Bridesmaid Dresses: Long, Midi and One Shoulder Gowns for a Mixed Wedding Party

Bridesmaid Dresses: Long, Midi and One Shoulder Gowns for a Mixed Wedding Party

Bridesmaid dresses used to be a matching uniform with a protective purpose, and now the best wedding parties mix lengths and necklines. This edit sorts long gowns, midi styles and one shoulder, halter and strapless dresses, with notes on how each wears.

The oldest version of bridesmaid dresses was a disguise. Reader's Digest says bridesmaids originally dressed like the bride, a custom linked to ancient Rome and feudal China, so that the bride was harder to attack on the road or at the ceremony. It also reports that certain Roman wedding customs made it a legal requirement for ten witnesses, all dressed in matching colors, to attend a wedding ceremony. Author Hanne Blank, cited there, says the matching look was meant to confuse evil spirits or anyone who wished to harm the bride.

 

I love that the whole idea began as protection, because it makes the modern habit of matching feel a little silly. Vogue reported in April 2023 that mismatched bridesmaid dresses had become hugely popular, citing Zola data that more than 69 percent of couples dressed their wedding party in non-traditional outfits. Planner Augusta Cole told Vogue that giving the bridal party fashion freedom is becoming the norm. So my point of view in this edit is simple: choose a color story, then let the shapes differ.

 

The first grid is all long dresses, and they run from quiet to dramatic. Lovers and Friends has four here, and they show how far one label can stretch: the Gaia Gown in pale blue is the easy V-neck, the Dawn Gown in mint has a high slit, the Janae Gown is a soft sage satin, and the Effie Gown in navy is the darkest of them. Shona Joy brings two bias-cut satins from its La Lune line, the Bias Cowl Maxi Dress in peach and the Ruched Backless Slip Dress in bronze, which is the one I would hand to the friend who likes a little shine.

 

For more color, the Yumi Kim Kalu Maxi Dress in magenta has a ruffled slit, and the Amanda Uprichard Riesling Gown is a clean red halter. The Katie May Legacy Gown, made with Noel and Jean, is the navy off-the-shoulder option for a formal room. The NICHOLAS Nayara Dress in burgundy is draped across one shoulder, the ET OCHS Reese Gown in green comes with a capelet, and the Bec + Bridge Moon Dance Maxi Dress in chocolate is a slip with a deep V. Stand in front of a mirror with the shoes you plan to wear and check that a long hem skims the floor without pooling.

Collage of long satin gowns, midi dresses and one shoulder, halter and strapless gowns, and a mood photo of a bride with her bridesmaids in sage green gowns.
Long gowns, midi dresses and one shoulder, halter and strapless styles for a wedding party.

Long bridesmaid dresses and gowns

Midi lengths with room to dance

Midi dresses are the ones I would hand to a friend who says she wants to dance all night. The hem stops below the knee, so there is nothing to gather up on the stairs, and you can see your shoes. This grid is the most varied of the three, which suits a mixed party.

 

Start with the satins, because they give a mixed party a common thread. The Elodie the Label Nocturne Satin Slip Dress in rust is the simplest shape here, the Elodie the Label Maris Dress in plum adds a ruffle on one shoulder, and the EAVES Svann Midi Slip Dress in olive is the same easy idea in a fall color. The Bardot Lorelai Midi Dress in navy has a halter and a front slit, and the Shona Joy Thalia Bias Ruched Midi Dress in gold is gathered down one side, which is kind to anyone who does not want a clingy slip.

 

For more detail, the Self-Portrait Satin Flower Midi Dress in burgundy is finished with a satin flower, and the SIMONMILLER Bea Satin Lace Midi Dress in chartreuse is trimmed in lace at the neckline and the hem. The Norma Kamali Halter Drape Midi Dress in bronze falls from a cowl halter, the House of Harlow 1960 Mel Midi Dress in chocolate is a strapless column with a scarf tie at the neck, and the Rebecca Vallance Saskia Midi Dress in fuchsia has the fullest skirt, for the friend who wants to twirl.

 

The ELLIATT Roni Midi Dress in emerald drapes off one shoulder, and the Katie May Teagan Midi Dress in turquoise is the brightest color in the group. Put the turquoise next to the chartreuse and the rust and you have a party that coordinates by mood rather than by shade. If two friends want the same dress, the Elodie the Label pair is the easiest to match in different colors.

Midi bridesmaid dresses

Halter, strapless and one shoulder

The third grid is for the necklines that shape a photograph. One shoulder, halter and strapless dresses all draw a clean line across the collarbones, so they look good with an updo, and they leave the arms free for hugging. Eight dresses, and I can walk through nearly all of them.

 

Shona Joy has two from its La Lune line: the One Shoulder Cowl Back Maxi Dress in champagne, which drops into a cowl at the back, and the Gathered One Shoulder Maxi Dress in dusty blue, which is gathered at the shoulder and falls straight. Put them side by side and you have two friends in the same family without being identical. The Bec + Bridge Lunetta Asymmetric Maxi Dress in olive is the third one shoulder style, and the Nookie Aria One Shoulder Gown in chocolate has a high slit and the most drama of the group.

 

The strapless dresses are the Lovers and Friends Alice Strapless Gown in red, the Bec + Bridge Dreamer Strapless Dress in black with a front slit, and the NBD Kirstyn Strapless Maxi Tube Dress in cobalt, a close-fitting tube. The Norma Kamali Halter Turtle Side Slit Gown in pale blue is the only high halter here, with a turtleneck collar and a side slit for walking.

 

What I would skip: a strapless style for anyone who will be lifting, hugging and carrying flowers for hours and does not feel secure in it, and any halter that has not been tried with the bra or tape she plans to use. Also skip a dramatic slit if the aisle is long or the venue has gravel. Sit down in every dress in the fitting room, then raise your arms. If the neckline shifts, choose another one.

One shoulder, halter and strapless styles

Ordering, fittings and the final check

Here is how I would finish the job. Start with the calendar. The Knot recommends ordering these dresses about six months before the wedding, because they can take up to three months to arrive. It also advises ordering all of them at the same time, since the same dress can vary slightly in color between dye lots. That matters most when everyone wears the same shade.

 

Count your party before you shop. The Knot Real Weddings Study 2023 found the typical number of bridesmaids is four, which is a manageable size for mixing two lengths and two necklines.

 

Then plan the tailor. The Knot says to schedule alterations between six and four weeks before the wedding, and that a simple hem can be ready in about a month. One bridesmaid label's CEO also says to bring heels to the tailor, and I agree: a hem set in flats will drag in heels. Bring the shoes, the underpinnings and a friend to take photographs, and let the group choose the details they love. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Elopement and Courthouse Wedding Dresses and Garden Party Guest Dresses for the Wedding Calendar.

For the guests rather than the bridal party, I answered when midi dresses for weddings work and when the venue says no.