I work for a local bridal accessory company and we are looking at starting a line of casual bridesmaids dresses sometime this summer to have in stores in the fall. I need some feedback from anyone who'll oblige me... most specifically:
What are you looking for in your bridesmaids dresses?
How important is it that they can wear the dress again? Are you most concerned with price, color, fabric, fit, style, ease of ordering? Cotton, Linen, shiny fabrics?

The style of this line will mimic J Crew and Ann Taylor's bridesmaids dresses but will be much cheaper (retailing at 80-140) and with the possibility to have your dresses custom dyed to any color. The fabrics will be all natural and meant to be for outdoor or casual weddings and the styles will be simple classic tea-length (around knee length or just past) in halters, strapless, spaghetti strap, etc.

Where do you go first when looking for Bridesmaid's dresses? Local bridal boutiques or national chains (David's Bridal, etc), or non-traditional wedding outfitters (Jcrew, ann taylor, vineyard vines)?

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. We aren't going after all the brides who want shiny satin/taffeta dresses, but the ones who might go to places other than bridal boutiques for their bridesmaids dresses.. we currently sell bridal jewelry to 600 bridal shops nationwide and we would be going after them for our dresses.

Thanks so much for reading this.

1/21/2009 6:40:13 PM

There's already a thread for all things wedding related.

1/21/2009 8:48:32 PM

http://thewolfweb.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=509314&page=1

1/21/2009 8:52:26 PM

now now, link properly

and she posted this info in that thread already, but not nearly as in depth

1/21/2009 8:58:14 PM

I didn't have a traditional wedding but I did get my dress from J Crew. I really liked the silk tricotine because it draped well and felt nice without being shiny. Getting value out of the dress is important, so it can be really cheap and disintegrate after one wearing, or be moderately priced and worn again. Usually what make a dress unwearable again is cheap or ugly fabric or an occasion that doesn't otherwise fit into the lifestyle of the person wearing it (halters with plunging backs not good for people who never go to formals). I got suggestions for alternative dress places from indiebride.com's message boards.

1/21/2009 9:28:03 PM

Quote :

"Getting value out of the dress is important, so it can be really cheap and disintegrate after one wearing, or be moderately priced and worn again."

To be honest, I don't understand this logic when it comes to wedding dresses. Are you actually planning on wearing the wedding dress again? There are the people who say, "Well I want to pass it on to my children," but how many people do you know that have worn their mother's wedding dress?

1/21/2009 9:50:44 PM

That logic usually applies to choosing bridesmaid dresses. In my case I got a burgundy formal dress that I can wear again. Only one of my aunts wore (and could fit into) my grandmother's dress but you'd have to choose something very classical that wouldn't look dated in thirty years.

1/21/2009 10:18:36 PM

Always one never the other

1/21/2009 10:22:01 PM

Quote :

"How important is it that they can wear the dress again?"

lulz

1/21/2009 10:58:06 PM