The evolution of the bridesmaid dress

Contributed photo

By Katie Hurst

‘70s

Bridesmaids in the 1970s often wore simple dresses in solid colors and very little design, said Christie Salter, bridal manager at Renaissance Consignments in North Shelby. The long floor-length dresses were often straight flowing cuts without being fitted to the body. Empire waistlines and fluttering translucent sleeves were popular features for the line of matching bridesmaids.

‘80s

The Madonna influence took over in the 1980s, Salter said. Big puffy sleeves and bright colors dominated the fashion scene, including the wedding industry.

“‘The brighter the better’ was the motto of the ‘80s,” Salter said.

After Princess Diana’s wedding, brides and bridesmaids alike wanted imitation dresses with a sweetheart neckline, drop waist and big, full skirts.

‘90s

Puffy sleeves made the leap into the early ‘90s but died out by the middle of the decade, Salter said. The traditional tea length gown made of taffeta with a fitted waist came into style for ‘90s weddings, she said.

“The dresses in the ‘90s is what we now call the horror story dresses,” Salter said. “They’re called that because they looked like a bridesmaid’s dress. They were fine but had very limited uses.”

2000s and today

Today, there are many more choices when it comes to bridesmaid dresses, said Carol Wright of Bella Couture bridal salon. Not only are the brides more involved with picking customized colors and fabrics, the bridesmaids are, too. A popular method allows the bride to pick the color and the bridesmaids to pick their own dress style and cut to best suit their body type. For the first time, it’s ok for the bridesmaids not to match, Wright said.

Strapless was the craze in the early 2000s. Now straps are making a comeback based on the personal style of the bride, she said. Shorter dresses are still preferred over floor length, however some bridal parties will mix and match.

Though the bridesmaid dress has seen many changes through the past decades, one thing always stays the same, Wright said.

“Brides still want to be prettier than the bridesmaids,” she said. “That will never change.”

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