Fashion Trends And Faux Pas Of Wedding Style

Image: Neil Hall/Reuters

With our news feeds flooded with Royal Wedding pics this week, it seemed timely to write about wedding style. I tapped one stylish newlywed from the Directory team for her insider tips on what brides are always hoping for from their guests but don’t always say.

Summertime always comes with a heavy social calendar. In between weekend city break getaways and festival season is a healthy pile of wedding invitations. Here is an easy guide on how to be the guest everyone talks about without upstaging the bride, committing crimes of fashion and avoiding all fallouts.

Personal style goes a long way. More often than not, people get married with the intention of ‘til death do us part’ in mind. In the era of social media and selfies where memories can last a lot longer than marriages, channel the popular quote “Be yourself, everyone else is taken”. There is no need to look like a cupcake or a leftover bouquet from the Chelsea flower show. This lace wrap maxi dress from & Other Stories is perfect for the bohemian BFF every bride has in her friends' circle. Every bride also has that friend who ‘only wears black’. No longer relegated to funerals and memorials, this tulle dress from Dolce & Gabbana will ensure you please the bride and yourself.

Image credits: (left) via & Other Stories, (right) via Dolce and Gabbana

Image credit: Benjamin and Elise

Rajni Chovhan pictured above, Operations Manager at Directory had her wedding featured in a New Zealand Weddings magazine. Her Auckland, NZ wedding story featured how to mix traditional and modern styles in a wedding that feels both timeless, classic and contemporary. Since her wedding, she’s also been a guest at many weddings. Her go-to style as a wedding guest always leans towards opting for classic cuts that are flattering on the figure, using fun prints or fabrics in a vibrant colour. Rajni feels it’s important to be able to look back at photos and have them feel timeless, yet still have your personality shine through. Her choice to achieve this mix is the silk organza midi dress with subtle floral print by Alexander McQueen. For Rajni, it ticks all the boxes for a summer wedding. The draping of the fabric draws the waist in and shows just enough skin to raise just the right amount of eyebrows.

Image: via Neiman Marcus

Her guest do's and dont's include:

Wear the right undergarments for your outfit. There’s nothing worse than a beautiful dress with bra straps sticking out or VPL. If you think your outfit may be see-through in the sun, wear a slip underneath to avoid embarrassment.
Dress for the season and venue. If you know your going to be outdoors on the grass, avoid stilettos which will get stuck and opt for a pretty flat sandal instead.
Do respect cultural traditions. There is a time and place to be rebellious, a wedding isn’t one of them. What can be a phase for you is forever for the bride and groom.

DONT

Wear anything that is too short! No matter how great you look in it, it will always be inappropriate for a wedding.
Guys, though you may be able to get away with a cool sneaker for a relaxed, stylish low key wedding (think Gucci Ace leather sneakers), please avoid wearing running shoes. I’ve seen it, and it ain’t pretty. Avoid at all costs, even if you’re loving the current Balenciaga 80’s dad style trend.

Image credit: Benjamin and Elise

by wearing white. This colour is still strictly reserved for the bride. Venture into this territory and don’t be surprised if you find yourself tearing off a piece of your hemline waving it from being reseated in no man’s land, in an attempt to surrender your fashion faux pas.
Leave the matchy-matchy look to the mother of the bride. With fashion’s flexibility and new rules, summer weddings are all about fun! This is the perfect opportunity to show off your power clashing skills. If this is new territory for you, just look to Manrepeller founder, and power clashing Queen, Leandra Medine-Cohen for inspiration.

Leandra Medine-Cohen of Manrepeller - Image via Pinterest

Keep it classy. Weddings are often two worlds colliding. Where friends and family often meet for the first time in many cases. As the world becomes smaller and mixed race, gender and cultural marriages are no longer the taboo they were, it’s always best to respect the occasion. Leave your Kardashian obsession for festival season and always wear a top. No blazer and boobs only tuxedos for guys or girls. Another popular trend is underwear as outerwear. As much as it’s a look, unless you’re invited on a group honeymoon, keep all teddies and negligees for the private after party.
Have fun with accessories! With multiple wedding invites, dressing for success could mean compromising your bank account. With sustainability, a hot-button topic in the fashion industry, an encore presentation for a dress is no longer a faux pas. In fact, it can get you street cred for not being a slave to fashion. A great way to mix up looks is by using accessories to change a look. A fun handbag, statement necklace, vintage earrings, and in England … a hat are excellent ice-breakers. If you need some up-cycling inspiration, check out Kate Middleton, who wore her Alexander McQueen outfit to at least two other occasions, the Trooping Of The Colour in 2016 and her daughters' christening. If an encore presentation is okay for the future Queen of England, it’s okay for you!

Photo: Getty Images

Romancing the stone. It’s no secret weddings are where a lot of single guests are hopeful for their happily ever after hook up. Much like a job interview, the best course of action here is to dress for the job you want, not the one you have. So if you’re looking to add a plus one, move into the role of fiancé or wife, a wedding is the perfect time to inspire potential suitors to see you in a way they haven’t before. If you’re the tried and true tomboy in ripped jeans, Converse high tops and a white tee, unleash your inner romantic. These styles are sure to turn heads, inspire some twirling on the dance floor and win over some suitors.

Image credit from left: Tibi via Moda Operandi, Whistles via Whistles, Carolina Herrera via Moda Operandi

Whatever your personal style, weddings are happy occasions and a chance to celebrate. While choosing what to wear for someone else’s big day can feel stressful, at the end of the day, the day belongs to the bride. The best outfits are the ones worn by good friends and family who show up with open hearts filled with joy for the happy couple!