Fashion from Episode 14: Bridesmaidzilla!
by Karla Stevens

Hello fashionistas and fans! When the subject of weddings comes to mind, I can't help but have nightmarish flashbacks to all the awful Bridesmaid's dresses I've had to wear. For some reason, it seems to be a rite of passage these days - the bride always looks stunning and her posse of bridesmaids is usually counting down the minutes to the time they can whip their dresses off and drop them at the local Salvation Army.

And speaking of ugly bridesmaids dresses, how about the dress that Summer has to don? We feel your pain, Summer! Tonight we see her about to take off to Italy to be in Zach's sister's wedding. Personally, that sister Abigail should have known better. The dress is lemon meringue and that
should be reason enough not to go near it. But it really doesn't have to be this bad, now does it?

Remember last season at Julie Cooper Nichol's wedding when Marissa, Kirsten and Haley looked drop dead chic in bright red ABS Schwartz dresses? It is possible to be chic. So for all you ladies planning the wedding of the year - or planning at the very least, to meet in Vegas at the Wedding Chapel - keep in mind that your bridesmaids will love you forever if you avoid the lemon meringue. Think Star Jones and her bevy of fifteen super-fashionable bridesmaids wearing champagne-colored satin gowns and white fur wraps. They carried small nosegays composed of pastel roses. And what about Trista and Ryan? Think pink. Her maids looked stunning in pink Amsale dresses with black trim. They all looked pretty sexy in strapless.

My Advice: I'm a firm believer that every bride has her day, but it's important not to get too bridesmaidzilla on your maids. One of my biggest complaints after being so many weddings? My taste and shape were never considered. Word to the wise, stick with natural fabrics if at all possible, and take into consideration various sizes and styles. After all, we don't all fit into - or look great in, for that matter - a dress off the hanger. Celebrate your maids' differences and let them pick their own dress.

Arm them with a color palette and general information about the wedding (for example, is it a day or evening wedding?), and let them go to town. A happy bridesmaid will mean a happier wedding all the way around. And for those who are not so daring, maybe just try steering clear of the traditional wedding shop choices (AKA the bridesmaid department), and give your favorite department store's cocktail and evening-dress sections a whirl.