Bridal showers. Fun or a necessary evil?
While I love the idea of a bridal shower (mingling with your girlfriends, eating chicken salad, ooh’ing & ahh’ing over gifts from your registry, etc), I still find them to be an odd tradition. How long will the shower last? How much should I spend on a gift? Will there be alcohol? And most importantly, what should I WEAR?!
Bride with her MOB and MOH -- all looking fashionable behind a huge tissue paper bouquet!
Last weekend, I attended my sister’s bridal shower. As someone who lives for an excuse to shop, I planned out my outfit weeks in advance (dress from Macy’s, black tights, black mini wedge boots from Aldo and a turquoise bracelet from Etsy). But if you’re someone who is unsure what to wear, I present to you my top 10 tips for looking fab (for cheap!) at a bridal shower.
- When in doubt, err on the side of dressy. No one wants to be the most under dressed gal in the room. You will be surrounded by women and what do women like to do? Compliment each other on their outfits. So give each other something to talk about.
- On that note… do me a favor and don’t wear jeans. Not even your dark “dress up” jeans. The bride will not be wearing them and neither should you.
- Ask yourself: could I wear this outfit on a date? If the answer is yes, you’re off to a good start! A date is all about looking pretty and feminine. You want to give your date the impression that you dressed up but that it didn’t take much effort (even if it took hours!). That is exactly the idea you’re going for at a shower.
- Wear a dress or skirt. Yes, a nice fitting pair of black pants can look great, too, but when else can you wear a cute dress? Dresses and heels make you feel differently. You stand taller and act more poised. Women of all ages attend showers and one thing we have in common is that we all can rock a dress. Go for it.
- Do not forget the power of accessories. Accessorize a LBD from your closet (like a wrap dress or sweater dress if it’s winter time) and add on a colorful statement necklace or scarf. You suddenly have yourself a new and thrifty outfit.
- Do not shop the day before the shower (are you reading this, sis?!). Especially when you’re hungry and wearing a sports bra. If you insist on doing this (ahem), then call a friend to help. A second opinion is invaluable and she may be able to point out items that you overlooked.
- Wear a fabric and color that will disguise armpit sweat. This might be the most valuable tip!! As a maid-of-honor, I spent the evening giving the bride presents, throwing away wrapping paper, and sweating a lot. My black dress with tank top underneath hid everything, thankgoodness.
- Resign to the fact that your lipstick will not last the length of this party. You can plan ahead for this by keeping your lipstick in a pocket or invest in longwear lipstick.
- Keep the venue of the shower in mind when picking your final outfit. Generally speaking, most showers are held at someone’s home or at a restaurant. A backyard or picnic shower, however, may mean wearing flats and having sunglasses on hand. Be sure to read the invitation and plan accordingly.
- Last but not least, do something different with your hair. We all have our go-to styles for the work week, so I challenge you to try something special for a shower. Pictures will be taken!
Those are my top 10 tips… any more tips to add?
Style Me Thrifty 
Love the list! I’m totally taking notes here. I especially like the point about avoiding fabrics that will show armpit sweat! Great tips and great writing. :)
I feel like you were taking notes the entire shower!!
Super post, now help with what to wear to an April wedding — at a farm or Westminister Abbey — before the event! I don’t want to shop the night before!
Ooh, great question! Look for an answer in an upcoming post.