Bridesmaid Dresses Can Be Worn Again, Thanks to Martha and Others

By / September 8, 2015 / 2 minutes of reading

With summer fading into our memories, the busiest wedding season of the year has ended as well. Great food, funny dancing, beautiful decorations … and some questionable fashion choices are standard for most of these events. Once the DJ goes home, the cake is eaten, and the happily wedded couple are off on their honeymoon, what do you do with that bridesmaid dress that you don’t ever see needing (or wanting) to wear again?

As expected, the folks working at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia’s Blueprint Magazine have assembled a nice collection of ideas on how to revise those silk taffeta nightmares into something you would actually be excited to wear on a nice night out or a casual weekend.

If the thought of wearing that bridesmaid “beauty” again gives you cold chills, there are other options. Author Cindy Walker published an amazingly tongue-in-cheek book called 101 Uses for a Bridesmaid Dress in 1999, and the tips are still relevant. Though there are no actual patterns of directions in the book, Walker does offer an intriguing collection of part-joking, part-serious ways to reuse that hunk of fabric hanging in your closet, such as “you can never have too many hair scrunchies” and “how about a taffeta hammock?”

Maybe you have long since donated your bridesmaid gowns to a non-profit, but can’t help but remember the happy moments and unique experiences you went through to help one of your close friends have the perfect day. Then there is a another book for you. Meg Mateo-Ilasco’s You Can Wear It Again: A Celebration of Bridesmaids’ Dresses “pays loving tribute to fifty years of bridesmaids’ dresses, as featured in real-life weddings.” While there is no doubt that bridesmaid dresses will never be “in fashion”, this book is a great gift for that bride who you care so much about that you spend a whole day wearing a puffy, peachy nightmare.

[Image courtesy of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia/Blueprint Magazine]

About The Author

I think of myself as a creatively versatile eco-powerhouse. Freelance writer, life-long model, on-camera personality, public speaker, official U.S. spokesperson for Twice Shy Clothing - I'm a classic Renaissance woman and mistress-of-all-trades. Though my days of growing up in the corn fields of central Indiana are behind me, forgetting where I came from is not an option. I lost my father unexpectedly in March of 2006, months before moving from NYC to San Francisco, which helped to amplify my zest for life and thirst to help change the world. Perpetually looking for fresh ways to share my unquenchable green knowledge, I blog about everything eco on my own website, as well as for All Green Magazine and select others. Additionally, I am the editor/head writer of Crafting a Green World (part of the Green Options blog network) and a writer/web editor for Building Green TV. My diverse articles have been published in variety of reputable magazines, such as: Yoga Journal, Venus, CRAFT, Yogi Times, Recovery Solutions, M+F, and Office Solutions. In my spare time, you can find me knitting, reading, singing, taking pictures, practicing yoga, taking long walks, and working on my first non-fiction book. Other random facts about me: I'm a Buddhist, latex fan, have four tattoos, and an attempting locavore. MOVING TO PORTLAND, OREGON IN JUNE 2008

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20 thoughts on “Bridesmaid Dresses Can Be Worn Again, Thanks to Martha and Others”

  1. Stephanie

    Seeing what other people have had to wear as bridesmaids has made me glad that my sisters and I have a tradition of letting the bridesmaids choose their own dresses to fit within certain criteria, often just color. We’re all married now, so no more dresses, but it sure helped with the hideousness, even though I think I’m the only one who has managed to rewear a bridesmaid dress. They were generally not standard “bridesmaid dresses”, which really helped, even if there’s little call for formal dresses in general.

    Reply
  2. Stephanie

    Seeing what other people have had to wear as bridesmaids has made me glad that my sisters and I have a tradition of letting the bridesmaids choose their own dresses to fit within certain criteria, often just color. We’re all married now, so no more dresses, but it sure helped with the hideousness, even though I think I’m the only one who has managed to rewear a bridesmaid dress. They were generally not standard “bridesmaid dresses”, which really helped, even if there’s little call for formal dresses in general.

    Reply
  3. Stephanie

    Seeing what other people have had to wear as bridesmaids has made me glad that my sisters and I have a tradition of letting the bridesmaids choose their own dresses to fit within certain criteria, often just color. We’re all married now, so no more dresses, but it sure helped with the hideousness, even though I think I’m the only one who has managed to rewear a bridesmaid dress. They were generally not standard “bridesmaid dresses”, which really helped, even if there’s little call for formal dresses in general.

    Reply
  4. Stephanie

    Seeing what other people have had to wear as bridesmaids has made me glad that my sisters and I have a tradition of letting the bridesmaids choose their own dresses to fit within certain criteria, often just color. We’re all married now, so no more dresses, but it sure helped with the hideousness, even though I think I’m the only one who has managed to rewear a bridesmaid dress. They were generally not standard “bridesmaid dresses”, which really helped, even if there’s little call for formal dresses in general.

    Reply

  5. Pingback: Martha Stewart » Bridesmaid Dresses Can Be Worn Again, Thanks to Martha and Others

  6. Victoria Everman

    Hi Stephanie,

    Having not gotten married yet, I can’t help but be amused with some of the choices folks make, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. I think giving the bridesmaids a general idea of what to wear and letting them choose the style that is right for them is the best way to go.

    VE

    Reply
  7. Victoria Everman

    Hi Stephanie,

    Having not gotten married yet, I can’t help but be amused with some of the choices folks make, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. I think giving the bridesmaids a general idea of what to wear and letting them choose the style that is right for them is the best way to go.

    VE

    Reply
  8. Victoria Everman

    Hi Stephanie,

    Having not gotten married yet, I can’t help but be amused with some of the choices folks make, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. I think giving the bridesmaids a general idea of what to wear and letting them choose the style that is right for them is the best way to go.

    VE

    Reply
  9. Victoria Everman

    Hi Stephanie,

    Having not gotten married yet, I can’t help but be amused with some of the choices folks make, especially when it comes to wedding dresses. I think giving the bridesmaids a general idea of what to wear and letting them choose the style that is right for them is the best way to go.

    VE

    Reply

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