Ugly Bridesmaid Dresses
There are two enduring wedding clichés: All brides are beautiful, and all bridesmaid dresses are ugly, unless it’s Pippa’s. But some bridesmaid dresses go beyond ugly to truly hideous. We’ve assembled a small collection of dresses that are sure to make you cringe. See if you can guess which movie or TV show they are from, or which stars are wearing them.
Little Bo Peep would feel right at home in this flower-bedecked, hoop-skirted atrocity from a 2008 romantic comedy starring Katherine Heigl. The yellow-and-orange combination just screams good taste, but it’s the snug little bonnet and fluffy parasol that move this dress from merely ugly to “oh my god.”
Whoever said “pretty in pink” wasn’t looking at the bridesmaid dresses from this 1978 Robert Altman dark comedy. The four-tiered design of these dresses is a study in shapelessness, and the big hat casts a shadow over what little self-regard the women in the wedding party may have left. Notice how the bride is the only one really smiling is this photo? That’s because she looks fabulous by comparison.
Cultures aren’t the only thing clashing in this 2002 romantic comedy by Nia Vardalos. This dress seems wholly inappropriate for a bridesmaid, unless she’s planning to seduce the groom. But some bridesmaids choose to ignore what the bride wants and march to the beat of their own fashion drummer.
The women in this scene from a popular 2011 comedy are dressed in three different versions of god-awful—and they know it, too. Just look at their faces.
Nothing says “frumpy” quite so well as the boxed shoulders, jacketed look, and slightly-too-long sleeves of the dresses that were featured in this star-studded wedding from a popular daytime drama. The eye patch worn by one of the groomsmen is a nice touch, too. Very rakish.
This is what happens when strippers marry—even the bride looks slutty. As for the mother of the bride, that loosely low-cut flowered number makes her look as though she’s heading straight from the wedding reception to the local singles bar.
These well-known actresses, both drop-dead gorgeous under normal circumstances, are wearing bridesmaid dresses that make them look like cocktail waitresses in a Tiki bar. Floral patterns are tricky, even for theme weddings, and this tropical print is one that would look better at a luau than a wedding.
The best we can say about these two matronly bridesmaid dresses is that they are color coordinated. Neither style is flattering, and those jackets are six kinds of ugly. At least the mother of the bride looks sweet in her soft pink suit and pillbox hat, although the appliqué trim on her skirt and jacket is a bit much.
What woman wouldn’t want a chiffon shawl that covers her shoulders, gathers in back just above her waist, and then spills down her back in waves of airy fabric like some multi-colored waterfall? Well, pretty much any woman who hasn’t lost every shred of fashion sense she ever had.
Here’s an easy way to turn your dream wedding into a fashion nightmare: Choose matching bridesmaid dresses in three electric, but conflicting, colors, and then make your bridesmaids wear floppy little head scarves that wouldn’t look good on anyone. Voilà!
This outfit has it all, from the multi-colored petticoats, to the hot pink fanny bow, to the Dalmatian jacket. Taken together, it adds up to a fashion nightmare. One thing is for sure: If this is what the bridesmaids are wearing, no one will be looking at the bride.
We’ve saved the worst for last. This bridesmaid dress, featured in a popular sitcom from the 1990s, looks like what you might get if a box full of knick-knacks exploded in a lingerie store. From the bustier bodice to the absurd sleeves, this dress takes ugly to a whole new level. But it’s the little birds decorating the dress that really make it unbelievable. Not even Brooke Shields could look good in this.
Where are their baskets for Grandmother? And why didn’t the bride just put the bridesmaids in Snuggies and call it a day? Those semi-sheer capes can’t be nearly as comfortable. Also, the groomsmen remind me of these guys, except minus the swords
You know who I’m jealous of? The maid of honor. She gets to wear camo with orange accents instead of the other way around. LUCKY!!! Unless of course she accidentally put her dress on inside out, which is entirely possible.
What worries me, if I may sound like Tim Gunn for a second, is that I believe this orange/camo look is becoming a major trend. Not that the colors don’t complement each other, but what’s up with rednecks who have to make everything 50/50? Mullets = business in the front, party in the back and now wedding dresses are following suite? Please no.
Yowww these dresses are hurting my eyes. I feel like I need to put on my sunglasses. Was the bride trying to make her friends look like they were on fire? Perhaps the wedding had an “elements” theme? Or was this just a case of nerdy girls who are fashion-impaired? They all have nice figures…it’s a pity everyone at the wedding was likely too blinded to notice.
Sometimes the bride chooses a dress style that flatters everyone but “that one girl” and there’s nothing she can do about it. But this? It’s like every single bridesmaid couldn’t possibly look worse (sorry, ladies). I hope there’s a sparkly Smurfette shawl to go along with these body-hugging blue tarps. Although I’m not sure it will make much of a difference
What’s that material called? “Grandma’s curtains”? I figure if you’re going to use this fabric then at least give the bridesmaids oversized shoulder pads. They don’t exactly look amused in this picture. Maybe it’s because they know that collectively they look like the World’s Ugliest Garden. Note: The white shoes aren’t helping.
What I’m about to say is not very nice. In fact, if I wasn’t Jewish and Santa was reading this, I would probably receive a giant bag of coal come Christmas. But here goes: I don’t know if the theme of this wedding really is the Renaissance Faire, but what I DO know is that these ladies (yes…all four of them) are awkward. And those dresses are awkward. And there is a good chance that ANY bridesmaid dress would look awkward on them, whether it was another color, another style, another fabric….you get the idea. Maybe it’s just the overall look and setting of the photo, but something seems off to me here. And the flowers aren’t helping.
Part 1
Part 2