Gone are the days of every bridesmaid wearing the same dress.
By: Rachel Capo—SPONSORED FEATURE—
Photo Credit: Abbi Cooley
Over the last few years, a new trend emerged in bridal party fashion: mix and match styles that allow each bridesmaid's personality to shine through. While creating a cohesive look can be tricky, when done correctly, the effect creates gorgeous bridal party photos and allows each girl to wear a dress she feels fantastic in. The Dessy Group has created a tool that helps you perfectly execute this trend every time: a color and fabric key. To nail the mismatched look, choose one of three options: different dress styles in the same color, different colors in the same fabric, or different fabrics in the same color. Whichever route you go, Dessy's key below will help you pull together dresses that coordinate and complement each other beautifully.
Same Color, Different Styles
Choosing one color and fabric is a surefire way to guarantee your bridal party will look fabulous together. In the below photo, the entire bridal party is wearing the color Dessy Champagne. However, six different styles ensure that each bridesmaid could choose the neckline she felt most comfortable and beautiful in.
Photo Credit: Kartsie Photography
Same Fabric, Different Colors
Opting for different colors in the same family allow each bridesmaid to choose the hue that best compliments her skintone, while achieving a stunning, almost ombré look. Keeping the fabric consistent for all of the gowns will help them come together seamlessly. Use Dessy's color key below to select colors in slightly lighter and darker hues that share similar undertones. For example, cashmere gray (a warm gray with lavender undertones) would look beautiful with lilac dusk (a dusty, muted purple), and suede rose (a lighty, dusty purple with a hint of pink). All three colors share warm undertones and effortlessly blend together.
Another way to create a stunning bridal party is to choose solids and prints in the same color family, so the styles coordinate without matching, as shown below, in Mist and Cottage Rose Dusk Blue.
Same Color, Different Fabric
This option is for the bride who wants to keep the tradition of everyone wearing the same color, but introduces fun textures to the mix. Mixing and matching different fabrics is a great way to add interest and individuality to your bridal party. It can also let your maid of honor shine -- consider a shimmering or sequin gown for her! Check out Dessy's fabric key below to choose between luxe textures like crepe, satin, and charmeuse. The key can also help you determine which fabrics are best for your wedding season (for example, rich velvet in winter versus airy chiffon in the summer).
Dessy Color Key
Amber Sunset – a light rust shade with a touch of pink (lighter than Auburn Moon)
Atlantic Blue – a deep blue with subtle teal undertones, reminiscent of the deep blue sea
Aubergine – a true deep eggplant purple
Auburn Moon – a rich saturated rust with a hint of red
Ballet Pink – a clean, soft powdery pale pink with the tiniest touch of lavender (not as peachy as Blush)
Black – a classic inky black
Bleu Garden – a soft pale blue and sage green floral print on Ivory ground
Blush – a petal-soft, pink champagne color
Blush Garden – a soft pale peach, pink and blue gray floral print on ivory ground
Cabernet – a rich, wine-inspired, deep wine-red color, deeper and darker than Burgundy
Cameo – an ethereal, pale nude with pink undertones
Cashmere Gray – pearlescent warm gray with slight lavender undertones
Celadon – a pale celery green color; has more yellow undertone than Willow
Champagne – a pale neutral, silvery beige
Classic Blue – a clean, saturated, intense medium blue
Cloudy – a whisper soft, pale, dusty blue
Cobalt Blue – intense, rich, and universally flattering jewel-tone blue
Cognac – warm, rich honeyed brown with golden undertones
Copper Penny – a soft, clean copper hue with slight pink undertones
Cottage Rose Dusk Blue – a large blue floral print on an ivory background lux chiffon
Cottage Rose Larkspur – a large blue floral print in Larkspur on ivory background satin twill
Desert Rose – a warm, muted rose color with a touch of clay brown
Evergreen – a deep dark forest green, darker than Hunter Green
French Blue Foil - rich French Blue ground in the pleated metallic with a soft gold floral foil print
Garnet – a ruby red, slightly darker and a bit more orange than Parisian Red
Golden Almond – a saturated mid-tone golden brown
Hunter Green – a deep, jewel-tone emerald green
Icelandic – a dusty blue with a hint of green, reminiscent of sea glass
Indigo Rose – large variegated blue floral print on an open ground of soft ivory
Ivory – a soft, subtle, creamy ivory
Larkspur Blue – a deeper dusty blue shade with a touch of gray, darker than Cloudy
Larkspur Gold Foil – Larkspur Blue ground in pleated metallic with a soft gold floral foil print
Lilac Dusk – a dusty, muted purple
Lilac Haze – a silvery, soft lilac
Lilac Haze Garden - a dreamy floral Chateau Garden Print in neu tulle with flowers in shades of lilac with soft sage foliage and stems on a lilac haze ground
Magnolia Sky - Silver Dove ground with abstract watercolor flowers in sky blue and ivory
Metallic Sienna – the perfect metallic nude, a pinky - brown nude shot through with silver and coppery sienna foil threads
Midnight Navy – a dark saturated navy blue, perfect as a formal alternative to black
Mist – a pale blue with slight gray and green undertones
Mist Garden – a dreamy floral Chateau Garden Print in neu tulle with flowers and foliage in varied shades of blue on a mist ground
Moondance – an icy pale purple
Neu Nude – the perfect universal nude with added depth and pinky-brown undertones
Oat – a new neutral that is a touch darker than Ivory, with a warm silvery cast
Olive Green – a deep, rich mossy olive green
Orchid Pink – an intense, saturated pink with purple undertones
Oyster – a barely-there warm gray, gray-neutral, lighter than Taupe
Pale Yellow – a buttery pale yellow, pure sunshine
Palm Beach Print – elegantly depicted palm fronds rendered in lush tones of green on soft Ballet Pink ground
Parisian Red – a true lipstick red with slight blue undertones
Penelope Floral Print – a multi-color garden party floral print on a Cameo ground
Pink Gold Foil – powdery pink metallic with a soft gold floral foil print
Powder Pink – a soft powdery pink with slight blue undertones that’s universally flattering
Rose Garden – a dreamy floral Chateau Garden Print in neu tulle with flowers in shades of rose pinks with soft umber foliage and stems on a rose ground
Rose – PANTONE Rose Quartz – a soft, warm pink color with a hint of peach
Rosewood – a muted pink-brown color (lighter and dustier than English Rose)
Sage – a dusty gray-green with a hint of frost
Seagrass – a fresh sage green color, brighter and less gray than Willow
Sienna – an earthy, clay color with just a hint of pink
Silver Dove – a light, frosty-silvery blue with a touch of purple
Sky Blue – a crisp, clear light sky blue
Suede Rose – a light, dusty purple with a hint of pink
Taupe – a true taupe-gray color with warm undertones
Think Pink – Dessy's take on Valentino Pink, a rich deep pink with blue undertones
Toasted Sugar – a burnished pink/brown nude, lighter than Bliss but darker than Cameo
Toffee – a rich caramel brown
Topaz – a light neutral taupe-mocha color
Venetian Gold – a burnished, golden color with bronze undertones
Vineyard Green – a muted stem green color
Vintage Primrose – a rich vintage-inspired floral print on evergreen ground, delicate ivory flowers are detailed in subtle tones of sienna and neu nude
Willow Green – a dusty, silvery sage green color
Dessy Fabric Key
3D Trellis Sequin Embroidery – an intricately embroidered tulle mesh with sequin accents and 3D folded floral details and a bit of stretch
Crepe – a softly textured matte finish with a bit of stretch that’s body-skimming for a flattering fit that smooths & contours curves
Ivy Fleur Embroidery – a pastel multi-color floral embroidery, textured with a bit of stretch that layers effortlessly into neutrals as well as pastels
Lux Charmeuse – an incredibly soft satin luster that’s fluid, yet substantial, and flatters every curve (no stretch)
Lux Chiffon – a super light and airy fabric with incredible drape that floats as you move
Lux Velvet – a rich, lustrous and super comfortable with ample stretch, which makes this fabric totally forgiving
Luxe Stretch Satin – the most stretch of our satin finish fabrics, its luster, drape and high-rebound stretch flatters and sculpts to create a stunning silhouette
Neu Stretch Charmeuse – a rich soft satin luster with the added benefit of high stretch and rebound that flatters every curve
Neu Tulle – a dreamy soft tulle with a bit of stretch; ethereal and light, it floats as you move
Pleated Metallic – a lux micro-pleated metallic, soft and textured with a good amount of stretch
Pleated Metallic Gold Foil – a lux micro-pleated metallic, soft and textured with a good amount of stretch and a soft gold foil floral print applied for extra shimmer
Satin Twill – the look and feel of an expensive formal textile, its soft subtle luster enhances the richness of each color and has a soft bounce that lends itself to full skirts and structured shapes
Soft Tulle – a light, airy open-work tulle net with stretch, perfect for weddings year-round
Stretch Lining – a pajama-soft jersey lining that’s incredibly comfortable against the skin and smooths out the line of the dress and form
Whisper Satin – a soft, lustrous satin sheen with a touch of stretch that drapes and floats
