Bridesmaid's shoes - which colour, fabric, and style?

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Being a bridesmaid at a wedding will be one of the most exciting and nerve-racking days of a young girl’s or woman’s life, and so it is somewhat ironic that she generally has little or no say in what sort of dress or shoes she will wear. A bridesmaid’s dress and shoes must of course compliment the bride’s choice of outfit and colour scheme, but this does not necessarily mean that bridesmaids will have to stick to the traditional white, off-white or ivory tones that are so popular at some traditional marriage ceremonies.

The first thing to bear in mind when planning a bridesmaid’s outfit and shoes is the colour. This may sound frivolous when there are so many questions of style and heel to worry about, but the shoes must match the dress and the dress must match the bride. Remember that contrasting colours and tones often work very well together, and also that a white bride’s dress will go well with almost any other colour. The most popular colours and styles for bridesmaids’ outfits are white in all its various shades, red, pale pastels such as pink, apricot and sky blue, and also long-standing classics like sailor-style dresses.

Once the colour of the outfit has been chosen, you can begin to think about the shoes. It makes sense for the bridesmaids to wear flat or very low-heeled shoes if they are children, since children are not used to heels and may have difficulty walking in them, and for them to wear shoes in a similar style and height to the bride’s if they are adults, so that neither the bride nor her bridesmaids tower over everybody else in the photographs.

Regular medium-height heels are probably the most sensible choice, in a colour that compliments the bridesmaids’ dresses. This choice will mean that the shoes look good and are comfortable – an important consideration, since the bridesmaids will be on their feet for much of the day and evening.

Depending on what sort of bridesmaids’ shoes you are looking for, they tend to be widely available in bridal shops, regular shoe shops, and online. Buying your shoes from a specialist bridal shop or online bridal retailer can be the most stress-free plan, as this will allow you to match the colour of the shoes with the colour of the dress and general bridal colour scheme. Remember also that bridesmaids’ shoes will most probably only be useful for one wedding, so you may want to investigate hiring your shoes rather than buying them.

For more on weddings - see our section on this topic.

© The Pink Fridge Online Magazine 2008 - Bridesmaid's Shoes

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