It seems that in throughout pop culture there has always been some stigma associated with bridesmaid dresses. When a female gets the invite to join her friend’s bridal party, she can’t help but feel honored, excited, but then fearful…of the bridesmaid dress she will have to wear.

When I think of bridesmaid dresses I think of the scene in the movie 27 dresses in which Katherine Hegel’s character opens a closet full of the most hideous gowns she’s had to wear at various weddings. It’s no secret that some bridesmaids have to spend money on ugly dresses that they may never wear again, but refuse to part with, because the dresses are never cheap. So, instead of tossing the expensive, ill-fitting, ugly dress, it remains in their closet as a reminder of how devoted they are to their friend, and how annoyed they are that they had to spend money on the frock.

But, why have some many women throughout history been forced to wear the most horrid gowns for the sheer amusement of their engaged friend? I’ll tell you why. No bride wants any other woman in the room looking more beautiful than her, so she makes it her duty, her passion, to make sure that you look like nothing more than…a bridesmaid. Don’t take offense, because when your day comes, you’ll probably do it to.

In the meantime, if you own a bridesmaid dress that you longer wish to hoard, head on over to newlymaid.com.  This company allows former bridesmaids to mail in their hated gowns in exchange for a discount on a little black dress. I should also point out, that they also accept dresses from various social occasions as well such as prom and mother-of-the –bride outfits. When they receive your dress, they recycle the fabric to manufacture new garments or they donate them to a charitable organization, Clothes4Souls, which gives clothes to people in need all over the world.

If you want to have more fun with your bridesmaid dress, head over to Minnesota, which is hosting their first-ever Bridesmaid Bar Crawl on Friday, June 17th. Attendee’s purchase a ticket to wear their old taffeta masterpiece while enjoying drink specials offered at bars, pubs, and clubs in the downtown area. They also have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win some cool prizes. Proceeds from the event benefits Operation Glass Slipper, which provides prom dresses to underserved teens. Learn about donating prom dresses here»