Bridesmaids with Different Size "Girls"

[nickolsae]

Hi Everyone,
I was hoping to get some opinions on my bridesmaid’s dresses. I have a couple of friends who have big girls up top and they cannot wear strapless dresses. I have 6 bridesmaids total and I found these two dresses at JCrew which my sister and I think will look good. We are thinking 3 wear the strapless and three wear the dress with straps. The color of the dresses will be the regal purple also. Thanks for the help!!

First Dress

Second Dress

 

[Maisie]

I think the dresses are lovely. I wonder if the girls with the larger chest area are also larger all over? If so those dresses might not be so flattering. I think they would maybe make them look bigger?

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 2/27/2008 3:41:23 PM
Author: Maisie
I think the dresses are lovely. I wonder if the girls with the larger chest area are also larger all over? If so those dresses might not be so flattering. I think they would maybe make them look bigger?

I agree. I''m a plus size gal and neither of those dresses would flatter my figure. My wedding dress is strapless but that''s only because that''s how it came. I''m getting a cape/wrap thing to wear over my shoulders and upper arms. That''s how I''d feel most comfortable. Would that be something you''d consider for your bridesmaids -- having them wear a wrap as well?

I do really love the dresses though! Also, do you know that the J Crew sizes are appropriate? I couldn''t do J Crew because I needed a slightly larger size than they have.

 

[nickolsae]

Thanks for the fast advise.

I would guess the bridesmaids with the bigger girls are a size 10-12 but very skinny legs. JCrew said they would measure each girl individually so the dress would fit them. I just don’t want stuff falling out as I am sure they don’t as well.

 

[aprilcait]

Those are cute dresses, but I have to say that I''m questionin their universal flattery.

The empire waist on the second dress pops out at me as not being very large-chest-friendly. My friend has quite a large chest and a bit of a tummy, and she mourns the fact that she can''t wear the cute empire waist styles that are out now. Tastefully cut v-neck dresses (to avoid the uni-boob problem without going cleavage crazy) with nice size straps work great for her, though. Being able to wear a nomal bra is a concern for her (as she puts it, man has not created a strapless bra strong enough to support her girls yet).

 

[partyjewels]

Definitely have them try the dress on before ordering if at all possible. I'm a bit bigger on top and sometimes dresses like this just make then even more prominent because of the seam between the areas... it's not enough room up and down wise, even if it's the perfect size dress for me, so in order to make it decent so I'm not falling out of it, I'd have to pull the dress up and the line would cut my boobs in half. Get what I'm saying? I'm not sure how to describe what I mean entirely as you can tell

ETA: Wearing dresses with thinner straps is also not very comfortable when you're bigger up top, they dig into your shoulders. Plus the tiny straps always seem to emphasize my size up top even more..

ETA AGAIN: Ditto to Aprilcait.

 

[aprilcait]

This kind of cut might be good: http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod78054201&catId=cat290185

 

[somethingshiny]

I think they're both cute, but I'm wondering how "big" you're talking. I'm a 38G and those wouldn't have a chance in heck of supporting my girls. If they're any bigger than a D (natural) then I would keep looking. If they're "enhanced", they should stand up on their own anyway and be fine.

BTW-I think purple would be a great color for these!!

REALLY love the dress aprilcait posted. Bra friendly!

 

[partyjewels]

Date: 2/27/2008 4:26:09 PM
Author: somethingshiny
but I''m wondering how ''big'' you''re talking.

I''m wondering that too. I''m a bigger than a C, but smaller than a D... and I don''t think it would work so great for me (in terms of being comfortable and not showing too much)..

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I am fairly small up top and that is why I don''t like strapless because I feel like it is going to slip down since I don''t have enough to hold it up. I frankly think the poof of the skirt on the second one would make it universally unflatering. Taffeta is probably the worst fabric for larger women to wear because it makes them look much bigger.
I LOVE the dress april posted and I think it would be universally flattering. The tummy area is deliniated to make it look smaller, V necks are good with almost all face shapes and the straps are big enough to hold the girls up top. Plus, chiffon is a very forgiving fabric, unlike taffeta.

Be careful though, I understand Jcrew often runs small and they don''t carry very large sizes so some of your girls might not fit.

 

[musey]

They''re very cute!

Just wanted to throw out there that, while I am not "larger" (5''4" size 2/4), I would not feel comfortable wearing a non-full-length dress in a wedding. I''m not comfortable showing my legs when I know I''ll be at the front of a room full of people. So it''s something to consider, just in case any of your girls might feel the same way. Full- or at least tea-length is a lot safer.

 

[Elmorton]

There have probably been sufficient vetoes to the second dress, but I did want to add that while I love the poofy dresses right now (they hide bellies!) as a bigger-busted gal, they make me sad because I will, without fail, look preggo in them

3 of my bridesmaids were the same size and 1 was smaller, so dresses didn''t really provide much of a problem - but the bigger busted bm (who was also the smaller sized one) specifically asked for NO HALTERS, as the matching dresses often make the difference between small busted ladies/big busted ladies even more apparent. We went strapless for the dresses, but for bigger busted ladies it''s also very important that you can get a supportive strapless underneath (read: a backless strapless or a strapless with a thick back/boning).

I''d also either go with all matching or all same color unmatched if the ladies differ stature. While your bigger-busted bms are certainly average sized, if they''re standing next to a size 0-2 bm and the size 12 ladies are wearing a different dress, it might look really
obvious that there are different dresses for the bigger girls.

Kudos to you though for being sensitive to their needs! As a bigger gal, I want to cry when I go to weddings as see bms shoved into unflattering dresses.

 

[sunnyd]

Date: 2/27/2008 4:20:24 PM
Author: partyjewels
Definitely have them try the dress on before ordering if at all possible. I''m a bit bigger on top and sometimes dresses like this just make then even more prominent because of the seam between the areas... it''s not enough room up and down wise, even if it''s the perfect size dress for me, so in order to make it decent so I''m not falling out of it, I''d have to pull the dress up and the line would cut my boobs in half. Get what I''m saying? I''m not sure how to describe what I mean entirely as you can tell

ETA: Wearing dresses with thinner straps is also not very comfortable when you''re bigger up top, they dig into your shoulders. Plus the tiny straps always seem to emphasize my size up top even more..

ETA AGAIN: Ditto to Aprilcait.

I totally get what you''re saying. I''m not that big up top and I have that problem. There''s just not enough fabric in the boob area so that a) you''re not falling out, or b) you''re not cut in half...which is super unflattering.

I love the dress aprilcait posted! But I''m partial to anything chiffon. Good luck in the search!

 

[sred2]

Date: 2/27/2008 5:12:12 PM
Author: sunnyd

Date: 2/27/2008 4:20:24 PM
Author: partyjewels
Definitely have them try the dress on before ordering if at all possible. I''m a bit bigger on top and sometimes dresses like this just make then even more prominent because of the seam between the areas... it''s not enough room up and down wise, even if it''s the perfect size dress for me, so in order to make it decent so I''m not falling out of it, I''d have to pull the dress up and the line would cut my boobs in half. Get what I''m saying? I''m not sure how to describe what I mean entirely as you can tell

ETA: Wearing dresses with thinner straps is also not very comfortable when you''re bigger up top, they dig into your shoulders. Plus the tiny straps always seem to emphasize my size up top even more..

ETA AGAIN: Ditto to Aprilcait.

I totally get what you''re saying. I''m not that big up top and I have that problem. There''s just not enough fabric in the boob area so that a) you''re not falling out, or b) you''re not cut in half...which is super unflattering.

I love the dress aprilcait posted! But I''m partial to anything chiffon. Good luck in the search!

I think the dresses are ADORABLE but i''m a D and I would have boobs eeeeverywhere with the dress with straps (ok with the other one also lol) ... especially with how the back is cut it doesn''t like you could wear a bra with the dress, and that honestly isn''t an option for me. the only time I go without a bra is in bed or in the shower.

 

[neatfreak]

They are very cute, but as someone who is a DD, but petite otherwise, the J.Crew dresses do not fit in the bust AT ALL. Unless they can customize that area for the special occasion dresses I''d keep looking. Their dress tops are made to fit a B cup at best IMO.

 

[krispi]

I have a little bit of a different point of view. I wear a 34 D, and I have the strapless J Crew beach dress in a size 10 and love the way it fits! Based on the dress I already own, I''d pick the first dress over the second for me. Maybe you can pick a few dresses in the purple color you like and let each girl pick the style she thinks would be the most flattering for her body type? This is what we did for my brother''s wedding, and it worked out really well.

 

[IWantAMilkshake]

Date: 2/27/2008 5:32:47 PM
Author: krispi
I have a little bit of a different point of view. I wear a 34 D, and I have the strapless J Crew beach dress in a size 10 and love the way it fits! Based on the dress I already own, I''d pick the first dress over the second for me. Maybe you can pick a few dresses in the purple color you like and let each girl pick the style she thinks would be the most flattering for her body type? This is what we did for my brother''s wedding, and it worked out really well.

I second this. I''m a 32DD and a size 4, and would much rather wear the strapless than the strapped because these puppies would never ever fit into the strapped one. There''s just not enough fabric.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 2/27/2008 8:28:54 PM
Author: IWantAMilkshake

Date: 2/27/2008 5:32:47 PM

Author: krispi

I have a little bit of a different point of view. I wear a 34 D, and I have the strapless J Crew beach dress in a size 10 and love the way it fits! Based on the dress I already own, I''d pick the first dress over the second for me. Maybe you can pick a few dresses in the purple color you like and let each girl pick the style she thinks would be the most flattering for her body type? This is what we did for my brother''s wedding, and it worked out really well.

I second this. I''m a 32DD and a size 4, and would much rather wear the strapless than the strapped because these puppies would never ever fit into the strapped one. There''s just not enough fabric.

You think they''ll fit into the strapless though? I''m the exact same as you, size and all, and in my experience J.Crew dresses squeeze you like grapefruits no matter what....

 

[princesss]

I love J. Crew dresses, but as a 5'' 10", size 10, 36D I can tell you that, in my experience, the only dresses from there that have fit the girls was a halter. That second dress is adorable, and makes me wish I was a B, because I would look pregnant in it. The problem with empire waist dresses/shirts that puff out like that is that if you''re a normal sized person but a little bigger on top, you look like your body is doing the whole pregnancy-growth thing. I think the dress aprilcait posted is MUCH more likely to be flattering (and potentially to all your BMs). That way there''s a potential for support. With the dresses you posted your BMs wouldn''t be able to wear a bra, even though the dress has straps.

 

[IWantAMilkshake]

Date: 2/27/2008 8:43:15 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 2/27/2008 8:28:54 PM
Author: IWantAMilkshake

Date: 2/27/2008 5:32:47 PM

Author: krispi

I have a little bit of a different point of view. I wear a 34 D, and I have the strapless J Crew beach dress in a size 10 and love the way it fits! Based on the dress I already own, I''d pick the first dress over the second for me. Maybe you can pick a few dresses in the purple color you like and let each girl pick the style she thinks would be the most flattering for her body type? This is what we did for my brother''s wedding, and it worked out really well.

I second this. I''m a 32DD and a size 4, and would much rather wear the strapless than the strapped because these puppies would never ever fit into the strapped one. There''s just not enough fabric.

You think they''ll fit into the strapless though? I''m the exact same as you, size and all, and in my experience J.Crew dresses squeeze you like grapefruits no matter what....

Hehe. I have limited experience. I own the Lyndsay dress in their wedding collection, and a 4 fit the girls fine and I had to take the rest of the dress in a whole size. The other day I tried on the cute strapless Madras number they have right now, and I needed a 6 for my chest but the dress was out of control big everywhere else.