Follow this advice and your maids will look as good as you. Okay, almost as good.
By Heather Levine for The Knot
The name of the game in bridesmaid fashion? Coordinated, but not matching too much. Keep these five tips in mind while you search for the perfect look.
CHOOSE A HUE
There's nothing wrong with wanting your bridal party to look coordinated, but because all your girls have unique shapes and styles, why not pick a color and fabric and have them choose the rest? Or, try choosing a color family, like purples (think everything from periwinkle to plum), and letting each girl choose their own shade and silhouette.
PAY ATTENTION TO DETAIL
For a style your friends will truly wear again, search for dresses with stand-alone status. Where to start? Look for details like couture bows and floral embellishments, varied hemlines and intricate draping, which can transform even the simplest silhouette into sophisticated eveningwear that your friends will love wearing more than once.
PICK SHINY SHOES
Rather than asking your girls to buy matching orange wedges or identical green stilettos, let them pick a metallic pair. Silver or gold shoes will work with just about any color bridesmaid dress (and everything in her own closet too).
LET THEM PICK THEIR JEWELRY
Use your favorite chunky pieces to give your dress more everyday appeal. Try oversized cocktail rings, layered necklaces, or a stack of colorful bangles -- just don't wear all three at once.
CREATE MIX-AND-MATCH BOUQUETS
If you've selected the same silhouette and color for all of your bridesmaids, consider having each girl carry a bouquet of different blooms, all within your wedding colors. So if your colors are pink and green, one girl could hold a bouquet of pale pink roses; another, fuchsia peonies; and the last, green hydrangeas. Your bouquet could then consist of one or two blooms like each of theirs, bringing the look together.
© 2009 THE KNOT INC, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.