genuinegirly

Hello ladies! For those of you who find it fun to dig through fashion and dresses, hunting for fun and beautiful stuff...

Please help me find a bridesmaid dress.

I chose one about 4 months ago, but it has since been discontinued. I will be purchasing dresses in March for a June wedding.

Requirements:

Tea-length
High waistline
A-line
Fabric either satin, chiffon, or organza (no taffeta)
Straps (some strapless come with optional speghetti straps, these are ok)

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

maleficent

try going to davidsbridal.com and poke around..

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genuinegirly

Yeah, it's websites like davidsbridal that drive me batty. Their search feature doesn't work, it's senselessly slow, and has too many frills. Also, their advertisements are a pain. "I'm going to run through a whole video of our dresses while you wait for the page you want to look at to load!" arrrrg.

Hopefully others have more patience for this than I do!

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

shesus

I love shopping, especially for dresses. It's difficult on-line because you are never sure of the fit or how the fabric feels, but here are some ideas that I found.

First stop: www.dessy.com I love this site. It's very easy to use and not a lot of wait time. It allows you to see the different colors and combinations in most cases. It has many choices for search filters. And the search engine works!

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6518/

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesm...aidLineDefault

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6519/

Not a huge fan of the bow, but with the right colors it might work.
http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/6528/

I really like this one. I've always been a fan of the lace overlay in this style. I know that it wasn't in your fabric choices, but I find with the right color combination is can give the dress a bit more personality. I've been wanting one of these for awhile now, but haven't had a place to wear it. I don't like the black and white though. The crimson and black is good as well as the purple and black. White lace doesn't always look great, but can work with the right under color I guess. You have to play with this one.

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesm...aidLineDefault

Another one with a bow, not really a fan, but people must like them.

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/d401/

I know you said no taffeta, but what a classic beauty this dress is.

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/2729/

This is a different dress.

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesm...tOrder=Default

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesm...tOrder=Default

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/d404/

Also the bubble dress is a different one. I like it because it's not the typical straight bottom.

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesm...tOrder=Default

Next stop: www.edenbridals.com This site isn't great. No search engine except length. Plus, the photos are more ads than anything.

They call it cocktail length, but it isn't too short.

http://www.edenbridals.com/7107-p-657.html

That's about all I can dig up at the moment. I'll keep looking. And to keep your sense of humor and be reminded of what you *don't* want:

http://www.uglydress.com/

__________________
Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

genuinegirly

That last link - Hilarious!!
Shesus, you just made my day.

And to think, you actually got me to consider taffeta.

Thank you, ladies, for fiddling with this!

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

Elphaba

I must wear the Napoleon dress.

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"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007

TotalMILF

OMG, bwahahaha! That's fantastic! Thanks, shesus

When we got married my two battle buddies/witnesses barely had time to change out of their BDU's, lol. I think they both just wore jeans and a t-shirt. If we would've had a bigger ceremony I probably would've gone to Macy's for the bridesmaid's dresses, too. Their in-store and online selection is pretty impressive, and they're not too expensive. However, I'm not very particular, so perhaps you shouldn't take my advice on this matter

Here's my $100 wedding dress (and $20 shoes) straight from Macy's:



Good luck with your dress-hunt! I hope your wedding is everything you are dreaming it will be, and more!

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"I'm sorry, all I heard was blah blah blah, I'm a dirty tramp."

Elphaba

Total, the simplicity of your gown is what makes it so elegant. What a beautiful bride.

__________________
"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007

*Nikki*

What size do you wear?? I have a bridesmaid dress, only worn once! High waist, thin straps, very pretty, it is a very light green but I can't remember the name of the color. I loved wearing it and got it at David's Bridal like 2 years ago.

Meditrina

Wow. Bridesmaid dresses sure have changed since I got married. I like all of those that shesus posted. Looks like you can't go wrong at that website. Those are actually dresses that might be worn again!

__________________
"Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras

Elphaba

I agree, Gaia. The bridesmaid dresses that I was forced to wear should never be allowed to see the light of day again. Shesus has found bridal dresses that are elegant and can be worn again in the "real" world.

__________________
"You can't ignore politics, no matter how much you'd like to." Molly Ivins - 1944-2007

genuinegirly

Nikki, the bridesmaid dress isn't for me. So my size doesn't matter (4, 6). I'm the bride. My sister, best friend, and sister-in-law are between the sizes of 10 and 16, and are top-heavy if you catch my drift...

We actually *had fun* looking through dresses last night. Here's where we're leaning so far:
<img class="border" id="mainProductImage" alt="" src="http://www.dessy.com/s/i/dress/2001/2001-CLOV-dts.jpg" /><br />Dessy 2001 in clover<br /><br /><img class="border" id="mainProductImage" alt="" src="http://www.dessy.com/s/i/dress/6220/6220WH-CLOV-dts.jpg" /><br />Dessy 6220 in Clover<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2168/2154419713_71b31b1033_o.jpg" /><br />Dessy 2727 in Kiwi<p>&nbsp;</p>

<br />Here's my dress:&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><a href="http://www.bonny.com/index.php?Itemid=999999935&amp;option=com_staticxt&amp;staticfile=gowns.php?gline=1&amp;start_page=24&amp;featured=N"><img src="http://www.bonny.com/administrator/gowns/images/638l.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

shesus

Those are pretty and your wedding gown is gorgeous. I really like the second one. It would probably be my pick. The first one is good too, but more plain. You could easily jazz it up with some accessories. Actually looking at your dress and the bridesmaid dress together (for photography reasons and such), I think the third one would make a better match shape-wise. Plus, I haven't seen many bridesmaid dresses like that so it would be different. I guess I'm no help this time.

I had a strapless wedding dress. I loved it.

I'm glad that you guys enjoyed the ugly dress site. And GG, I'm glad that I found a bridesmaid site you had fun maneuvering through.

__________________
Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

Kaimi

I don't envy you at all having to fuss with all those details. I have never been suited for that sort of thing myself. If I marry, I will probably do something quick like at a beach somewhere. Hell I probably would not even change from my bathing suit. My mother is going to hate me for that.

genuinegirly

Yeah, we were thinking the neckline on the first one would be fun, and we could add a white satin ribbon to it, so it'd look more like the second one. Hopefully they're in stock, so we can try on each dress.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

amonkie

Knowing they are all going to be more top heavy, picking dresses that flatter their figure helps.

In the past, I've been in weddings as bridesmaid/maid of honor, and we were given the dress color that the bride desired, and each picked our own style as we had so many different body types.

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Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna

surferlove007

You know if there's a dilliards near you I would look there. I got my prom dress at a consignment shop in Atlanta, and wore it in Fort Worth. Only girl with that dress this side of the Mississippi! So yea, Dilliards or Cache. If theres an outlet store that would be even more ideal. They have tons of stuff for great prices.

cadre

I would also suggest Dillards or Macys or something of that sort. The last wedding I attended was one of my sisters' and she got all of her bridesmaids dresses at macys, took some running around the city to get all the right sizes but it saved a lot of money. That was right after prom so the dresses were on sale but as prom is coming up I'm sure there are lots of dresses out there.

I love Cache dresses by the way, but they're expensive. (At least to a poor college student)

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My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes.

genuinegirly

Cadre, how much did you spend on those dresses from Macy's? Were they like TotalMLF's wedding dress?

The first two (Dessy 2001 and Dessy 6220) are available online from www.ebridalsuperstore.com for $102 and $98, with no shipping charges. Unless Macy's has them for $50 or less, not sure it'd be worth all the running around.

amonkie- yeah, I'm looking only at dresses that these women say will flatter them. I've also spent a little time looking at online tutorials on how to find a dress that will flatter everyone's figure.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

cadre

I believe the dresses were about $60 but I couldn't tell you for sure. That said, I got to try it on before she bought it so we didn't have to deal with sending things back and forth (which may be the case with ordering online).

__________________
My life is one of those 'you had to be there' jokes.

genuinegirly

Already dealt with. We have found a local bridal shop that carries these Dessy styles, where we can try them on and see how they look. Then I can order them online in the sizes we determined would work. If, when we try them on, we realize significant alterations would be necessary, we can either choose a different dress, or choose to make those alterations.

Looked at the styles online offered by Macy's (no Dillards nearby). While there are some great dresses, none come in the right length. They're all either to the floor, above the knee, or at the knee. We could purchase ones that go to the floor and cut/hem them to tea-length, but they offer none that have an A-line skirt.

So, I think I'll stick with Dessy.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

genuinegirly

<p>Something to note:&nbsp; bridal stores like Pebbles Bridal in Woodland Hills only carry size 10 to try on for bridesmaid dresses.&nbsp; These are samples that they are given by the designers.<br /><br />Luckily my sister is exactly a size 10.<br /><br />Unfortunately this means that&nbsp;some&nbsp;will not be able to try on dresses in the store.&nbsp; At least this store.&nbsp; I'm going to be more careful about the questions that I ask these places when I call.<br /><br />They said they had in stock the first and second dessy styles pictured in the previous dress entry.&nbsp; The third style&nbsp;shown&nbsp;was part of Dessy's brand new line, and therefore not in stock yet.&nbsp; Unfortunately they were mistaken, and they only had one dress, the second, with the image taken from the back and the&nbsp;ribbon across the middle,&nbsp;in stock.&nbsp; All my concerns were full-blown apparent with this dress.&nbsp; The ribbon around the dress was too small and did not&nbsp;offer a&nbsp;slimming look.&nbsp; It also sat too high.&nbsp; The top was much too low for someone with anything larger than an A cup.&nbsp; It was not wearable with a standard bra.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />My sister was a real trooper and tried on everything in the store with wide straps, including floor-length dresses.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><br />Here are the 10&nbsp;trends we noticed:<br /><br />1) Dresses labeled size 10, even within the same designer, varied in size.<br />2) Bubble dresses are not a good idea for anyone with legs wider than chopsticks.<br />3) Celadon, Moss, and Kiwi are all far too light.&nbsp; They looked odd in the store lighting, and when photographed, all appear white, blue&nbsp;or light gray.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br /><img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2181/2164790315_ca985b8dfd_m.jpg" /><br />Kiwi, Moss, and Celedon from back to front in sis's hands.&nbsp; Maybe the store lighting was off, but these don't appear green to me.<br /><br />4) Light colors make any slight bulge look huge.<br />5)&nbsp;CLOVER IS&nbsp;THE COLOR.&nbsp; Incredibly flattering, doesn't show fat, bold enough to be noticed.&nbsp; Sis tried on a sleeveless,&nbsp; very plain dress in the Dessy Clover color (with a pink sash.&nbsp; We liked the pink sash idea, but it was across the hips, which wasn't flattering).&nbsp; The color looked killer.&nbsp; Again, it seemed&nbsp;bolder in person than it shows up on the image.&nbsp; Perhaps it was just the lighting.<br /><img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2329/2164756551_a6c89a57af_m.jpg" /><br />6) Wide (6"or so) band around a high waist is crazy slimming.<br /><img alt="" src="http://www.charpiasformalwear.com/D316_petal_pink.jpg" /><br />Alfred Sung D316<br /><a href="http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/D316/#LineList=7&amp;attributeMask=1&amp;catid=1&amp;displaytype=GridMedium&amp;activePage=2&amp;rpp=9&amp;SortOrder=BridesmaidLineDefault">http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/D316/#LineList=7&amp;attributeMask=1&amp;catid=1&amp;displaytype=GridMedium&amp;activePage=2&amp;rpp=9&amp;SortOrder=BridesmaidLineDefault</a><br />Unfortunately this dress does not come in any desireable colors.<br /><br />7) R<font size="2">uched cummerbund accents will look great with my dress' similar horizontal pleating on the bodice.<br /></font>This would be THE DRESS if I could find it in the right fabric and without&nbsp;the HORRID poofy&nbsp;bubble skirt:<br /><img alt="" src="http://www.jaysbridal.net/store/files/images/small/levkoff875_sm.jpg" /><br />Bill Levkoff 875<br /><a href="http://www.jaysbridal.net/store/files/images/small/levkoff875_sm.jpg">http://www.jaysbridal.net/store/files/images/small/levkoff875_sm.jpg</a><br />The V-neck hits just right so nothing falls or sticks out, and you can wear the most standard of standard bras.&nbsp;&nbsp; It has "ruched commerbund accents", which highlight the thinnest part of a true woman's shape.&nbsp; It looked KILLER GOOD on sis, other than that bubble part.<br />8) Saleslady said I will find clover in these fabrics: Georgette, Satin, and Chiffon.<br />9) Saleslady said I will NOT find clover in these fabrics: Tulle, Organza, and Taffeta.<br />10) Taffeta's shineyness is annoying, and it only comes in very light shades of green.<br /><br /><br />Mom (jokingly) asked me when I got home if I was ready to buy a bolt of&nbsp; fabric and have everyone make their own&nbsp;dresses.&nbsp; Are my standards too high?&nbsp; I want everyone to look as good as possible.&nbsp; I keep telling myself it's out of the question to make our own bridesmaid dresses, but honestly... how many capable and doting&nbsp;seamstresses do we have on hand?&nbsp; hmmmmmmmm....&nbsp; I'll keep looking.<br /></p>

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

mandy

YAY!!! Another wedding planner

To find a dress especially a bridesmaid dress is a very tough job, cos you have to take into consideration the style and whether or not it will suit your bridesmaid, whether or not they'll be comfortable in it and you cant albeit YOUR day, you cant have an unhappy and uncomfortable bridsmaid.

Now that i have put my ten cents in about that, here are a couple of bridesmaid dresses i picked out for my girls and had them choose from...

Page 2 and 4 are probably what you're most interested in The black one on jenny garth and the grey one on that other chickie, cant remember her name)

but by the sound of it, you're going to buy the dresses? Just a question cos i dont know how things are work overe there...but wouldnt it just be easier to have your style made? that way you know that you're getting exactly what you want?

oh, and by the way your gown is absolutely stunning!!! I have an idea but it is not yet set in stone.

I look forward to seeing more of your plans maybe i'll be able to swipe some ideas just kidding.

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The Imagination equips us to see a reality we have yet to create

genuinegirly

Hi Mandy, thanks for your enthusiasm! Yeah, around here people usually buy their dresses. Quality fabric alone will usually cost you more than a dress out of a catalog.

Back in the 1960's, my mom's bridesmaids made all their own dresses from a pattern my mom designed. I may have to call on my mom's design skills again.

If I get too frustrated, I may drive down to the fabric district in LA, buy a bolt of clover-colored satin, and convince a few of her friends to do the stitchwork. But even paying for those talents might be worth it to have a dress that looks good on our bridesmaids. Depends on the price of the fabric.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

shesus

I agree with buying the dresses. I'm not sure how much money is saved having the dresses made unless you know someone that will make them for free and are good. For my cousin's first wedding, she had a lady make all the dresses for her, including her own. It was a complete nightmare. That is most likely the ugliest garment that has ever draped my body. It wasn't made well and we were stuck with them because it was too late and too much money to get new ones at a late date.

I also wanted the bridesmaids to look gorgeous in my wedding. I had to have something with thick straps and a higher top because my step-daughter was a jr. bridesmaid at age 11. I went and tried on the dresses myself. I found a very simple long, straight dress that flattered everyone. I had well endowed to barely endowed to wide hips to no hips in the party. As long as you are putting thought into it, it'll work out. No stresses.


The wide high-waist is always flattering because it draws attention to the slimmest part of the body. You can't go wrong with that I don't think. Also, taking a camera with you to take pictures while you shop is an awesome idea. I had to take a polaroid camera since the digital cameras weren't around then, but it was helpful.

Oh and I must have chopstick legs..lol. I love my bubble skirt.

__________________
Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

genuinegirly

Naw, shesus - you'd just look good in anything!

Definitely going to avoid making them. Especially with that story on my mind!
I have a few months to make a decision on stuff, so yeah, we'll probably come up with something awesome between now and then.

Good to hear that the wide high-waist sounds good to more than just me!

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

noodle

Having recently spent more than three days of non-stop shopping to try and find a "semi-formal" dress to be worn in January (NOTHING has sleeves), I can heartily agree that the first statement is true. And yes, Shesus has great legs.
As for the second, here's what I bought at Dillards for $170 even though I'm still looking because I'm going to freeze... and the bow goes in the BACK, tied small with long tails.

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genuinegirly

fredweena, that's a great dress you've found there. The sash will look great on the back. Looks pretty chilly for January, though!

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

surferlove007

My mom ended up making my sisters junior bridesmaid dress since the store didn't have her size. It was beautiful, but took a lot of effort. Oh and have you checked overstock.com? They have beautiful dresses on there from time to time.

genuinegirly

ghoastgirl1, what a great idea to look at overstock. I hadn't even remotely considered that one!

Funny you mention a junior bridesmaid. My niece is going to be a junior bridesmaid for my wedding. Luckily I've seen a lot of nice styles out there for girls her size. She probably won't be able to match the older bridesmaids, but I'll find something that looks nice. Considering having her dress compliment our flower girl.

__________________
"Sometimes I have to remember that things are brought to me for a reason, either for my own lessons or for the benefit of others." Cynthetiq

"violence is no more or less real than non-violence." roachboy

ngdawg

That #6 in the green would be great and it can be worn again(typical bridesmaid dresses become dust collecting wastes of money most of the time)

My sister is a dress and costume designer/maker. The girl can whip shit out like no one's business and could probably do that design in the green. She's located in Charlotte, NC.

And an observation: Melanie Griffith had NO right to wear that thing with her gut sticking out like that..../me shudders

shesus

My step-daughter was a jr. bridesmaid in my wedding. Since the dress I chose had fairly easy seams (straight with no embellishment), we were able to take it to a seamstress and have her take it in and up...a lot. It looked great and I think only cost about $30 or so. Something to think about. Of course, it would probably be cheaper just to buy your niece her own dress.

I can't wait to see what you decide on.

Fredweena, nice dress!

__________________
Whatever did happen to your soul?
I heard you sold it

Choose Heaven for the weather and Hell for the company

StellaLuna

Try www.ariadress.com. My best friend ordered the dresses from there. Yes, they ran pretty big, but we got them tailored down for very little money. We looked absolutely amazing and I can actually wear the dress again. In fact, I wore this one in that glorious color.
Good luck on this!

__________________
Screw tradition!

mandy

i tried to find the designer's website who's going to be making my dresses and well, here, i dont think it would be too expensive...

When Oprah was in South Africa he did some wedding she attended, a family friend or something so it's kinda weird that he doesn't have a website at least? well anyways, he's going to be making our dresses and the only extravagant item at my wedding i think is going to be my dress, but it wont be more than R2000. and my girls, not more than R800...

so, you take him your budget and no matter what it is, he makes you look and feel like a princess

here are another few designs for your perusal...i'm actually considering the ones with the ribbon, you know, that style (similar yet different in their own way)

anyways, should you decide on having them made...you can swipe some of the designs if you want

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The Imagination equips us to see a reality we have yet to create

ItWasMe

I was browsing bridesmaids dresses in google by hitting the image button. I found a couple of sites to browse.

http://www.magicmomentscollections.c...Bridesmaid/c36
www.weddingsbycolor.com

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