geographic issues with coordinating bridesmaid dresses

My sister is planning a wedding in Chicago next summer.  Her bridesmaids are in San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Montreal and me in London.  A trip to the store en masse is impossible.  Any suggestions of how to choose and order the right sizes for everyone?  What stores do you suggest shopping at for bridesmaid dresses (any city listed here)?

I got married in San Diego and can highly suggest Demetrios for bridesmaid dresses.  I worked with an amazing woman who designed a custom train to be made with my wedding gown and everything turned out wonderful.  I also got the bridesmaid dresses there when my bridesmaids were in San Diego, Vancouver (WA) and London.  I picked out the dress by dragging my poor local bridesmaid with me to the store - many times!  Then the other girls just got measured by professionals wherever they lived and they sent their measurements and payment details to Demetrios who then ordered the dresses.  We got them delivered well in advance of the date and there were absolutely no problems with anything.  If the bride wants matching dresses then you will have to all order them in the same order from the same store so that they can all be cut from the same roll of cloth in order to completely match, but it's up to the bride if that matters to her. (It mattered to me, so that's why we did it that way.)

P.S.  I checked and there is also a Demetrios in Chicago. 

A few years back I got a dress that was custom made from a shop in NYC, I had a dressmaker take my measurements according to the instructions from the company that made the dresses, sent them to this company, and I got my dress a few months later, I had to take it back to the dressmaker for some alterations. I think that company is out of business now, but its an idea. Maybe you can find something like that and everyone can order a dress online, and have alterations at their own dressmakers.

David's Bridal? Not sure if they would have one in Montreal.  Then you and possibly Montreal bmaid would have to get your measurements professionally taken.  I did that for both weddings I've been in, as the brides were in MA and I was in AZ and they went through local bridal shops to them rather than a national chain.

I don't know how formal/traditional she's making the wedding but at my wedding I told my bridesmaids a color and then said, get whatever dress you feel comfortable in.  I didn't want to have anyone buy something that they didn't actually like wearing...


My sister actually bought bridesmaids dresses for her wedding from white house/ black market (the infamous LBD).  Again, wanting us to have something we could wear again.  The dresses were so flattering that none of us had to have alterations.