Here's What Forever 21's New Bridesmaid Dresses Look Like IRL

Spoiler alert: You might just want to keep these after the wedding.

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Bridesmaid dress shopping is legendarily the worst — so expensive, and usually so UGLY you'd never wear them again.

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So when we heard that Forever 21 had a new collection of bridesmaid dresses from Pretty by Rory priced between $68 and $78, we had to try them.

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Daniela tried this Pretty by Rory strappy dress in a floral print. It retails for $68.

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Daniela normally wears a size medium, and she's wearing a size medium in this dress. It's available in sizes XS to XL.

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Daniela's thoughts: I loooooove this one. I really like the print, and it was super comfy, too. The only bad part about it was the straps. Even after adjusting them all the way, they were still too loose, and that's just a nip slip waiting to happen. I could make it work with a little fashion tape, though.

Then she tried this one-shoulder Pretty by Rory maxi dress. It retails for $78, and it's available in three colors.

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She's wearing a size small, and this dress is available in a size XS to XL.

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Daniela's thoughts: I didn't love the color, but I liked the style. It was super comfortable, and I think it looked way better on than it did on the hanger. I felt very elegant wearing it. One thing that I thought was off was the sizing. I'm usually a M, and this was a S but fit me kind of big.

Conz tried this off-the-shoulder Pretty by Rory flounce midi dress. It retails for $78 and is available in six colors.

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Conz typically wears a 4 to 6, and she tried on this dress in a size small. This dress is available in sizes XS to XL.

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Conz's thoughts: It was OK. It was a size too small on my hips, but on my boobs and shoulders it felt like the right size, which makes me afraid of going a size up and flashing everyone. I also didn't love that it was shorter in the front.

She also tried out this Pretty by Rory floral cami dress. It retails for $68.

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Conz is wearing a size medium. The dress is available in sizes XS to XL.

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Conz's thoughts: I LOVED the print — I'm obsessed with it! I also really liked the cut of the dress, which allowed you to wear it without a bra without showing your boobs to everyone. This is definitely a type of dress I would get for a wedding or any other occasion.

Bari tried this Pretty by Rory chiffon maxi dress. It retails for $78 and is available in four colors.

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Bari typically wears a size L or XL, and she's wearing a size XL in this dress. This dress is available in sizes XS to XL.

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Bari's thoughts: This felt a bit small on me, which was not the ego boost I was looking for, but the cut was cute and the dress held its shape really well! I really appreciated that I could wear a normal bra (pretty convinced strapless bras are a medieval torture device that benefited from some friendly rebranding) and potentially skip the Spanx. The color was total heaven — not too light to make me feel like my inevitable pit stains would show, but not so dark that it read wintery. LOVED the neckline, and that slit made me feel like I was sporting Angelina Jolie's even fiercer third leg.

Then she tried on this Pretty by Rory flounce midi dress (it's the same one Conz tried). It retails for $78 and is available in six colors.

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Bari's thoughts: This dress is where all my happiness went to die (eep!). It was wildly conservative (a coral dress with FULL sleeves?), a bit too tight + basically a sausage of fashion sacrifice. It was a pretty terrible cut for my body and an even worse cut for people who *don't* hate any of their features — I felt like I was waiting for my turn to be mummified. On the plus side, the color was really beautiful, and maybe somebody can pull off being draped in 14 layers of fabric without sweating to death, but that somebody is just not me.

Annie modeled this Pretty by Rory chiffon maxi dress with sleeves. It goes for $78 and is available in four colors.

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Annie typically wears an XS or size 0 and is wearing a size XS. This dress is available in sizes XS to XL.

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Annie's thoughts: Loved the color. I'm not usually a fan of sleeves, but they did a pretty good job here. This will definitely need some altering if you're petite or on the shorter side! The material was light, but since basically my entire body was covered because there's sleeves, it was hot. Would love a cutout in the back to let some air in — how else are we gonna stay cool on the dance floor?!?

And finally, she tried on this Pretty by Rory surplice dress. It retails for $68 and is available in six colors.

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She's wearing a size small, but it's available in sizes XS to XL.

Taylor Miller / BuzzFeed

Annie's thoughts: It was SO easy to put on — I stepped right into it, and it fit OK. Length-wise, it was definitely made for a much taller person, because the straps were twice the size of my torso and the bottom definitely needed to be altered. But it seems like a pretty classic and timeless dress.

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Daniela: I think they're all super nice, and even though they're cheap, they look great on. It would also be a nice gesture toward the bridesmaids — instead of making them pay hundreds of dollars for a dress they probably won't ever wear again, to give them an affordable choice.

Conz: Being on a budget while planning a wedding is HARD. With these options you can a) be a nice bride and BUY the dresses for your bridesmaids or b) be a nice bride and have your bridesmaids not have to sell a kidney for a fancy dress they will only wear once. Either way, you end up being a nice bride :D

Bari: OMG BRIDES OF THE WORLD: PLEASE CONSIDER THESE NOW AND ALWAYS AND FOREVER. They're super respectful of a bridesmaid's budget, body shape, AND time, since F21 is literally everywhere.

The dresses were a pleasant surprise compared to some other bridesmaid dresses I've tried in the past! I've been in ~nine~ weddings, so my time in taffeta is in no way limited. And although not the highest quality, this fabric was SUPER comfortable, very lightweight (perfect for standing outside in July and weeping as two of your friends explain that their love is like a rare flower for 49 minutes and change), and didn't immediately make me vomit.

Annie: Forever 21 is a budget-friendly store and you get what you pay for, which means that things aren't expensive but you're sacrificing quality. That's what I expected from the dresses — something that was reasonably priced but wouldn't last a long time. These dresses were definitely more basic than other dresses — less color options and layers, which can be a good thing. Since they have less material, they're more breathable, which is a plus because I'm the sweaty friend.

And to see how the dresses MOVE IRL, check out this vid!

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