The bridal party’s style has come a long way. Once upon a time, bridesmaids were expected to wear the same dress in the same colour, as was dictated by tradition. Now, with the mismatched bridesmaids’ dresses trend having taken off (and showing no signs of slowing down), brides and their best ladies have a lot more options. Each individual ‘maid’ gets a chance to express her unique-style and. brides are relieved of the often-challenging task of finding a dress everyone can agree on.
That said, having more options can present its own set of challenges - despite how easy Pinterest makes it look. The idea is to choose dresses that are distinct from each other, but not so different that they look disconnected. If you’re looking to mix it up with your own bridal party but need help curating a cohesive group of mismatched bridesmaid dresses read on; we’ve put together a list of tips to ensure you and your ladies will nail the look.
1. Decide how mismatched you want to go.
You can vary the colour of your bridesmaid dresses, the style, or both. Want to make it easy? Try a convertible bridesmaid dress in a single colour, then let each lady wear it in her own unique way.
2. Keep at least one element consistent.
As long as all of the mismatched bridesmaid dresses share at least one common feature; like the neckline, silhouette, hemline, colour, or fabric, they’ll have a link to each other and won’t look disjointed.
3. Consider keeping hemlines floor length.
Midi-length or knee-length will actually hit at different heights according to how tall each bridesmaid is. If you opt for all floor-length dresses, you’re guaranteed all hemlines will all hit at the same place (the floor) and the gowns will look consistent when standing side by side.
4. Opt for a limited colour palette or tonal shades of the same colour.
Narrowing down the colour scheme helps tremendously when styling bridesmaids in mismatched dresses. If they’re all wearing soft neutrals or varying shades of blue, there’s less of a risk of looking disconnected. When in doubt, keep the colour palette more limited for a more cohesive effect (this is especially true with smaller bridal parties).
5. Start with a print and work outwards.
If you want to incorporate a pattern into your assortment, pick that dress first and use its colour palette as a guide. Example: Start with a beautiful floral bridesmaid dress, maybe for your maid of honour, then choose solid bridesmaid dresses in each colour from that print.
6. Pull your mismatched dresses together with accessories and beauty.
Jewellery, shoes, hair accessories, and even hairstyles or makeup can help tie your mismatched bridesmaids’ looks together. Maybe each of your ladies has the same half-up hairstyle, red lip, or drop earrings; these uniform extras will put the “match” in mismatched.
7. Keep bouquets the same.
Think of the bridesmaid bouquets as another consistent accessory. Just be sure to choose a colour or scheme that complements every dress. Consider solid bouquets to anchor multicolour dresses (like floral prints)–and multicolour bouquets to vamp up solid dresses.
8. Think outside of just dresses.
When we talk about bridesmaid looks, dresses are usually what comes to mind; but they’re certainly not required wedding wear. Try going beyond the standard gown and incorporate a bridesmaid jumpsuit into the mix. It’s a fun, modern way to add interest and variety–and it’s unexpectedly elegant.
At The Prom Boutique we have a range bridesmaid dresses (and jumpsuits) in various styles, colours and sizes to make your mismatched choices super easy. Get in touch to make an appointment - 01420 563000