The bridal industry has transformed in the past three years—and fashion brands are catching up. An increase in smaller, less formal weddings has upended dress codes, increasing interest in less more personality-driven looks. Cult labels like Staud, SKIMS, and RIXO are designing to those needs, with less conventional options that offer versatility in how they can be styled.
Maisie-Kate Keane, luxury bridal stylist, day-of dresser and tailor, and founder of Maisie-Kate Style, has noticed brides finding comfort in pieces from designers that they’re already familiar with. “I think that my clients find it a lot more stressful having to commit to white dresses from bridal brands that they know they will never wear again, whereas by purchasing pieces off-the-rack and online from brands that they already wear pieces from, they’re more likely to wear these items again in the future, and therefore have been a lot more eager to make a purchase,” she says.
As wedding weekends expand, the bridal wardrobes have as well. “Most of my clients are now doing entire weekends full of events, sometimes even with multiple outfit changes each day. With that, they’re on the hunt for a variety of looks, including more casual pieces and some more unorthodox pieces,” says bridal stylist Gabrielle Hurwitz, who notes she’s seen a growing appetite for suiting.
There’s meaning behind brides’ less traditional fashion decisions. “By deviating from an all-white wardrobe for their wedding celebrations, brides are making a sustainable and economical choice as they invest in pieces they can wear repeatedly,” adds Keane. “They are opting for colorful attire and incorporating non-traditional elements into their wedding wardrobe, allowing these pieces to become versatile and incorporate them into their everyday or special occasion outfits long after the big day.”
As trends have shifted, designers and brands are meeting the moment. Here are six of our favorites right now.