It's a new era in the bridesmaid gown designs. The days of frumpy, poofy, monstrous dresses, which make women cringe when someone says “will you be my bridesmaid?”, are over. The new styles of dresses are sexy, sleek and sophisticated. They're perfect for a wedding and then can be worn to cocktail parties or other semi-formal dinners. These new gowns come in bold colors, as well as styles. Red bridesmaid dresses are extremely popular and come in shades like scarlet, ruby red, cerise and maroon, among others. The popularity of red for bridesmaid dresses are evident in the sheer quality and quantity that vendors and designers are presenting.

Reds come in hundreds of shades and it's really important to match coloring in terms of skin and hair color. Every woman has a different coloring and can't wear the same shades. You can check which hues match certain colorings by checking online at Trinny and Susannah's guide to wearing red. A really comprehensive guide to how red looks on different colorings. Styles, however, aren't always easy to guide.

There are many different cuts of bridesmaid dresses and even more styles. The cuts relate to the way the garment is shaped, i.e. the flare of the skirt, the fit of the bodice, the neckline style etc. The styles can relate to cuts, but also can relate to if the dress is modern, vintage, formal or couture, for example. When speaking of styles and cuts, sometimes the terms can encompass both cut and style. The way to shop for dresses, is to learn what cuts work with what body styles. However, if you're looking for a simple dress style that works for all body types is the a line skirt with a short sleeve fitted bodice.

There are three different ways to describe a dress; the skirt style, bodice and entire dress style. When discussing skirt styles, there are things that affect the bodice that need to be considered as well. When discussing bodice, you'll have to check the skirt style. When discussing entire dress styles there are only two specific types; the sheath and mermaid.

Skirt styles are a line, circle, pencil,bell, bubble, and pleated, among others. Those are the main style of bridesmaid dresses and all look great in red. Hemlines also have their own terminology. There are short, mini, tea length, ball gown and ankle length.

Necklines are scoop, v-neck, square, sweetheart, bateau, halter, Queen Anne, deep v and circle. You'll also need to consider sleeves; sleeveless, spaghetti straps, off the shoulder, short sleeved, long sleeved, ¾ sleeves and capped sleeves.

Lastly, picking out a dress requires considering waistlines. High waist, drop waist, sheath, natural and basque are the different waist types.

You can find different images on Google to match the terms by doing a search in their images engine.

A line, circle, v-neck, empire waist and sweetheart neck are the most flattering styles for 80% of people. So if you're searching, it's a good idea to stick with those

If you have some bridesmaids with some rocking bodies, yes even plus sizes can rock a dress, then you can really go out and pick some really fantastic dresses. Sexy doesn't have to look trashy. Sexy also doesn't mean short or micro mini. In fact, some of the sexiest dresses are longer and cover more. The trick is to make the dresses sexy, but not detract from your fabulous dress. One thing I would suggest is make their dresses darker in color than the brides dress. This way you will really pop and the bridesmaids will compliment your dress.

One sexy dress is a gorgeous sheath dress with spaghetti straps. Something with a small slit up the side or the back of the dress. Choose a satin fabric with maybe chiffon cover. A lovely, flowing drape will really bring out the femininity of the dress. A short flouncy dress with a bubble skirt will really be cute. The bubble skirts are coming back, and that's one 80s style I can bring back with zest.

One of the sexiest dresses I've seen is the Marilyn Monroe silk dress with halter top and flare skirt. The one she wore in The Seven Year Itch. It's a beautiful and sexy style that is perfect for a vintage wedding or an offbeat red wedding theme.

More modest dresses can be just as beautiful as sexier dresses. Modest can mean more elegant. Dresses reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's are not only gorgeous, they're very sophisticated. Pair them with ivory pearls and simple pearl earrings and you'll have a very chic, polished look. Even sleeveless styles can look modest and beautiful. Choose tea length or dress at or just above the knee.

It's simple and easy to pick out the perfect bridesmaid dresses when there are such a wide variety of styles, shades of red and prices