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Top 10 Hollywood Gowns That Would Make Lovely Bridesmaid Dresses

Nearly every woman in this entire planet looks up to Hollywood for gowns and dress ideas. After all, there is no other epitome for class, sophistication and elegance than these Hollywood femme fatales. Over the years, even the bridesmaid dresses have taken a new turn. Bridesmaid dresses styles have shifted from froufrou, pearls and bows to slits, sweetheart necklines, bare backs and diamonds. This turn in fashion could be largely attributed to what Hollywood celebrities wear during awarding ceremonies or on the big screen. Let us get a glimpse of ten of the best Hollywood celebrities' gowns that have the potential to be a sweet, sophisticated bridesmaid dress.

1. Penelope Cruz' intricate blush Atelier Versace gown, topped with a sweeping train was a sight to behold during the 2007 Academy Awards. This charming evening dress, in the right shade, would make lovely bridesmaid dresses. However, you have to get rid of the sweeping train and you ought to make sure you don't have it made in white. Otherwise, with its elaborate details, it would end up looking like a wedding dress for sure.

2. Also worn during the 2007 Academy Awards was Cate Blanchett's shimmering silver crystal-mesh Giorgio Armani Privé gown. This gown may seem a bit to sophisticated to be worn as bridesmaid dresses, but with a few alterations in its shade and cut, you could make it work out. This would make one heck of a stunning bridesmaid dress.

3. Anne Hathaway's blood red Marchesa dress was a looker during the Oscars 2008 Awards Night. The asymmetrical draped gown with floral shoulder and waist detail was, simply put, captivating. This would also make a great bridesmaid dress - minus the extravagant train and the bold color, of course.

4. Jennifer Lopez in her crystal-encrusted lilac silk Marchesa gown was a vision reminiscent of '60s-era glamour girls. You too could wear this exquisitely, with a few alterations, such as minimizing the crystal works on your neckline.

5. The Vintage Versace gown Kate Hudson wore for the 2003 Academy Awards created such a stir. A simple yet stunning vintage dress, you could recreate the look as a bridesmaid dress. Just change the shade, though. You might look like you sew together pieces of wedding invitations.

6. Michelle William's canary yellow, Vera Wang evening gown is luscious enough to make the list. Despite the controversy with its color and cut, many critiques agree that this dress was definitely noteworthy. This would make lovely bridesmaid dresses too.

7. The 2008 Oscar Awards saw quite a number of lovely evening dresses. One of those was Renee Zellweger's sparkling, floor-length Carolina Herrera gown. This would make a sexy, sweet bridesmaid dress, minus the extravagant slit, of course.

8. For a more bohemian look, Sienna Miller's 2004 Oscars dress should do the trick. Her emerald green dress and gold cuffs looked refreshingly lovely. This dress by Matthew Williamson would definitely make standout bridesmaid dresses.

9. During the 2001 Oscar Awards, Julia Roberts wowed the audience with her Valentino monochrome gown. This gown had made a huge impact on the world of bridesmaid dresses since.

10. Kate Winslet's Ben de Lisi red gown also became influential when it comes to bridesmaid dresses designs.

About the Author

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Vogue OpTioNs P948 Drop Waist Simple Shirt Dress Pattern Misses S8-10-12 UNCUT $4.49

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Pattern makers charge anywhere from 25-250 dollars an hour depending on the complexity of the patterns. For a home dressmaker who wants a custom fit basic dress pattern I usually charge a flat fee of 250$ and book an afternoon with the client. One week later I deliver a basic set of blocks, waist bodice, skirt, fitted sleeve, hip length bodice and fitted shift dress. But why spend that much money when there are also many commercial sewing patterns out there that don't cost anywhere near that much? Simple dress patterns are anywhere from $1.99 to $10.00 depending on the pattern company and the number of style variations. Vogue has some designer brand dress patterns by Michael Kors, Anna Sui, DKNY, and they are about $20.00 Butterick has a package with a basic bodice and skirt that's used by designers to alter and change into almost any style of dress you can imagine.

For sewing, its less money to use a commercial pattern and have the dressmaker alter it to fit. A-line sleeveless shifts are not that difficult to sew or fit. If you use a commercial pattern all the instructions are included in the pattern along with instructions on how to prepare the patterns, how to lay it out and cut the fabric, and how to assemble the cut pieces.

Here's a basic A-line dress by Simplicity, the envelope also includes patterns for a simple cardigan, skirt and coat. http://www.simplicity.com/p-1511-misses-dresses.aspx?VariantID=6901
This one is more flowing and is very simple to make: http://www.simplicity.com/p-1601-its-so-easy-misses-dresses.aspx
From Butterick patterns, here's the classic sleeveless one piece shift dress: http://www.butterick.com/item/B4386.htm?tab=dresses&page=6
Here's the basic fitting shell that all other dress patterns are derived from: http://www.butterick.com/item/B5746.htm?tab=dresses&page=6 If you make and fit this one you can use it as the base of many other dresses.

As you can see, all are under ten dollars, so there's no need to have a pattern made when there are so many ready-to use commercial patterns available. Then all you need is fabric thread, and a bit of time to devote to making the dress.

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