I was set a challenge by a lovely reader recently. Her beautiful sister is her bridesmaid and she is struggling to find anything that might work attire wise for her wedding. Her sister is never in dresses or skirts and hates heels and the bride would love to show off her beautiful sister while keeping a feminine tomboy feel to her look without going for a pantsuit or rockabilly look.

Now I’m the first to admit I’m always the first to jump for heels or skirts, so this was a fun way to look at alternatives for an nontraditional bridesmaid.  But I know plenty of you out there have plenty of tips for this bride, so do leave them in the comments!

After hours of searching, here are a few of my own:

  • Fabric is a great way of setting formalities. For someone who is comfortable in pants and a top – look at pants and tops that are in dressier fabrics like silks, crepes and satins. You don’t have to lose the tomboy or masculine feel you love.
  • Look at jumpsuits, they have a sophisticated, dressed up feel to them but come in so many styles and colours that they can be as dressy or as casual as you want.
  • Neutral tones can be feminine without being girly – same with metallic. I chose a lot of champagnes and neutral tones paired with black.
  • Playsuits might be a fun choice for something at the height of Summer.
  • Our bride really wanted a feminine angle on her sister’s usual tomboy style so I suggest choosing draped shapes as well. Culottes are a fun and completely different option and long draped asymmetrical hemlines on silk tops are immediately dressier.non dress bridesmaid options

1.  This two tone jumpsuit “Opposites Attract” from Carla Zampatti is stunning. It’s chic and elegant and perfectly appropriate for a wedding. No need for heels either, a smart tailored style shoe like the Witchery Ava Loafer or even a black and gold metallic sandal would look great.

2. Outfit number two kicks off in champagne tones with this Talulah High Neck Tank from Forever New. Add these wide leg pants (AQ Belair High Waist Pants with Wide Leg from Asos) and Country Road Carrie Point Flats to finish the look off.  Alternatively metallic flat sandals would also work. The peachy tones of the pants do lend themselves to a more feminine look, so go for something darker (black would look fabulous) if it’s too much.

3. For something completely fun and playful this Oasis Tailored Playsuit in red (from Asos) ticks the boxes for a warm weather wedding without being frilly. The Jo Mercer Aleja sandals aren’t overly strappy. Just enough to add a bit of sparkle (and work well as a more casual option for the play-suit or the pattern jumpsuit below).

4. Playful, patterned fun comes into the mix with this playful Raga Medallion Stripe Open-Back Jumpsuit from Urban Outfitters. Pair it with boho style open sandals to keep the look fresh and cool.

5. For something dressy, pair a light floaty top (like this Camilla & Marc Zoya camisole) with these Zimmerman Tamer embossed paperbag pants. The neutrals and metallic make it dressy enough for a wedding and pairing it with Vince Niven Cutout Flats from Shopbop turn it into a formal yet not too feminine look.

6. Going down a completely different pathway, these Asos Culottes are a stylish way to wear shorts down the aisle and still look pulled together. I added a hit of bold colour with this wine coloured Rhiannon Drape Asymmetrical Top from Forever New and Larisella Point Flat from Forever New to keep it elegant.

7. This Indah “Tang” Jumpssuit from Shophop is elegant in its simplicity. The halter neck and open back adds a dressy, feminine touch without going too girly and paired with flat close toe pointed shoes (like the above Larisella Point Flat from Forever New) is an elegant and understated choice.