To help answer your question I got together with my friends at Weddington Way and I worked to restyle a simple yet elegant bridesmaid dress (see Weddington's bridesmaid dresses here). You can see below for my example on restyling a bridesmaid dress for the 4th of July, but the 5 tips & tricks listed below can be followed to restyle your bridesmaid dress for any upcoming event.
Tips & Tricks for Restyling a Bridesmaid Dress:
1). Start with the dress.
Hang the dress up on a clean backdrop (door or wall) and study the style. Which parts of the dress do you want to emphasize? Which parts do you want to downplay? Perhaps your bride picked out a horrific colored gown for you to wear on her big day. Down play it with a jean jacket or cute lace tie cardigan like the one here. Next, focus on the style you're going for. The type of event you're attending for the will likely play a role in deciding on style. Hollywood glam, backyard bbq or a retro look? You don't want to show up to a 4th of July pool party looking like Lady Gaga on the red carpet...or maybe you do???
2). Add interest.
Most bridesmaids dresses are relatively simple with some ruching or draping. To create interest add a geometric shaped belt like the one below or maybe a statement necklace. Shoes are another great way to add interest. I love these ones here. Now be careful, you don't want to select multiple areas of interest, you'll begin to look like...well, Lady Gaga. Stick to one piece of interest. It also creates a great conversation starter, if you're going to a party where you don't know a lot of people.
3). Don't over accessorize.
I admit that I can get a little carried away sometimes with accessories. You don't always have to have rings, earrings, a necklace AND a bracelet. Limit it to a few pieces. The shape of your dress plays a big role in deciding on accessories. In the dress I chose below, I decided to skip adding a necklace because it would distract from the dramatic asymmetrical neckline. Another factor is your hair. Are you wearing it up or down? If you're wearing your hair down (which I don't know why in would in July....way too hot), then skip on statement earrings. No one will see them with your hair down. Your statement piece should do just that, make a statement. It can't state much if it's hidden behind your lovely locks.
4). Casual is key.
Many bridesmaids dresses are a flowing chiffon or shiny taffeta material. These materials come off more formal. To downplay the fancy fabric add more casual pieces like a simple denim jacket (if it's not too hot), an infinity scarf (love this one) or solid colored flats.
5). Bold isn't always best.
When going to a themed party, like a 4th of July BBQ, it's easy to get carried away with red, white and blue being the obvious choice of colors for the event. keep in mind there will be plenty of patriotic decor at the party. Just because the colors are known, doesn't mean you have to wear all of them. Pick one or two colors to work with. Maybe even do a monochromatic ensemble. For instance choose all red pieces for your look, but in different shades and graphics. It's okay to not wear all 3 colors to the party. After all, you don't want to show up looking like Uncle Sam's mistress.
Restyling with Weddington Way
I love the shape and flow of this dress. The asymmetrical cut would be flattering on just about every figure. Of course I also gravitated toward the cherry color, you know me and red...like a moth to a flame bombshells ;-) Another reason I went with red? With Independence Day quickly approaching, I thought it'd be the perfect wedding attire to restyle for that fabulous 4th of July bash you have planned.
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| Weddington Way - Alfred Angelo Dress |
For the accessories, I decided to stick with metallic and cream tones. Since the dress color is already so bold, I didn't want to busy the look by adding more bold colors (see #5 above).
Notice how I skipped a necklace, in order to emphasize the asymmetrical neckline (see #3 above).
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| Charming Charlie's pearl studs |
The belt was my piece of interest (see #2 above). It adds shape without overwhelming the rest of the ensemble.
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| Lane Crawford constellation belt |
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| Francesca's metallic clutch |
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| Isaac Mizrahi strappy heels |
Although it would be easy to add in some blue with your nails. I decided to keep with the neutral tones and go with this fabulous silver glitter ombre (thank you Pinterest)!!!
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| Silver glitter ombre |
Wanting to see more 4th of July looks? See my post from last year's 4th of July here.
*All opinions in this posts are my own and have not been influenced by
my collaboration with Weddington Way. No financial compensation was received for writing this post. This is the real deal bombshells.*
Be Bold,
Be Brave,
Be Beautiful,
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