Bless you!
Click to expand...
Yes! Check eshakti.com They are the best find ever for dresses that are both cute and modifiable, for a good price. I picked a color and let my bridesmaids choose whatever dress they wanted, and two of them ordered from eshakti.

They give you $30 off your first order, and you can customize most dresses, by changing the neckline, sleeves, and length, for only a $7 extra charge. They carry all sizes from 0 through 36W, plus you can send them your measurements and they will tailor it just for you, if you want, again for only $7. I have always found the dresses to be very well made and of a good quality.

Definitely check them out! (They have all colors and styles, both casual and formal.)
 
Long sleeve, floor length? Well, you can throw “fashionable” out the window.

Those seem like very heavy dresses for your maids to wear…as others have said, maybe look at mother of the bride/groom dresses or boutiques with a “modest” specialty.
 
lemongrass80 said:
Long sleeve, floor length? Well, you can throw “fashionable” out the window.

Those seem like very heavy dresses for your maids to wear…as others have said, maybe look at mother of the bride/groom dresses or boutiques with a “modest” specialty.
Click to expand...
This is not true. You can certainly still get modest dresses, but it may take considerably more effort than in days past.

I agree that finding long sleeves will pose an extra degree of difficulty, especially in the spring and summer. Short sleeves of various lengths can certainly be modest though. 👍
 
Convert_in_99 said:
This is not true. You can certainly still get modest dresses, but it may take considerably more effort than in days past.

I agree that finding long sleeves will pose an extra degree of difficulty, especially in the spring and summer. Short sleeves of various lengths can certainly be modest though. 👍
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I guess that there’s just not much variety if OP wants long sleeve+long length. (I mean design-wise, the options would be more boring). Short sleeves are definitely modest though, but I guess the bride wants a certain “look” for the wedding

If you want my opinion, don’t go for ankle length dresses, not everyone can pull them off (especially if they wear heels). Go for floor-length instead!
 
Lea101 said:
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If you want my opinion, don’t go for ankle length dresses, not everyone can pull them off (especially if they wear heels). Go for floor-length instead!
Click to expand...
The very same dress that’s ankle-length on a taller woman in flats would be floor length (or even longer!) on a shorter woman wearing heals. Alterations and fittings are customary for bridal party wear, but they can add a great deal to the cost. Without alterations to the hems, the exact same dress would be a long flowing gown with a train on a bridesmaid who’s 5’2", while a bridesmaid who is 5’10" would be wearing an ankle or even ballet length gown!

Depending on the size differences of the bridesmaids, it could be more cost effective to find dresses that come in petites, regular and tall sizes—and if necessary then vary the height of the shoe heals rather than making major alterations to get the dresses to appear to be the same lengths.
 
A number of years ago I went to a wedding and there was another wedding going on at the same catering hall.

The bridesmaids had long A-line satin skirts and then on top they had sweater sets in a matching color. They looked like they were perhaps cashmere or a similar fabric. Angora or even cotton would be less expensive. I thought that the ladies all looked very nice, and it was a different bridesmaid look than the usual.
 
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