Twobirds with one stone? Three? Four?
By Never teh BrideI’ve seen wrap dresses and convertible dresses that purported to be for the bridesmaid, but they were always made out of t-shirt material and not at all formal looking. I’ve also seen many a dress that was described as “something you could wear again” when the fact is that if it’s floor length and made out of Duchess satin, it’s probably not going to get a lot of future play.
All four of the models in this unpleasantly dark pic are wearing the same dress from Twobirds Bridesmaid. Designer Ariane Goldman (Finkel) created this multi-purpose frock because she was sick of paying too much for bridesmaid garb she would never, ever, ever wear again.
The straps can apparently be manipulated into more than ten different configurations, though the how-to on the web site only features eight different tutorials. I’d wager that ten is a lowball assessment, however. If you’re crafty and clever, and you spend some time playing with this dress, you’ll probably figure out entirely new ways to use it.
I like the color — it’s rosewater — though I wouldn’t recommend that particular strapless wrap style to you if you’re not built like a ten-year-old boy. That models breasts look tremendously unhappy, all squished up like that. There are ten standard colors to choose from, but custom colors are available at an additional $40 per dress. Brides can also choose from calf length and floor length styles.
You can even finagle the straps into something very like sleeves, though you’ll sacrifice back modesty in doing so. I suppose it’s the convertible dress rule…the more fabric you use in the front, the less there is to cover skin up in the back!
My take: I like the idea and the Twobirds look, and I think that, as a bridesmaid dress, it’s entirely re-wearable. I have to hand it to Goldman that it’s quite the racket. Design one dress and sell it on its own merits more than ten different ways. When am I going to come up with an idea that clever?
March 28th, 2008 at 11:59 am
As someone who has had to wear above mentioned dress as a bridesmaid, I would like to beg and plead with future brides to please not choose this dress if you have a busty bridesmaid. With the exception of the incredibly unflattering strapless version which leaves you totally exposed if you actually have boobs, all the other variants are some form of backless meaning that you cannot wear a bra. If you happen to have yourself a lot of cleavage, like I do, you will be utterly miserable in this dress. I have never been more uncomfortable in my life than having to walk down the aisle, Double D’s a jiggling flapping in the breeze for the whole world to see, because every variant of a strapless bra I tried was visible regardless of how I tried to wrap the dress, and the press-on invisible bra cups just do not offer ANY support for someone my size.
The second I had a moment to slip away during the reception, I ran back to the hotel room, put on a bra, and threw a pashima wrap over the dress to hid the very visible bra.
March 28th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Oh how horrible, Julie! As someone who dabbled briefly in tube tops during adolescence before some kind soul finally said, “Honey, you NEED a bra,” I can feel your pain. I’m of the DD variety myself, and if a friend asked me to go braless at her wedding, I would ultimately have to refuse. It wouldn’t matter how good a friend it was, either!
March 28th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Many bridesmaids’ dresses aren’t exactly kind to the well-endowed gal, I’ve noticed. I’m small-busted myself, but in all of the weddings I’ve been in there is at least one D or DD-cup bridesmaid who has to defy the laws of physics in order to hide a bra under her spaghetti-strapped/backless/low-cut dress.
On topic … The convertible dress is a good idea, but I’m all thumbs with that kind of thing. I can never make them look right. Is it just me?
March 28th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
It’s true that many bridesmaid’s dresses don’t work for women with large breasts. I’m a DD myself so I understand. Bridesmaid’s dresses also frequently don’t work for larger women, either. But most bridesmaid dress companies make at least one dress that will be acceptable to the petite woman, the full-figured woman, the big-busted woman–except it’s rarely the same dress, although usually they’re available in the same fabrics and colors. The problem is when a bride insists that her attendants all wear the same dress, a dress that will only flatter some of them. Luckily I’ve never been in this position, but if a bride cared more that all her attendants were dressed identically than in their comfort and levels of modesty, I’d quit the wedding. When I was planning my wedding I remember coming across a bride who really wanted all her attendants to wear $120 orange platform stripper shoes. When those of us on the forum tried to dissuade her, pointing out that they were too expensive, too high, and possibly not in the best taste, the bride came out with the usual refrain, “But it’s my big daaaaay…” I bet she went through with it, if she had any attendants left. Or maybe they were all strippers and didn’t mind!
March 28th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Chiming in as a D cup, the way my friend accomodated all us various-sized bridesmaids was by having everyone wear the same skirt and pick the best top out of a selection of 5. Two of us wanted to cover back tattoos, 3 of us were D cup or larger, and one was only 15. I think separates are a good way to go. It also makes it easier to actually rewear part of the outfit without having its origin be screamingly obvious. I’ve since worn the top with a black skirt and received several compliments.
March 29th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I’ve never tried on one of these convertible dresses. The fabric always looks like it will drape absolutely wrong - picking up all the wrong bumps and curves. Anyone who does not have an hourglass figure or is shaped like a model try these?
March 30th, 2008 at 3:20 am
Chiming in as an entirely self-supporting gal, when I was a bride-to-be I tried on the bridesmaids dresses I was considering and ruled out anything that ruled out a bra. I wanted my friends to look good and, umm, properly contained.
Seriously, the only kind of ‘convertable’ clothing I’ve seen that might actually work as such is more to the SCA type event.
August 6th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I was so excited by this idea when my friend sent us the website and let us know we would be wearing these in her wedding in September. I couldn’t wait to get the dress. Well, I wish I’d looked into it a little further - this dress is terrible. If you are anything bigger than a size 6 (I’m a 10), heaven forbid if you have hips (not to mention a chest), you will NOT look good in this. I’ve wrapped and I’ve wrapped…and I’ve wrapped. Not a single style is flattering, can be worn with a bra or makes me feel secure that the whole thing isn’t going to come undone around me as I’m walking down the isle. Not to mention - this dress is literally a skirt with two straps sewn to it. It’s not even sewn well - The hem is just cut fabric. For $270 - I expected so much more. Fabric is a light jersey - so EVERYTHING shows. No lining, no slip, no nothing. Forget your spanx ladies - they’ll most likely be seen in almost every wrap. Yuk. I will NOT be wearing this again…
December 21st, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I have to disagree w/ these reviews. My cousin picked out these dresses for her bridesmaid and they’re going to work for all of us even though some of us are average, thin, fat and we even have a bridesmaid who is so pregnant that she may give birth while walking down the aisle! We each have different sizes and will be wearing different styles to accommodate our needs. The wedding hasn’t happened yet but I did try the dress on w/ the bride’s help (and the mother of the bride) and it looks wonderful! I’m excited to wear the dress and I don’t know what everyone here is complaining about!
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 am
I’m glad you’re having such a good experience with the Twobirds dress, Natali. For those above who worried about bras and slips, perhaps you have some advice for fitting underthings underneath without them showing through?