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Spring is upon us which means our calendars are inevitably about to fill up with showers and I don’t mean the kind that bring May flowers. I mean the kind that feature mini cakes, huge gift boxes filled with exciting things like mix masters and monogrammed cutting boards and, ideally, a lot of champagne. That’s right, bridal shower season is almost here. While there technically isn’t a firm calendar date for bridal showers, as summer is the most popular time for wedding parties (and after-parties!), that would make early spring the unofficial start of The Shower Season.
Vogue’s Favorite Bridal Shower Outfits:
- For the Classic Bridal Shower: Staud mini Bella dress, $450
- For the Garden Shower: Zimmermann belted pleated printed midi dress, $725
- For the Afternoon Tea Shower: Self-Portrait belted pleated midi dress, $555
- For the Cocktail Shower: Asceno Bordeaux V-back satin midi dress, $630
- For the Beach Shower: Posse Emma vest, $210, and maxi skirt, $249
In recent years, there has been a strong trend toward themed ones, perhaps to inject a bit of fun into a sometimes formulaic event of “bride wears white, bride opens presents, everyone toasts the bride, everyone goes home.” Regardless of theme, most showers have two things in common: the bride will almost always want to wear white and there will be lots of champagne. With that in mind, below are some perfect bridal shower outfit ideas for some of the most popular themes.
The Classic Bridal Shower
A classic bridal shower is usually a mid morning or mid afternoon affair that requires a virginal white outfit for the bride and a lot of present opening. If you are a guest at one of these, prepare your best “ooohs” and “aaahhhs” ahead of time so you can act delighted with each new serving spoon and blender the bride opens. Outfit-wise, I’d fully embrace this period in your life where wearing white to everything is completely acceptable and go head-to-toe tonal from your dress to your shoes and accessories.
The Garden Shower
Garden showers do sometimes take place in actual gardens so correct footwear is key here, no stilettos or anything too high that’ll sink like quicksand into grass. It’s nice to lean into the theme and dress in florals: for the bride this might mean a white dress with a subtle floral nod while for the guest this could be any floral pattern. If you typically shy away from prints, consider a bold or pastel hue—just stay away from black or navy if for no other reason than for the bride’s photos!
The Afternoon Tea Shower
Arguably the most “traditional” of the bridal shower themes, an afternoon tea recalls bridal showers of bygone eras when the bride’s mother and grandmother would put out mini sandwiches and brag about their son-in-law-to-be to all of their friends. I remember my mother telling me about a bridal shower in her honor but all of the guests were her mother’s friends. Today’s tea showers still feature mini sandwiches but happily also include the bride’s actual friends as well. Any afternoon dress is a safe bet here for both bride and guest.
The Boozy Brunch
Somewhere between a bachelorette and a traditional shower, a bridal brunch means it’s appropriate to drink in the morning. “It’s 10:30 AM in the morning, are those women drunk? Oh! It’s a bridal shower. That’s ok then, good for them!” Outfit-wise, I’d go with a chic day dress, a two-piece suit situation, or a ladylike jacket with a matching skirt. Shoe-wise, think embelisshed flats or anything in the kitten heel realm to make it comfortable enough for the day but, of course, still festive.
The Couples’ Cocktail Shower
A couples’ shower is sort of an engagement party 2.0—a chance to let the men in on the fun, up the ante on the outfit choices and add martinis to the appropriate drinks list. For the bride, I’d recommend something fun and slightly OTT: feathers, sequins, perhaps even a jumpsuit. For the guest I’d stick to similar themes but opt for a fun color or interesting pattern. For the men…oh who am I kidding, no one cares what the men are wearing at these events!
The Beach Shower
Pack the SPF, we’re taking the bride to the beach! Crochet is key when it comes to events near sand and bodies of water. It’s smart enough to look elevated and festive but breathable and appropriate for warmer temps. And while a beach bridal shower doesn’t typically require an actual bathing suit, I’d have one on my bag for a much-needed dip after a day of bridal pleasantries.
