Bridesmaid blues don’t have to be
Stick to a realistic budget, dress to suit the body
What is the one word that comes to mind when you think of a bridesmaid’s dress?
If your word is “ugly”, don’t feel bad; your are not alone.
For centuries, there has been an unwritten law that bridesmaids’ dresses have to be less than flattering in order for the bride to stand out.
And if the wedding show Our Perfect Wedding is anything to go by, this “law” seems to be going from strength to strength.
Nowadays, bridesmaids dresses can go from badly tailored to too revealing, that in a recently aired episode, one bridesmaid was showing so much cleavage the show's host Thembisa Mdoda even commented on it.
So what are the principles of choosing a bridesmaid’s dress?
What check list does a makoti have to keep in mind?
Tshepo and Ntswaki Storm, the husband and wife team that co-owns the BrokenStorm clothing brand that specializes in wedding regalia, say there’s a couple of mistakes that bridesmaids and the brides make.
“Firstly, the bridesmaids trying to outshine the bride is a major turn off. Bridesmaids need to realise that the day is not all about them.
“So a bride needs to sit them down and tell them her vision. Yes, they can have some input, but a makoti is not compelled to follow it,” says Ntswaki. That being said, a bride should not be so insecure as to want her bridesmaids to be ugly.
“At the end of the day, these wedding pictures will be a cherished memory for a lifetime, so you do not want your bridesmaids looking like your ugly stepsisters in the background.”
If a dress is busy, or has some detailing to it, do not add more accessories as it will make the whole thing look too messy and cheap Tshepo Storm BROKEN-STORM CLOTHING OWNER
adds Tshepo.
So what makes a bridesmaid’s dress ugly? The duo says over-accessorising, trying to cut costs as well as having an unrealistic vision.
“Some brides look to the internet for the perfect bridesmaid’s dress, and visualise their bridesmaids looking exactly like the models on the internet, forgetting to keep in mind the realistic shape of their bridesmaids.
This is when we see the final product being unflattering because it looked good on a size zero model,” says Ntswaki.
“An edit of accessories is also very important. If a dress is busy, or has some detailing to it, do not add more accessories as it will make the whole thing look too messy and cheap.”
Tshepo says that brides have to be careful with asking for too much on a small budget.
“Brides need to rethink what they can and cannot afford. Bridesmaids shouldn’t ask for champagne at beer price.
“A good price for good dresses is from R2 000 ... ask any designer. When they try to take the short cut, that’s when the whole thing ends up looking cheap.”