'bridesmaids' dress which won't make me a luaghing stock

[MollygoreR]

A friend and i are being bridesmaids for a wedding in july.
Our bride will be wearing classy, slim fitting sort of dress. I suspect we will be in aubergine.
The other brisdemaid is 30, dark, thin, funky and naturally beautiful. I am 40, beefy-shouldered, chunky of waist etc and not a natural beauty. I am 5ft 6, blonde, size 12. Bit too much wobbly flesh going on. On a good day, with loads of work, I look ok.
Our bride will be wearing classy, slim fitting sort of dress. I suspect we will be in aubergine.
What sort of thing is going to suit us both?
please help give me some ideas!

You could wear the same colour but different styles.

Or different shades even. There are no rules just whatever the bride and you want to wear.

My sil and friend were BMs for another friend who chose them matching coast strapless numbers. One was a five foot size 18 (squashed into a 16 poor girl) and the other a five foot seven size 6. The dress suited neither of them and they both looked so uncomfortable.

Don't have strapless. Or Satin. Could you both have a fitted dress in a similar style to bride -

How about a sort of 20s style dropped waist dress? Hides a multitude of sins but still looks classy. Avoid anything shiny/glittery/pleated/frilled.

I am clueless. Last time I was a bridesmeaid, I had scarlet hair and was a size 6 and my friend put us in puce bo-peep dresses. We ALL looked grim

bump for any style guru-linky ideas?

use this as a guide of what not to wear

Check out Style shake www.styleshake.com/
Then you could get dresses in the same material, but in different styles that would suit you both.