Elizabeth Overton, 21, was thrilled to find a dress that looked good on all of her five bridesmaids.

"They all have different body types," Overton, who recently moved to New Ipswich, N.H., from Townsend, said. "One is a size 12 and another is a size 2."

Overton, who is marrying Lunenburg native Tony Lanni at the Townsend Ridge Country Club in April, also said she didn't want her bridesmaids to pay a fortune for a dress.

"I told them, 'You're going to wear it once, and I don't want you to have to pay $200.' I've done that many times and they're all sitting in my closet," Overton said.

Finding the right bridesmaid's dress that looks good and is affordable is a mission that has haunted brides for decades. Some new trends in bridesmaids' dresses, however, have made the quest easier.

Several designers have started making two-piece mix-and-match bridesmaid's dresses. The separates allow bridesmaids to pick different style tops and skirts made from the same material.

Two-piece dresses account for roughly half of the bridesmaids dresses sold at Yours Truly Bridal Inc. in Leominster, sales employee Linda Gauthier said.

"It's nice, because they can design their own look but still feel like they're a part of a group," Gauthier said.

Townsend bridesmaid Carolyn Smart, 38, said bride Christine Dirrane allowed her four bridesmaids, two of whom are adult women and two of whom are young teenagers, to pick from three tops and three skirts for their dresses.

"She wanted to give everyone some freedom to pick the dress. It just worked out that we all picked out the same (tops and skirts)," Smart said.

While the black halter top and a-line skirt from David's Bridal in Worcester cost roughly $250, Smart said she didn't mind because the evening wedding, which will be held at a Boston hotel, is expected to be formal.

"It's going to be fancy-fancy and fun," Smart said.

Overton said her bridesmaids originally looked at the two-piece options but ended up buying a one-piece periwinkle floor-length dress for $117 at Yours Truly.

Hudson resident Joanne DeSantis, 31, selected a $150 floral dress from Yours Truly for her three bridesmaids, but felt the women would be able to wear the dress more than once.

"It's something that you could wear again to an evening party," said DeSantis, who is marrying Rick Pasquarosa at Westminster's Wachusett Village Inn.

Some bridesmaid's dresses can be altered to be worn again, said West Townsend resident Millie Adamik, who does bridal dress alterations.

Adamik said she'll tell a woman getting fitted for the wedding whether she thinks the dress would look cute as a knee-length cocktail dress.

Gauthier said designers are starting to offer "tea length" dresses, the skirts of which end four inches above the ankle, and knee-length bridesmaid's dresses that lend themselves to other occasions.

Gauthier had some quick tips for bridesmaids looking for dresses:

* It takes roughly 12 to 16 weeks to order a dress.

* Bridesmaids should have at least one fitting when you're buying the dress and a second fitting one month before the wedding.

* There are some dress lines that can be ordered within three weeks for "shotgun" weddings.

* While savvy shoppers might find better deals, the average bridesmaid should be able to find a nice dress for in-between $125 and $200.

* If you don't expect to wear your bridesmaid's dress again, consignment shops will give you a decent exchange for a worn dress.