New research from a luxury high end fashion retailer has unveiled the most popular colours women would choose for their bridesmaids to wear if they were planning a wedding; with purple proving the most popular and green the least.
With women taking inspiration for their big day from everything from weddings they attend as guests, family and friends on social media to pictures of their favourite celebrities on the red carpet, fashion retailer Coast have researched the most popular colours women would choose as their wedding colour schemes.
They asked 500 women aged between 18 and 45, “If you were planning a wedding, which of the following colour schemes would you choose for your bridesmaids?” Participants could only select one option, and the majority of woman surveyed, almost one quarter (24%), chose purple. The results were as follows:
- Purple (24%)
- Grey/Silver (19%)
- Blue (16%)
- Pink (14%)
- Yellow/orange/gold (10%)
- Red (9%)
- Green (8%)
Purple came out top of the survey (24%) and has always been a favourite for brides.Rihanna was seen recently sporting a lovely lilac bridesmaid dress at the wedding of a friend; she’s known to be a trendsetter and fashion influencer. A lot of people turn to celebrities for wedding inspiration from the big events such as the Met Gala which is often a big indicator of upcoming trends where celebs are seen sporting high fashion and couture pieces. Brides-to-be can’t be blamed for looking to big names for wedding inspiration such as Mindy Kaling and Gabrielle Union spotted on the red carpet in stunning shades of deep purple and plum.
Grey and silver were also popular choices (19%), most likely due to the fact that their neutral palette easily complements a huge variety of skin tones and are easy to blend into the mixed colour scheme trend. The elegance of grey hues will flatter a range of body types, especially when bordering on metallic silver tones in flowing fabrics which have been seen everywhere from the London Fashion Week catwalks for SS15 to red carpet dresses. Shimmering pewter, as spotted on Sophie Turner in a plunging Burberry gown at the Met Gala is bound to be a winner among brides this season. Mollie King also set the world of fashionable weddings alight wearing a multiway grey gown as a bridesmaid dress.
Blue are often picked by brides due to the large variety of hues available, from pretty pastels through to vibrant royal blues up to navy. Bridesmaid dresses in darker blues have become popular in recent years due to Kate Middleton’s flattering navy engagement dress. Social media, including Pinterest and Instagram, which have seen a rise in wedding imagery shared recently, are big influencers on brides to be. A trend currently making the rounds on social media is ombre; a look that can easily be recreated in blue, starting from delicate sea foam up to a bold midnight shade.
Despite being a colour that can work for many skin tones and hair colours as well as being favoured by celebs such as Sofia Vergara in a blush Marchesa gown at the Met Gala, pink was chosen by only 14% of women surveyed for their bridesmaids. Its neutral tones however are ideal for a downplayed celebration without being too close to the white or ivory of the wedding dress itself.
10% chose shades of yellow and orange, with gold as an elegant twist, for their wedding colour scheme. The bold shades might be viewed as a tricky colour to get right for everyone in the bridal party, but when done successfully, as Ni Ni and Kristen Wiig wore at the Met Gala, they are a fantastic way to add a unique twist to your wedding, bordering on the ever sought after minimalist Scandi chic look. Heidi Pratt chose yellow as the key colour at her wedding; both Jessica Biel and Blake Lively were also spotted wearing flattering shades of yellow as bridesmaids recently.
Potentially seen as a bold choice, brides often choose red for their bridesmaids as a statement colour to stand out from the crowd, emulating celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon and Hailee Seinfield who wear it so well.
Despite green in any shade being popular in magazine bridal spreads throughout every season, the women questioned in this survey indicated that they were less likely to select green as a main wedding colour scheme. Although not yet picked up by the women questioned in this survey, top fashion influencers are touting green as this season’s must have colour. Lucite, treetop and woodbine are currently coming into trend this season, as indicated by Pantone as top colour picks for this spring. Flower crowns are especially popular on social media image sharing sites at the moment, and a green colour scheme ties the fresh, clean look together for a summery outdoor wedding.
Neil Hendy, Creative Director, at Coast, commented on the findings:
“Purple is an old favourite for wedding colour schemes, with so many variations from the palest lilac up to a deep magenta to suit any style and season, so it wasn’t a surprise for us to find it came out on top in our survey.”
He added:
“The unexpected result of this survey was the lack of women choosing green for their bridal parties as this is one of our bestsellers. Mint has been a hugely popular choice for the past few seasons, and Pantone has indicated that treetop, woodbine and Lucitewere top trends for spring 2015.”
Coast are a luxury fashion retailer. At Coast we champion the new rules for dressing up; it’s not only about that one off special occasion but in fact for all the events in our lives – from a red carpet event to a birthday party or drinks with friends. We design seemingly effortless looks which compliment individual personality; pieces designed to make us look amazing and feel fantastic.
Add new comment