J.Crew Cotton Cady Dresses, $215-$225
Choosing my bridesmaid dresses took way more time than I ever expected. I avoided bridal stores because I wanted to pick a dress that my bridesmaids could wear again, without it clearly screaming “Bridesmaid!!”. Nordstrom, Macy’s and a few other stores were my first stops but I ran into two problems: 1) I couldn’t find a dress in a range of sizes to fit my five bridesmaids’ physiques, and 2) my five bridesmaids were scattered everywhere across the US, from New York to Hawaii.
J.Crew’s Bridal collection felt like my miracle solution! Not only are the dresses gorgeous, they also photograph well and can be worn again because of their versatility! Like me, if you have a geographically diverse group of bridesmaids, J.Crew’s Bridal Collection will be perfect! They have wedding stores in major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Boston, etc. so that everyone can try the dresses on. As the bride, I just had to choose the material and color, leaving each of my bridesmaids to arrange their own style. (I chose the Cotton Cady dress in sweet orchid color and let each bridesmaid pick their own dress style.).
Tip: If you can’t get to a wedding store, J.Crew offers free shipping and returns. My one bridesmaid in Hawaii ordered a few styles in several sizes and simply returned what did not fit.