1) Remember, any clothing or accessory with the word "wedding" or even "bridesmaid" in it means you're going to pay more. Many prom and eveningwear dresses are cut in similar or even identical styles to wedding gowns, and can cost a fraction of the price. And there's no reason why a formal or evening wear gown from the department or clothing stores couldn't be a hit.
2) An idea is to ask the bridesmaids to buy their own bridesmaids dresses, something that they will be able to wear again at formal functions in the future. If you gauge that this might not be appropriate you can perhaps compromise by asking them to buy their dresses rather than a bridal shower present.
3) For around less than half the price of a new bridesmaid dress, rental shops offer modern fine quality but inexpensive bridesmaid dresses in current styles already cleaned and steamed. This is a great option where there are three or less bridesmaids, any more and you may struggle to find matching bridesmaid dresses.
4) Ebay has a mind boggling selection of cheap unique bridesmaid dresses that can offer inspiration and ideas for most styles and colors. You can email the sellers and request more information and photographs (a prompt reply from the seller is always a good sign). Check the seller's profile for their sales history. Power sellers are people who have sold many items on Ebay with consistently good reviews - people to take note of.
If you would like to purchase on Ebay be absolutely 100% certain of your measurements (perhaps have this done at a seamstress or dressmaker). If you're still hesitant about whether you/they will get the size correct, then why not buy one size up? Rather too big than too small, that way you can have the dress altered once you receive it and be ensured of a perfect fit.
