Bridesmaid fabric that isn't "Wedding-y"

I have a friend getting married in March. She wants bridesmaid dresses that the girls will want to "wear again." So no taffetas/satins/etc. Her first impulse was to go to a quilting store for fabric (!).

Those of you with experience making dresses, is this wise? Other suggestions for fabric types?
Thanks!

I'm sure I'll get in trouble for saying this, but please know that I mean no offense to anyone here when I say this.  Quilting fabric really should be left for quilts and other flat objects--not bodies.  It doesn't drape well.  While you can get away with it on kids' bodies which are pretty straight up and down, it just doesn't look right on a woman's body.  I've tried it--it's been disappointing--and quilting fabric wrinkles a lot, which is not going to be a good choice for a wedding.

Honestly, there's a lot of really nice knits out there.  Rayon knits look great on everyone because they have such great stretch and drape, and you should be able to find nice quality rayon knits for less money than you'd spend on quilting fabric.  It's also wider (most are 58-60"), so you won't have to buy as much fabric for any given dress as you would have to for the same pattern in quilting fabric (usually 44-45").  How dressy these dresses are depends on your pattern, but for 100% sure, a knit dress is going to be wearable again.   

Crepe, georgette, cotton?

If she wants a cotton print there are better choices than quilting cotton. My sister's bridesmaid dresses were cotton prints and that worked well. It's just depends on the wedding.

The big question is WHERE are the girls going to wear the dresses again? What styles would be useful to them? 

Honestly I think if she had the girls where a simple black dress, it would be more likely that it could be reused for future Christmas parties, etc.  (Or any not 'odd' color)

What about a voile?

I agree with chiffon,crepe,Georgette!
I too feel quilting fabric is not the way to go:)

It really depends on the type of dress she wants. She should look at the fabric of ready-made dresses that are similar to what she has in mind. If she wants something dressy and drapy, then georgette, crepes, and rayon would be good. If she wants something casual and preppy, stretch poplin would be comfortable and crisp.

I’d steer her to the apparel section of a good fabric store. Quilting fabric could work with some styles, but it’s not intended for apparel.

Please don't buy that stiff cotton for a bridesmaid dress.  I make special occasion dresses for a living and cotton is just not for adult woman. 

The "wedding," look is more than just fabrics.  The old looking dresses are all satins so stay away from that.  Chiffon would be great, silks would be amazing but more expensive. 

The person who suggested looking at retailers to find examples of the kind of dresses she wants is spot on.  Go ahead and buy all the dresses right from Macy's Why not.  I love it when the bride picks a color mails the bridesmaids a swatch and lets them pick out there dress in the chosen color.  It can be bit of work to find just the right color but as long as you pick something popular in the given season it shouldn't be too hard.  Good Luck. 

wow............you got some excellent advice here:)