The bridesmaids should never outshine the bride. Some brides, however, seem to be taking this to the extreme when dressing up their maids of honor. Or maybe time changes fashion trends so much, that after some the style that was "in" starts to look simply ridiculous. Either way, Bored Panda has collected a series of vintage bridesmaids dresses that are so funny, that you'll probably feel sorry for the women who wore them.
The 70s fashion brought outrageous patterns, floppy hats, and undiscernable silhouettes to the mix, 80s fashion later added vivid color, spandex, and space-filling hairdos. No matter the era, though, these absolutely unique vintage outfits would make your silly Spongebob PJs look like a classy suit. Scroll down to check out the images and upvote your favorite outrageous fashion statements!
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In my opinion, these are actually really elegant designs for bridesmaid dresses. The dresses themselves match the basic design of the bride's dress without being an exact copy. I especially like the fact that with the way the dresses are pieced together, a design like theirs would go well on any body figure. Also, I would just LOVE to see them billow in the wind ^-^
Actually I think this is pretty. Change the color scheme and it's still totally relevant.
I think so too. A palette of subdued autumn tones would have worked just as well.
Load More Replies...You could TOTALLY wear this again! As opposed to the 80's s**t I had to wear, with the shoulder pads out to the parking lot.
Mine made me look like Little Bo Peep. My mother forced me to accept the bridesmaid position, so I forced her to pay for that damn dress.
Load More Replies...I like that the styles are identical, but the colors are different. The dresses are fairly simple, and could easily be re-used (in the 70s, these were high style).
Oh so true Lizard Queen! - having served as a very young flower girl, back in the mid-late 70's, when most bride's maid & bridal gowns were sewn at home. The simple, yet elegant pattern in various colors was considered very fashionable. As were the flower bundles.
Load More Replies...Honestly, I think these dresses are quite pretty and I like the bouquets too! The only thing I would change is the bride's coiffure.
reminds me of when my parents bought a sofa -- we were in the store a couple of days later - when someone pointed out it looked likeXmas wrapping paper
Load More Replies...When old Aunt Millie offers to make all the dresses and no one has the heart to tell her how awful her taste is.
The floral patterns merging together like this kind of make this photo resemble a Gustav Klimt painting.
Grandma was going to reupholster the furniture, but then the granddaughter needed bridesmaid dresses (It's the only thing I can imagine for this outcome!)
@Mary M: Shame on you. Grandma worked very hard to sew these dresses.
Load More Replies...The fabric store had a fire and they had to go to the upholstery shop
what gloves - laughing so much I cant see past the frocks
Load More Replies...Just toss it over the chair and you have a reupholstered chair
Load More Replies...My uncle had 2 white stuffed life-sized poodles in the 70's. Was that a thing?
Load More Replies...ringlets for a little girl? that shouldn't be a problem
Load More Replies...The pink poodle, velvet painting, and penguin makes this picture perfect!
I think historically, you had a bridesmaid who was to dress like the bride to confuse any demon or evil spirit coming to disrupt the wedding. So, the fact that they have veils and all would serve that purpose.
Load More Replies...LOL. The biggest lie of brides to bridesmaids. "You'll wear it again"
Load More Replies...There was a time in the not too too distant past that more "revealing" dresses were frowned upon during the church ceremony. Since the dresses themselves appear to be sleeveless (and maybe they had an open neckline?) they might have made these as an inexpensive, horribly misguided cover-up for the ceremony.
It looks like they went around the whole neighbourhood, beating up grannies for their curtains....
There is also a sofa and a bedspread I the sane fabric
Load More Replies...I thought that was a specially coordinated back drop at first glance I didn't even realise it was a curtain.
They really shouldn't have taken that picture in front of that window. LOL!
I think that dress is quite nice. Although not when there are four of them in the same picture. And especially in front of the curtain in almost the same fabric.
but they are in the wrong order - (rainbow song in head)
Load More Replies...I thought they were in front of a couch but that's the brides poofy dress!
So did I - you made me look again! Second look didn't improve matters sadly!!
Load More Replies...I am extremely bothered that there are two blue dresses that are way too close to each other on the color wheel.
I suspect they looked a bit more different in reality. .. again amateur photographer would not have fancy lighting set up. ( You can tell it is amateur by the shiny door / window / mirror thing in the background. )
Load More Replies...What to do with those little dye tablets left over from doing Easter eggs.
I couldn’t see the bride at first... isn’t she supposed to be important?
...probably that was the point (but still it wasn't very humanitarian for the brides' best friends xD)
Load More Replies...The one on the left is probably pregnant , or this "dress" do not honor her (if it do honor to anyone)
Load More Replies...I remember in the 60s that the big colors were avocado green, orange, and yellow. I was a flower girl in a wedding with those very colors. My dress was orange, with an avocado green velvet ribbon on the sleeves and the waist.
Yeah but tgus green is more reminiscent of tge vomit coming from The Exorcist girl. F-ing ugly but perhaps off color Kodachrome fading.
Load More Replies...Mia Farrow, playing bridesmaid Buffy Brenner in "A Wedding" -- 1978. AWedding-m...e1b8e7.jpg
This is from a movie...The Wedding . Yes that is Mia Farrow.
This is a still from the movie "A Wedding" and that is Mia Farrow on the far right.
The 'bride' is actress Amy Stryker. This was from the 1978 film with Carol Burnett, "The Wedding"
Maybe it's the hairstyles but a looks like a scene from Flash Dance if Flash Dance had a wedding scene.
Seriously, she does. The woman who played Marcia must have had a best friend, right? I think we've found her.
Load More Replies...Oh my god, I had to wear one of these dresses. That, and they didn't listen to me about the volume of my curls when blow dried. Imagine that dress, in purple, with mega Texan hair.
Mullet dress 😂😂😂 I have never heard that before, it’s perfect!!
Load More Replies...The dresses day "garden party" but the hats say "yippee ki yay". The groom's tux says "we'll be here all week, try the veal and don't forget to tip your warehouse."
Tip your warehouse... 😆 I think you meant- waitress! But warehouse is kinda funny. LOL
Load More Replies...The best solution for this kind of wedding pic, is desaturation or some kind of sepia... just to fit in your living room after the 70's ;p old-fashio...cb316d.jpg
The yellow probably looked better on the day. - I hope. At least the dresses look comfortable to wear.
Load More Replies...That's because her maids can always repurpose their dresses...for a funeral...or hallowe'en...but she's spent all that money on a WHITE dress!
Load More Replies...+more black lipstick = cool goth 80´s wedding ( Robert Smith is just around the corner)
I was thinking 80's - the shoulder-pad look & poofy sprayed hair.
Load More Replies...Well, yo can go from wedding to funeral without changing your clothes...
I actually went to a formal black and white wedding. Supposed to be elegant.
Load More Replies...Oh lord, this photo is the evolution of my high school hair styles.
I was engaged and my wedding dress was black. Yes, black for a wedding!
Load More Replies...Bride: "Oooh! I'm going to design all my bridesmaid dresses!!!" Bridesmaid: *weeps*
They're dressed as fairies and butterflies ... if you're into themed weddings it's not bad.
Load More Replies...I feel sorry for these gals dressing up like butterflies.....they'll never live that down
least they could be useful afterwards - my bridesmaid dress served as a Christmas tree dust cover for years
the Christmas tree suited the lemon taffetta much more than I ever did - lol
Load More Replies...Was going to say the same thing. Seagrapes or mangroves behind them
Load More Replies...These are really not that bad! They would've been totally re-usable in their time period. They look comfortable, too.
She looks timeless and perfect. And honestly, the bridesmaids would look nicer if not for those awful veil-hat-bow-things.
Load More Replies...So far on this list, I like this one best. The bridesmaid dresses look like they could be worn again for another dressy event (minus some of the wedding-y accessories)
Load More Replies...Compared to what we've seen here, this isn't so bad. The bride's dress is pretty
Suddenly, Baby, baby, where did I love go? is playing in my head. Ladies and Gentleman- The Supremes!
At least the dresses, by themselves, are elegant. The funny blue veil things and awful bows... not so much.
They were fashionable at the time; also back then it probably wouldn't have been considered appropriate not to wear some kind of head covering for a church wedding. Brides and bridemaids weren't expected to dress like they would for any other event.
Load More Replies...It's not coincidence that gold "lame" and lame are spelled the same way.
I'd want my face blurred out too if there was a picture of me in one of those dresses.
I'm sure the outfits are bad but I can't see them. My eyes are glued on the hair of the guy on the right.
Minus the odd hoods, the dresses would be lovely. No hope for Mr. Combover 1974.
LOL I like the hoods but not the dresses, but not for a wedding.
Load More Replies...I kinda wanna say the Bridesmaid dresses may be cultural...ish. I'm being serious.
I'm wondering if the hooded cover-ups are for Catholic weddings. They are still more strict about covered arms & heads in some Catholic churches, so I'm sure they were even more strict back then. So if you wanted bare arms & cleavage on your dresses, then a matching cover-up would make sense. Didn't you have to cover your head in a Catholic church back then also?
Load More Replies...I think you present a good theory here 🤔 You can see the ballet slippers on the girls to the left. Then again, maybe the one in the middle is getting married and invited her ballet friends for a ballet-themed wedding...? Idk.
Load More Replies...There is something about this that says more costume-y than your ordinary wedding - maybe for a fair or something?
Put some wheels under this and you've got a pretty decent parade float.
Looking at the groom, I'm expecting them to break into a Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers dance across the lawn.
It was that Holly Hobbie vibe so popular in the 70's, especially for little girls.
Load More Replies...Ok, I'm sorry, but I see three males in drag: top brides maid on the left, the one on the bottom row, furthest to the right, plus the blonde flower 'girl' on the left. Anybody with me?
My mother forced me into those sun bonnets and prairie dresses, and not even just for weddings. The looks on those little girls' faces perfectly represents my silent childhood loathing rage.
I don't care if it is near Christmas, don't dress your bridesmaids to look like Santa's elves.
Probably - or gradiated tinted ones. I wore those in the 70's.
Load More Replies...It's all cool until you see the men's shirts match the bridesmaid's dresses!
o: These are cool. Where can I buy a blouse like the top of those green dresses they're wearing?
Wore almost identical dresses for my sister's wedding. I have to go punch her in the head now
This was the 1970s - no big shoulder pads - but yes, they were!
Load More Replies...I'm trying to mesh the red flowers with the pastel mint gowns, can't make the connection.
The dresses are blessedly simple. The issue here is the headgear. They look like someone re-purposed Easter decorations.
bad attempt at looking as cute as Sally Fields as the flying nun?
Load More Replies...definitely the 60's.....but what are those tentacles hanging down? do they sting?
I agree, except for the ugly grey/silver color of her train and veil. I love her hat, it preserves her beautiful hairstyle while framing her face very nicely.
Load More Replies...An imaginative way to cover up the spot on the rug from the stag party.
The dresses are kind of pretty, and the color is nice. Too matchy-matchy with them wearing the same necklace, and the puffy sleeves are vintage '80s. The bride's train is silver not white, for some reason.
Load More Replies...The bride wins this one. She looks like a golden era film actress. Late 40's to mid 50's. Crazy gorgeous.
I agree; however, her bridesmaids look young enough to be her daughters.
Load More Replies...Get rid of the hats and change the color to purple and it would look like my wedding. Gotta love early 90's.
Now these bridesmaids dresses are cool...unfortunately I don't think the groomsmen suits will ever come back in fashion
The men look as if they're auditioning for work on a 1970's cruise ship.
I'm glad I didn't have to be in this wedding. I cannot wear a white piece of clothing without it getting dirty in the first .001 seconds.
"Jimmy and I met when we both ordered a Tequila Sunrise at the bar...."
I think some churches still required head coverings on women in the 70's. Maybe the veils (and floppy hats in other pics) serve that purpose
Load More Replies...Believe it or not, pink and orange together was a big thing in the late 60s. It was part of the Canarby Street look. These gals were actually quite fashion-forward for their time!
Martha, grab those hanging flowers on aunt Betty’s porch! They’ll do in a pinch.
I really like the colours used here ! It doesn't look too bad when compared to the other hideous ones on top lol
Again! Who has this many friends!?! 😅 I don't even trust this many damn people 😅😅😂😜
Its more like kinda YELLOW SUBMARINE...buwahahahaha
Load More Replies...What the hell is hanging off her dress or bouquet there? An air plant? A tassel? Either way...just, no.
The headgear looks like the knotted ribbon on stuck on a wrapped gift :)
Nothing wrong with these, they are just very much of their time.
At least the flowered wallpaper has remained on the wall, where it belongs!
Married at 19 and 38 years later we are still together and still having fun with my prince! These ladies were dressed tastefully for the time....I personally LOVE the yellow! :)
I did the same. We are going on 53 years. These colors are so similar to mine. I had an October wedding (fall) so chose solid golden yellow for the two bridesmaids and the maid of honor was dressed in solid medium avocado.
Load More Replies..."I want to have my reception at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house..."
why do I feel like this is a drag queen photo? The smiles all look like they have something to hide.
the one in yellow definitely has a drag queen vibe
Load More Replies...I think the yellow one is very up to date. I would wear it right now with some fancy accessories
what's going on with the 'bridesmaid' on the right of the bride holding hands with her like that? IS that a bridesmaid or the groom playing around?
Those dresses remind me of the non-slip decals we used to put in our bathtubs.
I'm sure some are still there. You couldn't get them off!
Load More Replies...Reminds me of the contact paper I put in my VW Bus in the 60s
The bride and maid of honour have big smiles because they are both secretly thinking "Thank God we don't have to wear those flowered monstrosities."
Yeah, but mustard yellow high neck dresses aren't any better.
Load More Replies...The lesson here is obvious: do not, under any circumstances, get married in 1972.
If you go inside the church, you'll see that all of the wallpaper in the hallways is gone.
Must have gotten the idea from the Sound of Music scene of the children's play clothes, made from the window curtains!
I actually like these, compared to all the others they look pretty tasteful! At least the tailoring is nice!
I like the cut of these dresses fine. However, I believe they may be one toke over the line (sweet Jesus).
Actually I was thinking of the scene in the Sound of Music where Maria makes new clothes for the kids out of curtains...
Imposible, but those bridesmaids rock the dresses though/ Despite the ugly pattern the desing is ok
The best of them so far. Simple style, no horrible hats. Pretty print, not tiny and country.
Wouldn't you like to know what the photographer said to get them all smiley , all at the same time?
"Remember ladies, after a few short hours you can take off the dresses and burn them"
Load More Replies...The dresses are kind of cute! They could be shortened and worn again.
Why do brides never consider what their bridesmaids will look like in the dresses they pick? Are they just being mean to the ones who aren't the bride?
Dressing bridesmaids like saloon girls doesn't feel like the win. Sleeves might have pushed it into southern bell, but any way you cut it, the cheap poly satin is awful
I thought it was more of a Little Bo Peep vibe.
Load More Replies...They look like they're about to sing their number on The Lawrence Welk Show. "And when I kiss you in the garden, in the moonlight, will you pardon meeeee.....?"
I hate to admit it but I think I like these ones! The bride looks lovely.
Yeah, the actual style of the dresses is not bad, but the print..oof!
Load More Replies...My first educational book about feminine hygiene had the colours and floral patterns too.....
Mine too! It took me a while to figure out that "be dainty" meant "don't stink."
Load More Replies...By the way, in the photo the bridemaids are getting more attetion and attractive than the women in solid colours, specially that one in a boring white :B
Once again, the poor Maid of Honor gets stuck in the ugliest color!
Load More Replies...That print would work better as a sleeveless mini shift dress. It's too much for a formal gown.
I want 7 yards of that printed fabric, not joking. That is to DIE for. I hate the black darting though. I love this pic.
I've seen a summer dress from similar fabric at my grandma's closet. Actually, it was nice in person. And I agree - these would be better without the black thing.
Load More Replies...Cute for the time. You need simple styles when you have busy fabrics.
What is that black fabric/tape used for the darts in the dresses? Weird.
These dresses all look like they were handmade from McCall's patterns in Homemaking class.
"I would drape myself in velvet if it were socially acceptable." George Costanza, Seinfeld.
If you got married in a Catholic Church you had to wear a head covering. Plus, yes floppy hats were very popular!
Load More Replies...The dresses fit well. The line is flattering for any figure. Once again, a busy pattern is too much for a long dress.
It's that whole bed sheet vibe again! Just walk away ladies, don't be tempted by the foofy flower print!
I honestly am not bothered by the oddness of the dresses. I just live how happy everyone looks. No one is trying to look cool; they seem genuinely happy to be part of the day.
That's because people actually stayed married back then. Now adays it's like greeaaat Sharon's fifth wedding....
Load More Replies...I had a basket full of roses that I collected from my lovely old neighbours. ❤️
I really like both bridesmaids dresses, especially for that time period.
So those friends had to buy TWO dresses to hang in their closets for the next 40 years?
From what I can see, both pictures have different girls/women.
Load More Replies...When ever a bride says, "I'm not wearing a veil, maybe just a simple hat." someone needs to just shake her and say "It never, ever, ever works!"
Again, where were the mirrors that day or the day they tried on these weird dresses!!!
Rainbow colors were definitely “in” when another of my sisters got married. She was also 18.
The bow under the boobs just adds that special insulting finish to the ensemble
The bow atop the head. The ruffles. The severe hairstyles. And the tucked-under-the-boobs 'waistline'. How unflattering can you get???
Empire waist dresses were very popular in the 60s and 70s.
Load More Replies...Unpopular opinion alert: I don't hate it. AAaaaah!!! Maybe it's just because they look so happy or because the first bridesmaid is so cute. Idk. I feel like women never get to be so frilly these days. All our formal wear is sexxxxyyyyy or sleek or sophisticated. It looks fun to be frilly.
I would like to comment that it's refreshing that none of these dresses show much skin. People were much more modest back then.
Yes, but in her defence I believe this was the norm back then. It was cheaper to make your own clothing and most women knew how to sew.
Load More Replies...I'm going to make a very confident guess based on the time period, the flower style, the shoes, the hair, the accessories, etc, that these were supposed to be Chinese style (or at least influenced) dresses. The silken fabric and collar style also really suports this theory. I'm not saying this was well executed but I would be very surprised if this was not the intent.
All the dresses look like nightgowns. And I think the bride is wearing blue because etiquette at the time said no white after the first wedding, so it may be her second marriage.
The bride looks 12 years old...how could this be a second wedding?
Load More Replies...I think I would actually like these dresses if they would be sleeveless
I understand the maid/matron of honor's dress being different, but couldn't it have been a SOLID color ???
The bride's veil reminds me of a matron's hat, I could see her bustling up the ward in this.
These floral ones look really nice individually; it's when there are more than two together that your eyes bleed!
You are killing it with the commentary! Well done!
Load More Replies...The 80s has a lot to answer for...including these puffed abominations. They're actually wearing BROWN stockings...
I had to go back and look. Dayum! I had to look closer to see if she was wearing neck rings!
Load More Replies...Crying...she caught a glimpse into the future and saw that she would appear on bored panda in that abomination of a dress!
Load More Replies...I swear! I had to wear this same abomination IN PEACH for my sisters wedding. And I paid for it myself!!!
I wore a dress like this once. I thought I looked good too. I was maid of honor in my sister's wedding. Around 1986. Now I look and it's just funny. Also, our necks are of a normal length.
Load More Replies...Hats were - again - the in-thing in the 70s. I wore a hat with my gown in '77.
Load More Replies...Popular pose, groom kissed by the maids. He looks kinda hidden though
Load More Replies...I actually took one of those dresses and re-made it into my prom dress. I removed the sleeves and took the rufflle off the shoulder and removed the set in lace around the neck and made it tea length. The colour was this amazing teal. White shoes, white mesh gloves and I felt like Madonna. It was 1986.
Great! Like Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink! Which bridesmaid are you?
Load More Replies...Took me a second to figure out that was two ladies and not a Henry VIII looking guy. lol
Me too... I thought that was a guy in a big green dress!
Load More Replies...It took me a while. I thought it was a really fat guy in a dress. It's actually 3 people?
Strange configuration of wedding attendants.... Did the bride slip out the back door when she spotted Henry VIII groping the bridesmaids? Smart move, Bride.... well played.
These dresses look like a nightgown my grandmother would've worn to bed
That was fun but Twenty years from now people will be making fun of our fashion trends too.
Interesting collection, perhaps if dates and places were provided the trends could be better understood. Are they from the U.S.A., Eastern Europe or where? When and where were the awful floral prints in vogue?
Most of the floral prints were probably late 60s and into the 70s here in the USA. The big hair and "prairie-like" dresses were probably late 70s early 80s... Not sure about the one with the bride with the basket on her head, I'm thinking Europe somewhere?
Load More Replies...Maybe I'm weird but I genuinely think most(not all for sure but still lol) of those were not so bad at all. Not up to modern fashion standards perhaps but then if you look up modern wedding fashion you'll probably end up with some much weirder sh**. Some of those kinda look like people were short on money and perhaps couldn't afford more intricate designs and others are just bad pictures of not so bad outfits(no making 300 pics while seeing the previews of all them and then photoshopping them to perfection back then, remember)
A lot of these photos look like they were from weddings in the 70s. If you're too young to remember that time, we had avocado green refrigerators, burnt orange shag carpet, TVs the size of coffins, bell bottoms and cars that got worse mileage than a lot of military vehicles. Most of all, we had color and weren't afraid to use it. Subtle wasn't in our vocabulary.
Truthfully, to state these dresses ridiculous is uncalled for. It was the style then, and it isn't the style now. It was simple, well tailored, modest and gave a vibe of elatedness.
I really don't understand why there's "Ridiculous" in the title. This was the fashion in that time and noone considered it ridiculous back then. Ok, there are some pictures which are over the top. But even they are still a whole better than what a lot of people wear on weddings now.
they were appropriate and beautiful for the time, not "ridiculous", get over yourselves, we'll be called ridiculous in future (in fact i think everything is ridiculous now)
That was fun but Twenty years from now people will be making fun of our fashion trends too.
Interesting collection, perhaps if dates and places were provided the trends could be better understood. Are they from the U.S.A., Eastern Europe or where? When and where were the awful floral prints in vogue?
Most of the floral prints were probably late 60s and into the 70s here in the USA. The big hair and "prairie-like" dresses were probably late 70s early 80s... Not sure about the one with the bride with the basket on her head, I'm thinking Europe somewhere?
Load More Replies...Maybe I'm weird but I genuinely think most(not all for sure but still lol) of those were not so bad at all. Not up to modern fashion standards perhaps but then if you look up modern wedding fashion you'll probably end up with some much weirder sh**. Some of those kinda look like people were short on money and perhaps couldn't afford more intricate designs and others are just bad pictures of not so bad outfits(no making 300 pics while seeing the previews of all them and then photoshopping them to perfection back then, remember)
A lot of these photos look like they were from weddings in the 70s. If you're too young to remember that time, we had avocado green refrigerators, burnt orange shag carpet, TVs the size of coffins, bell bottoms and cars that got worse mileage than a lot of military vehicles. Most of all, we had color and weren't afraid to use it. Subtle wasn't in our vocabulary.
Truthfully, to state these dresses ridiculous is uncalled for. It was the style then, and it isn't the style now. It was simple, well tailored, modest and gave a vibe of elatedness.
I really don't understand why there's "Ridiculous" in the title. This was the fashion in that time and noone considered it ridiculous back then. Ok, there are some pictures which are over the top. But even they are still a whole better than what a lot of people wear on weddings now.
they were appropriate and beautiful for the time, not "ridiculous", get over yourselves, we'll be called ridiculous in future (in fact i think everything is ridiculous now)
