How to Style Neutral Bridesmaid Dresses

June 22nd, 2011

Shades of gray have been surprisingly popular for bridesmaids in the last few seasons. While colors like deep charcoal or slate gray do not exactly scream festive, they have become beloved for their sophistication and elegance.  Take a charcoal dress from drab to fab by adding intense pops of color in the flowers and accessories. For a summer soiree, bright colors like canary yellow look marvelous as a contrast to a deep gray hue. Pin a yellow organza blossom to the waist of a long charcoal gray gown to give it a quirky style. Yellow blossoms such as orchids, billy balls, or classic roses will stand out beautifully against a neutral dress.

Another excellent neutral color for bridesmaid dresses is navy blue. It is an ideal choice for a wedding with a classic sensibility, and will definitely be easy to wear again down the road.  To give this classic color a festive appeal, start with elegant pearl bridesmaid jewelry sets. Then bring in pops of color to liven up the navy dresses. Red, lime green, and pink are the best choices for accent shades. A red belt and red espadrilles would be darling for a nautical wedding. Lime green with navy looks fresh and summery. It could be added in the form of a patterned sash to strapless navy faille dresses, or you could add bold lime green crystal bridesmaid jewelry sets to flowy navy chiffon dresses for a funky summer look.

Champagne is another timeless neutral for bridesmaid dresses. Play up the richness of the color with deep chocolate accents. Start with a simple champagne satin dress with a column silhouette and use it as the base to create something really spectacular. For a winter wedding, how about adding a brown fur stole tied with a wide satin bow to each gown? Layer on custom sets of bridesmaid jewelry in bronze colored crystals, and chocolate velvet evening shoes for a truly spectacular style. If your wedding is in the summer months, use a lighter metallic such as bronze to bring out the rich tones of the champagne dresses. Wrap a wide obi style sash around the waists of the dresses and pin gorgeous vintage brooches to them. Your bridesmaids will feel like movie stars instead of mere wedding attendants!

A final neutral shade to think about is ivory. In the wake of the Pippa Middleton’s bridesmaid dress at the royal wedding, we are sure to see more brides going with ivory dresses for their attendants. Keep the look very light and ethereal by styling ivory gowns with bouquets in the palest shades of pink and peach. Champagne colored silk sandals will look less bridal than matching ivory shoes. Simple pearl and crystal bridesmaid jewelry will be the perfect understated finishing touch. Now you know – a neutral color can make a very grand statement.

Neutral Bridesmaid Dresses Your Girls Will Adore

October 4th, 2009

There is an age-old tug-of-war that takes place between brides and bridesmaids. The bride wants her attendants to wear a dress that will enhance the style of her wedding, and the bridesmaids want a dress that doesn’t scream “bridesmaid”. After all, they figure, if they are going to drop hundreds of dollars on a dress, it should be something they can actually use again in the future. The perfect compromise: stylish dresses in versatile neutral tones that can be accessorized in a way that says “bridesmaid” and then worn again with different accessories for future parties.

One of the most chic neutrals right now is gray. For an evening wedding, pair a long one shoulder gray dress with dramatic accents in your wedding colors. You can have bridesmaid jewelry custom made as gifts for your attendants in your wedding colors, such as hot pink crystal chandelier earrings. Many, many other colors work beautifully with gray, from rich red to regal purple to bright canary yellow. That is the beauty of a neutral color such as gray; it is all what you want to make of it.

Light colors like almond and cream are increasingly popular for bridesmaid dresses. They can look very soft and ethereal, and are certainly easy for your friends to wear again in the future.  Short floaty chiffon numbers strike just the right note, especially when accented with bright colors. A creamy short bridesmaid dress paired with lime green silk high heel sandals would look absolutely stunning. Bring in more pops of color with details such as stacks of green crystal bracelets for their bridesmaid jewelry and a simple green satin headband.

Two other popular neutrals for bridesmaid dresses are brown, and of course, the ubiquitous little black dress. Brown is an extremely easy neutral to layer with color. It looks feminine with pink, stylish with aqua, autumnal with orange, luxurious with bronze, and hip with chartreuse. Your favorite color can be layered in as a removable sash, a silk wrap, a beaded clutch, or a trendy headband. After the wedding it will be a snap for your friends to use different accessories to create an entirely different effect.