the last four years since my partner and I
opened Bella Bridesmaid. We have seen the
fashion trends go from the traditional long
a-line bridesmaid dress in raw silk, to the
fashion forward one shoulder neckline with
shantung is still a very popular fabric for brides-
maid dresses but we have seen several new ver-
satile fabrics emerge on the scene. In addition to
new fabrics, there are several new trends that have
surfaced in the 2010 spring and fall lines. Below are
the trends that we see most commonly across the
wide spectrum.
silhouette. Every one of the lines we represent, in-
cluding Priscilla of Boston, Simple Silhouettes, Jen-
ny Yoo and Lula Kate, just to name a few, has one or
two versions of this trend setting style. Some neck-
lines are more elaborate than others, adorned with
bows or ruffles, while some are just sleek and mod-
ern. Many of the brides we have worked with this
year are choosing this feminine
look for their bridesmaids. One of
my favorites is the "Bridget" style
from Lula Kate, an exclusive Bella
designer from Charleston, SC. This
precious southern style combines
the one shoulder neckline with a
swanky ruffle trim. It has been a
very popular style among brides-
maids.
tion. Brides love this line because they can allow
each bridesmaid to pick her own styles as long as
they are the same color and fabric. This trend has
been popular over the last couple years but the
Lula Kate line makes this idea so easy and fun for
the girls to customize their look. For example, a
bride might choose to have a "Bridget" dress with
one-shoulder ruffle for one bridesmaid, the "Chris-
ty" dress with high ruffle collar for another, and the
"Meredith" dress with small ruffle trim framing the
strapless neck line and waist for the last brides-
maid. This wedding party would each be wearing
a different style but have the ruffle element to tie
them all together.
California that offers multiple styles in either sand
dresses offer a fresh and romantic feel that our
brides and bridesmaids have really fallen in love
with. The designer's inspiration is the sand, the
stars and the sun. This non-traditional, contempo-
rary line is perfect for mixing and matching styles,
colors and fabric textures. We have worked with a
handful of brides so far that just chose a color or
even tonal shades and told their bridesmaids to
choose a style, length, and fabric of their choice
that complimented their figures. We just recently
received our first order for a bridal party and were
blown away with how beautiful and romantic these
whimsical dresses were. All ten bridesmaids were
able to choose a different style. We are anxiously
awaiting the photos from this unique wedding. It is
always fun for us to see the finished product when
brides allow bridal parties to choose.
ald greens to royal blues. Black and even all white
weddings are still an ever-present trend. Two and
three-toned dresses have been popular this sea-
are so fun and allow you to carry through several
color schemes. Color is extremely important when
choosing bridesmaid dresses and can help set the
tone for the rest of the wedding planning.
and bridesmaid loves the idea of having a pock-
eted skirt. Pockets provide a secret place to hold
lipstick or tissue, which most girls need on the day
of the wedding. Several wedding gowns now fea-
ture pockets, too. Bridesmaids get so excited about
a fun dress with pockets!
line looks great on all body types, unless you are
extremely busty. Most of the brides we work with
choose wedding gowns with the sweetheart neck-
line and they like for one element of their gown to
be found also on the bridesmaid dresses.
faces.
s k i r t
straight
skirt tend
to be a fa-
vorite
son. Several of the
new styles from the
2010 fall lines showed
a more sleek skirt and
less of a full or A-line skirt.
The straight skirt is a very
flattering silhouette on most
body types and helps show off
curvy figures rather than adding
more fabric to the hip area.
in general, is constantly evolving
and each season brings a new
element of surprise. Gone are the
days of boring, lackluster brides-
maid dresses. I see many more
cocktail styles being designed
that I would wear to an event,
maid dress. The stigma of a "bridesmaid dress" is
slowly becoming extinct. The styles we carry at Bella
Bridesmaid can be worn again for other purposes,
in fact I own several that have never been worn as
a bridesmaid dress! Brides these days really do go
into this dress selection process searching to find
a dress that their bridesmaids can invest in and be
able to wear again and again.
different designers and I am certain we have a
fabulous stylish dress option that each bridesmaid
would love. Coming this fall, we will be carrying a
new exclusive line by Carol Hannah, a new designer
that was a top two finalist on Project Runway two
seasons ago. Check out our website, www.bel-
labridesmaid.com, to learn more about us.