What is a good dress shape/silhouette for a plus size bridesmaid?
I have four bridesmaids : 1 is very short and chunky, 2 are tall and skinny, and the 4th is plus sized (size 24). What dress style would complement these different body shapes? I am particularly having trouble with finding a nice plus size dress. Help please?!?
Well, you could have all of your girls wear different dresses. You could tell them the color/designer that you want the dresses to be and then have them pick which dress they think would best compliment their bodies.
If you want them all to wear the same thing then I think that a nice a-line or an empire waist would look good. I would say to get them something other than strampless – especially if they are heavier on the top.
You could try going with Mori Lee. When I went to look at dresses they told me the nice thing about Mori Lee was that they don’t charge extra for the plus sizes (usually it’s much more expensive). The only reason we didn’t go with Mori Lee is because they only went up to a size 28 – my MOH was bigger than that.
Here are a few that I think would look nice:
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=3&D=481&P=1
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=3&D=870&P=2
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=9&D=426&P=1
http://www.edenbridals.com/7177-p-1114.html
http://www.edenbridals.com/7106-p-656.html
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=30&page=28
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=45&page=44
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=67&page=64
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=87&page=84
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=118&page=116
Jasmine B2 and Alfred Angelo also makes some really cute dresses – you should definitely take a look at those. Good luck! ?
December 29th, 2009at 6:27 pm
flowy, umpire waist and thick straps
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December 29th, 2009at 6:35 pm
I went with an empire waist with a halter top, 2 of my girls were plus sized and it worked well for all of them.
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December 29th, 2009at 7:10 pm
my friend had the same problem. she went with a two piece outfit. a strapless top, and a long flowy skirt that had several layers. i was a little ify at first, but the girls looked great
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December 29th, 2009at 7:15 pm
Do a dress with more of a ball gown shape.
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_detail.jsp?stid=2326&prodgroup=110
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December 29th, 2009at 7:32 pm
tea length would be best for all i think. Maybe a basic neckline with spaggetti straps, that looks good on all bust sizes.
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December 29th, 2009at 8:11 pm
went with an empire waist with a halter top.
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December 29th, 2009at 8:32 pm
I suggest doing a mix and match type set of dresses. that way all 4 of your bridesmaids find a dress that looks right on them. I did this with the 7 of my bridesmaids (al shapes and sizes) and they loved it!
you can get all sizes too!
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http://www.davidsbridal.com/mam.jsp
http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/DisplaySeparates.aspx?categoryId=7ca192cc-0f8c-4474-99fa-6343769b3889
December 29th, 2009at 8:43 pm
A-line works well… Empire waist will give the appearance of her being pregnant. Also keep in mind that strapless and sleeveless dresses are not flattering on plus size women — I know I am one. Also — whatever you choose – please, please avoid dunlap syndrome… You know – where the fat "done lapped" over the dress…. Not attractive at all…
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December 29th, 2009at 9:13 pm
Everyone is built differently so she needs to try on various styles at a bridal shop to see what looks best on her. You can’t go by what the various online style guides say because, more often than not, they are inaccurate when it comes to average builds and heights, and plus size is even trickier.
Stay away from strapless dresses since many plus size women are not comfortable in them.
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December 29th, 2009at 9:20 pm
have you thought about doing all different dresses in the same color? that way all the girls can look flattering because they’ll have dresses that fit their shape perfectly.
Otherwise, I would definitely choose a dress that is NOT strapless! that will accentuate their curves. Get something that’s either halter top or has straps of some kind. And an empire waist would be good so that the hips aren’t sticking out.
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December 29th, 2009at 9:32 pm
Well, you could have all of your girls wear different dresses. You could tell them the color/designer that you want the dresses to be and then have them pick which dress they think would best compliment their bodies.
If you want them all to wear the same thing then I think that a nice a-line or an empire waist would look good. I would say to get them something other than strampless – especially if they are heavier on the top.
You could try going with Mori Lee. When I went to look at dresses they told me the nice thing about Mori Lee was that they don’t charge extra for the plus sizes (usually it’s much more expensive). The only reason we didn’t go with Mori Lee is because they only went up to a size 28 – my MOH was bigger than that.
Here are a few that I think would look nice:
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=3&D=481&P=1
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=3&D=870&P=2
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=9&D=426&P=1
http://www.edenbridals.com/7177-p-1114.html
http://www.edenbridals.com/7106-p-656.html
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=30&page=28
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=45&page=44
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=67&page=64
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=87&page=84
http://www.davincibridal.com/catalog.php?cat=28&im_id=118&page=116
Jasmine B2 and Alfred Angelo also makes some really cute dresses – you should definitely take a look at those. Good luck! ?
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December 29th, 2009at 9:58 pm
You’ll definitely want something with a defined waist. On me, I’ve noticed that plain a-line (just straight down, no seam, sash or ruching at the waist) highlights my problem areas.
Also, I hate it when larger girls think, "Oh, I’ll just cover my problem areas with this wrap/jacket/sweater/cape/big-add-on sleeves/etc." In my opinion, a good tailor can make a dress fit anyone. By covering the problem areas with something extra, you are just highlighting it!!
And, avoid taffeta!!!
Some examples:
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=3&D=547&P=1
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=9&D=416&P=1
http://www.morilee.com/DressDetail.aspx?C=9&D=453&P=1
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_detail.jsp?stid=3682&prodgroup=216
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_detail.jsp?stid=3320&prodgroup=110
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_detail.jsp?stid=2795&prodgroup=110
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December 29th, 2009at 10:08 pm
I have 4 very differntly shaped girls as well and these are my top 2 dress choices:
http://www.jordanfashions.com/products.asp?nCatID=1&nProductID=415&nPhotoID=8778
http://www.edenbridals.com/7139-p-832.html
I definitely prefer chiffon over satin for the dresses because the flowy-ness of the fabric looks better on all sizes of people.
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December 29th, 2009at 10:30 pm
Here are some dresses that I think would look good on a larger woman (I’m curvy myself). Of course anything will look good on tall skinny girls. I also like the idea of allowing each girl to pick out her own style. That’s very popular now. You just choose the color and the designer (to make sure all the colors match perfectly). I recommend David’s Bridal or if you don’t like them go with Alfred Angelo (that’s what I got for my bridesmaids). That way all the girls can look their best. But if you’re set on matching dresses here are some:
The rouching on this one would be great for her midsection and it has thick straps for support. However, the sweetheart neckline might be an issue if she has REALLY big boobs.
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_...
This one would be good for coverage in the chest area. She could also wear a good bra. The empire waist will also hide her midsection:
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_...
The flowiness of this one would be very flattering but the thin straps may be a problem when it comes to bras:
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_...
This one has the rouching on the side which is always flattering. But again, the strapless may not be the best. But it really depends on her body shape, you never know:
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_...
This one is great because it has wide straps so she can wear a good bra and it looks like it has enough coverage to keep her boobs in place and the waist line would just be all over flattering:
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridesmaids_...
Just go down to David’s and have your largest girl try on the dresses to see how they look. Good luck!
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December 29th, 2009at 11:14 pm
http://www.jordanfashions.com/products.asp?nCatID=1&nProductID=937&nPhotoID=24463
The two colors will give a nice effect of hiding come problem areas
http://www.edenbridals.com/7017-p-53.html
trust me, even the slimmer gals may appreciate the sleeves!
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December 29th, 2009at 11:32 pm
You can choose a color and help the bridesmaids pick a style of dress that would fit their style. But if you want to go with the same dress, halter tops or strapless work for everyone, keep it long and not too fluffy, and add something like a sash or some details on the back to make all the dresses look more alike.
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December 29th, 2009at 11:51 pm
Do not do anything with a square/ straight-across neckline. A lot of empire waist dresses have a square neckline– it’s not flattering! I would suggest a sweetheart, V neck, or maybe a halter neckline (halters sometimes give way to overflowing cleavage, though, and look like a boob cage). Be careful of larger straps, because they can overpower a smaller frame (i.e. your other bridesmaids).
For a silhouette, something that emphasizes an empire or natural waist is a good option (gathering, detail, etc. but be careful with horizontal lines). Then it should flow out in to a A-line skirt. A mermaid or drop-waist silhouette will not be flattering. All the detail should be at the top of the dress, so it emphasizes the face. No two pieces, no sleeves!
Look at these links for plus-size dresses and see what you think is flattering (there’s a lot that aren’t so hot, too):
http://www.davidsbridal.com/woman_return_bridal_viewall.jsp
http://www.igigi.com/plus-size-clothing/Plus-Size-Dresses-5.html
http://www.alfredangelo.com/Collections/displayCollection.aspx?CategoryId=1af402e9-205f-4b7b-9d22-6fec77b3d187
http://venusbridal.com/dresses.php?c=4
http://www.simplydresses.com/plus-size-prom-dresses/thumbs.cfm?cat=plusview_all
I liked these silhouettes (some are wedding dresses but you could find similar looks for bridesmaids):
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=3186&prodgroup=210
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=3337&prodgroup=159&nav=next
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=3184&prodgroup=159&nav=next
http://www.simplydresses.com/plus-size-prom-dresses/detail.cfm?key=289901&v=FA&cat=plusview_all
http://venusbridal.com/detail.php?did=492
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/currentpage/2/fromcat/1/disptype/3/product_id/607
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/product_id/590/disptype/3/fromcat/1/currentpage/3
http://www.igigi.com/shop/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.display/currentpage/2/fromcat/1/disptype/3/product_id/606
http://www.davidsbridal.com/bridal_gowns_detail.jsp?stid=3200&prodgroup=210 (it’d look better with more volume on the bottom and the straps might look weird on your skinnier bridesmaids)
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December 30th, 2009at 12:01 am
I’ve seen a growing popularity for two piece bridemaids sets… The bridemaids can choose their one style and stick with the same theme color. That way each dress is flattering to their own body. What may look fabulous on one person, might look quite the opposite on another, that’s why I’d suggest letting them mix and match…
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December 30th, 2009at 12:10 am
What you should try and do even if you dont buy your dress from them is go to davids bridal and have her try on styles and go from there. Everyones body type is different. Flowy works on some plus size girls but some it does not.
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plus size bride.
December 30th, 2009at 12:17 am
Everyone’s right about empire waists- they’re very flattering. Just one other thing to add…. think about your fabric choice. Shiny, even satiny fabric will make big girls look bigger. Better if you choose a nice material that’s not too shiny!
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December 30th, 2009at 12:42 am
I recently was in a wedding with lots of different sized ladies. We got an A-line dress that had a wraped look to it in the front. They were very nice and only cost about 150.00 at Davids Bridal. All of the ladies looked really nice and the dress seemed to fit everyone nicely!! I loved my dress we were all very happy with it. They were able to order it in lots of colors also. Good Luck!!!
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