I feel like J Crew was the pioneer of modern bridesmaids dresses.
http://www.jcrew.com/wedding.jsp
They have multiple styles, substrates and many colors to choose from. And without being too cliche, they really are dresses you can wear again! First, I picked the fabric, Silk Chiffon. Next, I picked the color, Matisse Blue. Finally, I picked 5 styles that I liked and told the girls to have at it. It made me happy and I think it made them happy, too. I told them all to pick out some nude colored shoes and call it a day. Don't they look happy?? :)
The next challenge I had was ties for the guys. My husband didn't want the plain silk ties that J. Crew offered so I did a quick internet search and actually found some websites that boast the fact that their ties match back to these colors. All you do is select the color of the dresses and you'll be shown the tie options they have that coordinate - easy peasy! I was quite pleased with the result.
Here's one: http://www.bows-n-ties.com/wedding-ties-matching-bridesmaids-dresses.php
After the fact, of course, I found that there were some other unexpected places that one could find bridesmaid dresses, like Target.com...search women's, then dresses, then filter by occaison and select bridesmaids - they've got multiple colors and styles to choose from, at that Target price point we all know and love!
http://www.target.com/c/dresses-clothing-women/-/N-5xtcg#navigation=true&viewType=medium&sortBy=newest&minPrice=from&maxPrice=to&isleaf=true&navigationPath=5xtcg&parentCategoryId=9975766&facetedValue=/-/N-5xtcgZ57qso&RatingFacet=0&categoryId=4638
Of couse, you can always try the bridal shops and they are more than willing to help you out with some great options to choose from, but with all my bridesmaids being far away, this was the easiest way for me to get it done. Plus, ordering the ties online was one less argument for my husband and I.
"Do these look good to you?" *squints eyes*
"Yes, they're fine."
