From Bridezilla meltdowns to BFF breakups, the boutique Bella Bridesmaids has seen it all in its 15 years of dressing wedding parties in Charleston. And while it’s true that shopping for bridesmaids dresses can be fraught, it doesn’t have to be, says Bella showroom manager Alex Moring. We asked her to share advice on finding a look that works for everyone, as well as the latest trends in fall and winter dresses.
Seasonal hues
“We’re seeing darker colors in general or brighter colors, not too many neutrals these days,” Moring says.“A lot of blacks and navy. I’m a huge fan of everybody in a black dress.”
The look right now
“When it comes to traditional brides, we’re doing a lot of silk and structured dresses. Amsale has a crepe fabric that’s not stretchy: you still get that [fitted] look without it being tight. We’re also seeing a lot of faille fabric. At the Southern Bella stores, we joke that we could carry just Amsale’s faille and make 75 percent of our brides happy.”
Pulling off mismatched dresses
“If a bride says go pick out a dress in a blush, it doesn’t really work out. You need to do it in some coordinated way and make sure you go through the same retailer. My favorite thing to do is a palette where everyone is wearing completely different styles.”
Seasonless styles
“Charleston tends to be less season specific in the fall and winter. I tell brides to pick what they want for pictures. At the end of the day, you don’t know what the weather is going to be like.”
Same but different
“We’re seeing it all right now. There’s a huge trend of everybody wearing completely different things, usually in the same color family. And there are brides going back to everyone in the same dress, same style.”
