We had the opportunity to talk to Elizabeth Yin and Jennifer Hsieh, co-founders of shinyorb.com, who share some great tips when searching for the perfect outfit for your bridesmaids.
1. What are the top trends you're seeing with bridesmaids dresses?
It's difficult to say what the top trend in bridesmaid dresses is. We see mostly simple A-line silhouettes, cocktail or tea length dresses, with just a little bit of "fancy." For example, maybe ruching around the waist or origami folds at the bust but nothing with over-the-top beading or bows. Colors vary from bold and bright to soft pastels. Many online shoppers are searching for bridesmaid dresses under $100, and there are plenty of good deals to find. Be sure to order early!
While traditional bridesmaid dresses still remain popular, we're starting to see that many brides are going with "wear-again" bridesmaid dresses. These dresses can look a little more casual and usually avoid satin or any shiny material. Macy's is a great place to find dresses like this.
Brides are also embracing the LBBD (little black bridesmaid dress), which in the past, would have seemed very no-no!
2. What's the most important thing to think about when choosing a dress for your bridesmaids?
Being a bridesmaid is certainly an honor, but the bride should keep in mind that having bridesmaids is also a privilege. We recommend the bride collaborate with her bridesmaids to come up with the best bridesmaid dresses. Together, they can find dresses that everyone will be comfortable wearing (and comfortable paying for). To that end, we worked hard to build a "dressing room" feature on Shiny Orb to help people work together. Don't be afraid to stray from tradition. The girls don't all have to be wearing the same style or even the same color. "Mismatched" bridesmaid dresses can really show off the personality of the wedding party.
3. What inspired you to start Shiny Orb?
We were inspired to start Shiny Orb when we realized just how hard it was to shop for bridesmaid dresses together when the bridal party was scattered across the globe. It was really hard to collaborate! After surviving the experience with Elizabeth's wedding, we built Shiny Orb to be a one-stop online site for all wedding apparel and to be a central meeting place for the wedding party to collaborate on choosing dresses for the big day. Jennifer used the site for her own wedding and had a much easier time than Elizabeth. We want every online bride to have a great social browsing and shopping experience, so don't hesitate to let us know what you think!
Shinyorb.com has a great collection of bridesmaid dresses for the pocketbook-conscious fashionable modern bride.
