Can bridesmaid dresses be worn again after the wedding?
When you’re caught up in wedding planning with the bride and shopping for the perfect bridesmaid dresses for the big day, you’re probably not thinking about what you’ll do with the dress beyond that. Wedding fashion has come a long way over the years, which means there are endless possibilities for what you can do with your bridesmaid dress after a wedding that don’t involve it sitting in a wardrobe gathering dust.
Keep in mind not every dress will be right for every event, but there might just be an occasion where you know your bridesmaid dress can wow for a second time, even if you have to tweak it a little bit. Read on to learn some creative and fun ways you can re-wear your bridesmaid dress again.
Change the colour of the dress
Colour plays a big part in making a bridesmaid dress what it is, if you want to take that element away and use the dress for other events, a good way to achieve that is by dying it. This is not an easy job, and you should always use a professional and do your research into what colours will and won’t work for the fabric of your gown.
If you can dye your dress successfully it will create a stunning look, and no one will even notice that it used to be a bridesmaid dress. The best outcomes with changing dress colours often occur if you are changing a light pastel dress to a darker colour, but it can look good the other way round too.
Make it more your own
The look you had in your bridesmaid dress on the wedding will likely have been more to the bride’s taste. When it comes to re-using the dress for a different event though, you have full creative freedom to make the gown your own, whether that is by adding different accessories to it like a sash or jewellery to co-ordinate with it or customising it with small alterations to parts of the dress like the neckline or back to give it more of a sexy vibe. Let your ideas run wild to really get your personality across in the dress at your next big event.
Reduce the length of the dress
One of the most popular options for wearing a bridesmaid dress after the wedding is to change the look by shortening the dress. Many weddings, especially formal occasions, often include floor-length bridesmaid dresses. If you’re wanting to go less formal with the dress the best way to do that is cutting away some of the fabric and transforming into more of a cocktail dress style.
This makes it much easier to style for a range of different events without it looking like you’re trying to force the dress into an occasion it simply doesn’t work in. Additionally, you could use the excess fabric to create a cute sash or cover up to complete the look and adapt to different events with the right accessories.
Add or remove straps
Bridesmaid dresses are well-known for utilising strapless looks like with a sweetheart neckline. You can move away from the bridesmaid style by asking a seamstress (or doing it yourself if you can) to stitch on some cute straps or even go all out and add sleeves if you think they will work well with the style of the dress.
This is a nice way to re-use the dress for other occasions without everyone questioning whether you’re wearing a bridesmaid dress. It can also work the other way round too if you want to make a dress that already has straps, strapless. Either can be a great option to make the dress adaptable after you have used it for a wedding and know you won’t use it for another one.
Conclusion
In answer to the original question, in most circumstances yes bridesmaid dresses can be worn again after the wedding. If you’re attending another wedding either as a bridesmaid or a guest with different people from the previous wedding, then why not give your beautiful dress another a go in the spotlight?
Alternatively, you could use your dress for other events, some might work better than other depending on the style, colour, fabric etc. A satin dress for example can often look amazing in other events apart from weddings. Consider what events you may want to use it for and how you can customise it to create a completely different look.
If you’re looking for the perfect bridesmaid dress, then Maids to Measure can help. Explore our wide range of gorgeous dresses today to find the right one for you, both for the wedding you’re attending and beyond.
