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Eyes on the Bride Attendees can learn a lot about a wedding’s dress code by picking up on all the obvious clues 
When you’re hanging out with your buddies, patch-free jeans may be your idea of polished attire. But when you’re invited to a wedding the dress code changes – even among friends – and you may wonder what to wear. Making the appropriate choice is difficult because fashion lines are blurred, says Julie Sabatino, a New York wedding fashion expert. “People can get confused. Pants can be dressy and look formal,” says Sabatino. Ideally your to-be-wed host will give you a clue. Otherwise the invitation will provide signals. And you can also rely on general guidelines so you’ll fit in with any wedding style. First, says Sabatino, consider the time of year. You can often dress less formally for an outdoor summer wedding than an indoor winter one. Second, take the location into account. A wedding in a place of worship may impose some fashion restrictions. “If the church has specific requirements the bride should tell the guests,” says Sabatino, operator of TheStylishBride.com. For example, you may not be welcome in an outfit that has bare arms and should cover up with a wrap, or you may be encouraged to wear a hat. Otherwise use common sense and avoid garb you’d wear to a nightclub, says Sabatino. If you have to choose an outfit based on terms in the invitation, here’s what you should know: Informal: Though not often used, informal might be nice khaki pants, tie, button-down shirt and blazer for men, and a short dress or attractive sundress, weather and location permitting, for women, Sabatino says. Semiformal daytime: short dress for women; suit for men. Semiformal evening: a nice dress for women; dark suit for men. “It’s not like black tie. You don’t want to pull out the sequins,” says Sabatino. Formal daytime: dresses or suits for women; dark suit and tie for men. You may find that the wedding ceremony is in the afternoon but the event stretches into an evening reception. Dress for the reception, says Sabatino. “Bring a sweater to the church, or change on the way to the dinner. I see that for black-tie events,” she says. Formal evening: long dresses or cocktail dresses for women. Tuxedo if the invitation specifies “black tie.” Otherwise dark suits are acceptable. And getting back to the pants-for-women question: If you want to wear pants to a formal wedding, make sure the pants are as elegant as the dress you’d otherwise wear. Choose a fine fabric, such as silk, and match with a dazzling top and a formal jacket. Know your colors: That long-standing taboo against women wearing black has been lifted. And, you won’t be labeled a “hussy” if you sport a red dress. Skip white because it distracts from the bride. |
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