Your bestie has just called you, excitedly telling you that she and her sweetheart just got engaged! Once the two of you finish gushing over the proposal, she mentions that she wouldn’t dream of getting married without you standing beside her and hopes that you’ll be one of her bridesmaids.
A few weeks later, she officially asks you, and you take stock of the rest of the bridal party. Suddenly, you’re concerned over the fact that you’re plus sized and the sort of dresses that will look awesome on some of the other bridesmaids might not flatter your body. Rest assured that you are far from alone and that you will absolutely look gorgeous as you stand alongside the bride and the rest of her crew. But what can you do to make sure that your dress is a perfect match for your body?
1) Show Off Your Favorite Feature
A lot of fashion advice that you will find online for plus sized women centers around hiding your “problem areas.” It’s not necessary to think about any parts of your body as a problem and you’ll probably enjoy shopping a lot more if you focus on your favorite physical features instead! Do you love your curves? You can play them up with a dress that cinches in at your waist with a pretty belt. If you’re proud of your legs, you might opt for a shorter dress! There are lots of options available to you.
2) Use Fashion To Your Advantage
That said, sometimes positivity can be hard and you might still be worried about some parts of your figure that you don’t love. Fashion can mask parts of your body that you don’t want to show off in a bridesmaid dress. If you don’t like the way your arms look in a strapless dress, you might opt for an option with lacy long sleeves and give off glamorous vibes! While strapless dresses or ones with thin straps tend to be in vogue, large retailers will often have more options with more coverage.
3) Structure and Support
One of the best ways to make sure you look and feel great in a bridesmaid’s dress is to opt for a dress that offers you structure and support. Structured fabrics are a great way for plus sized women to get a little extra support and definition to their bodies. You will also want to consider what sort of bra situation will be the most comfortable for you and choose a dress with an appropriate neckline. If your bra of choice won’t be an option, try to find a dress with built in cups or have them put in to give you a little support! You may also want to find some shapewear, if you like the way your body looks and feels with shapewear on. Bring whatever you intend to wear under your dress to your fitting and definitely bring it with you when you are getting your dress altered!
4) You (and everyone else!) Will Probably Need A Seamstress
Tailored clothes just look better on everyone. A good rule of thumb for most fashion is that you should purchase a dress that fits the widest part of your body and a good seamstress will then alter the dress so that the rest of it fits just as well. This is important for everyone to remember, no matter what size you are wearing. Getting a dress tailored doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with your body, there’s nothing wrong with not matching the precise measurements the dress fits off the rack. A-List celebrities always look awesome because their clothing is tailored to them — not because their bodies fit the clothes better. You can enjoy the same custom fit and look amazing!
Bonus: For The Bride
Want to help all of your bridesmaids be comfortable on your big day? Exercise caution before you decide that a specific dress is going to be the one that all of your bridesmaids will wear. This is a good practice, and not just for a plus sized bridesmaid. Anyone might feel insecure in a dress, and the best thing you can do is talk to them about those concerns.
This is why lots of brides are opting to have chic mismatched bridesmaids. A great tactic is to pick a color and perhaps a certain fabric and let your bridesmaids pick their own dresses that meet your requirements! When you’re making these plans, keep in mind that larger retailers tend to have more sizing options than smaller boutiques.