None bridesmaidy bridesmaid dress help please!

[Whitershadeofpale]

My lovely friend has asked me to be her bridesmaid. I'm really touched as it's only a small wedding (20 guests) and I'll be the only one. There is a big reception in the evening with lots of guests.

I've been told I'm allowed to pick my own dress with a budget of up to £100. The colors are black, white or red. But both me and my df would prefer red. My friend has a beautiful but very simple style. Her dress is white, just above the knee with embellishment on the back. It is loose fitting which really suits her figure.

I am 5ft 3, size 14-16 (I've attached a ok where I'm the one in the middle) with massive norks and hips and a smaller waist. I suit more fitted things. Below are links to the kind of dress I like. However, I'm worried that the colour and style would make me more noticeable than the bride. I know she wouldn't care in the slightest about that as long as I looked nice and felt comfortable but I wouldn't feel comfortable looking as if I'd tried to upstage her.

Wedding is in April any suggestions? TIA

www.vivienofholloway.com/women-c70/dresses-c10/1950s-halterneck-pencil-dress-c24/halterneck-pencil-red-sateen-dress-p189

www.vivienofholloway.com/women-c70/dresses-c10/1950s-halterneck-pencil-dress-c24/halterneck-pencil-red-duchess-dress-p186

I'm no help I was going to suggest a Vivien dress before I saw your links at the bottom there. Is bride's dress white/cream?

I have to agree that either of those dresses could look like you are trying yo upstage the bride. If you're going for red I think the style should be more understated.

this?

Thanks yes the bride's dress is white/ cream. That's exactly what I feared burnished. I love the dress you've linked to but it's a big too burgundy not a true red which is more the colour she's going for.

Yes, I think either a more understatedly elegant dress or a burgundy type red, not scarlet.

Also it needs to be no shorter than the brides and if hers isn't fitted I'm not sure yours should be. Depends on wether she is taller than you.

She wants a scarlet red. I don't want to go shorter than her dress as my legs aren't great. I was hoping for to the knee or just below. She is taller than me about 5ft 6 but very willowy with no waist so looks great in shift dresses, drop waists etc. The exact opposite of what suits me. I know she just wants me to look good and be happy. She's a total non- bridezilla but I don't want to be too OTT. It's her day.

Have you had a look at 20th Century Foxxy?

1940s dress

one shoulder

1950s halter-neck though might be getting back into upstagey territory.

Another halter-neck think the skirt helps it be less upstagey though? There are lots of bridesmaids dresses with a similar cut to this.

Love this very classic, as long as the shoulders stay on...

A bit more demure.

Wiggle dress

Circle dress

In which case you're almost certainly stuck with different styles. I'm nearer your shape, smaller norks, but big hips and shift/drop waist dresses are hopeless on me too!

I'd tend to a fitted top and a slightly fuller skirt than your examples.

On reflection I don't think either of the halter-necks are out of the question. They will both be quite "here are my norks" but on the other hand neither have a wiggly skirt like the Vivien ones.

Or there are a few from Tiger Milly that might be right

Madbuslady's second halter neck, the Monroe one is perfect.

I love the other halter neck, but a circle skirt might not work with the brides dress.

(It would be my first choice as my wedding attending dress is that sort of 50's style, but flowery).

I love those dresses mad especially the first one. I really like the Marilyn one but even though I can do a halterneck I need to wear a bra and am not sure if I'll be able to wear one under that.

Just to say that even though I like 40s/50s style it doesn't have to be that type of dress.

Just found some FCUK options, unusually (they are normally queen of the drop waist shift I find)

This if the 16 wouldn't be too big.

This.

This.

Those have all come out on the wrong colours but there are proper reds.

I think it would help enormously if you could link to something similar to her dress, as yours will really need to complement it, without being either too similar, or to different.

this

here

I really like the first French Connection one but worry its a bit too similar to the style of dress I'd wear for work. The other 2 would make my hips look even bigger I think. I've asked her for a link to her dress as I've only seen a picture once a few months ago and don't know the designer. I'll try and find a link to something similar but I fear my memory might be a bit off.

I can't really wear lace as it makes me itch. Sorry. You're being a great help.

Have you looked at Coast? They seem to have quite a lot of red dresses both in the sale and in the 'new in'.

You'll have to have a look in the shops I think. I've ordered a few red dresses that looked great on the websites but we're closer to orange when they arrived.

m.houseoffraser.co.uk/Alexon+Red+sexy+sateen+dress/194053826,default,pd.html..

Coast was my first port of call but they don't have much at the moment. My friend's just sent me a pic which I'm sure is different to the one she showed me before (or my memory's just crap

I was hoping for possibly somthing like this but in red. What do you think?

Ooh I like that second Alexon one!

There's also this one though neckline might be a bit high?