Fashionable, Affordable Maids Dresses

Money’s on everyone’s mind, which is why designers are creating chic bridesmaid dresses fit for any budget

By Nola Sarkisian-Miller
CTW Features

It’s no secret that the recession blues have taken a toll on wedding budgets, perhaps bursting bridal dreams of wearing a designer gown. While some brides may settle for less for their wedding day, they can still outfit their bridal entourage in chic ensembles. More and more designers, from Vera Wang to Alvina Valenta, are offering their craftsmanship in the form of bridesmaid dresses, elevating the look of the entire bridal party.

Nowhere was that more evident than last year when Jenna Bush chose designer Lela Rose to outfit her 14 attendants in crinkle-silk chiffon backed with cotton voile for Bush’s May 10, 2008 wedding.

Monique Lhuillier is among the newest entrants into the category. The Los Angeles-based line, a celebrity favorite, launched a bridesmaid collection in April, offering eight styles made from silk chiffon and silk dupioni in a range of colors, including watermelon, platinum, merlot and sunflower. Among the highlights are a bubble dress, strapless sheath with a waist sash and an asymmetrically draped column gown. Sold at the company's Edina, Minn. salon and online at shop.moniquelhuillier.com, prices for the bridesmaid frocks range from $295 to $365, a steal compared to the designer’s signature collection, which retails for $4,000 to $8,000.

In deference to minimizing the expenses for the bridal party, who often pays for their own dresses, brides are turning to designs that can double as cocktail wear. It’s a market courted by Kirstie Kelley for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, which has offered bridesmaid dresses for the past two years, such as empire gowns in chiffon and strapless knee-length styles in duchess satin, selling for $100 to $400. The designer has tried to keep the price range affordable to appeal to all brides and their attendants.

“Our brides say the cost of the dress amortizes out quickly, because their bridesmaids can wear them again,” says Kirstie Kelly.

Jim Hjelm Occasions, which sells for $200 to $350 at 20 boutiques including Renee Strauss For the Bride in Beverly Hills and Here Comes the Bride in San Diego, Calif., already touts itself as a line of bridesmaid gowns with appeal beyond the fabled aisle.

“We have people that order our dresses for events besides weddings,” says Megan Ruane, a public relations representative with New York-based JLM Couture, parent company to Jim Hjelm.

Copyright © CTW Features

Comments

There are no comments yet

Leave a Comment

Name

Email (will not be published)

Remember me

Enter the two words Enter the numbers you hear

Incorrect please try again

Powered by TalkBack

1