Wedding season is upon us. I’m reaching that peak point in my life where friends, cousins and siblings are getting married more and more frequently, and the idea of picking out outfits for 3-4 weddings over the span of a few months is exciting and daunting all at once. Of course I love getting dressed-up for an evening out; as a young girl it’s what I dreamt of for my adult self! Dinner and dancing and laughing with friends- it’s all very romantic and idyllic. But before the wedding weekend comes the decision of “what the heck am I going to wear?” and how will my outfit make the best impression. For me, I’m a little burnt out on seeing wedding guest outfits that are lacking in true personality. The personality I’m speaking of does not have to mean some statement dress with prints and color, but something that feels true to the wearer. Something beyond the same Reformation dress with the same shoes and same little necklace (btw I do love Reformation-this is no shade to them). How does one step it up a notch and infuse their true personal style into what they wear to a weekend of wedding events? I shopped my own wardrobe to put together a few ideas that mix it up from the normal and get a little more playful with those co*cktail and semi-formal looks.
Lets begin with the classics: A Black Slip Dress
The black silk slip dress- always chic and ever so versatile. Every time I put it on I feel like a real woman. It’s perfectly slinky and slightly sexy, which is what I love about it. Now to add a little bit of my personality to it, I put on some beach seed pearls, metallic kitten heels and a vintage bag. These are accessories that are part of my style DNA; when I wear them I always feel very “me!” Since the black silk slip dress can be a blank canvas, it’s a perfect time to accessorize with the pieces you know you love. Now below I mixed-up the styling just a tad with…
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adding a silk neck scarf:
I think there is something very classic and a little whimsical in today’s world about a silk neck scarf at night. It makes me think of the era of Capote’s Swans - I hope you are all watching the series Feud, with C.Z Guest and Babe Paley and Lee Radziwill- the ladies who lunched and owned iconic wardrobes. Here though, the silk scarf is not so much “ladies who lunch” but a little more women on the dance floor with a coupe of champagne!
A neck scarf can also be a fabulous alternative to a statement necklace when wearing a strapless dress. I also guarantee you will feel 1000% more glamorous when wearing a scarf tied back like this!
Also for strapless dresses, may I introduce the little cropped jacket:
For the ceremony or after, a little personality jacket can lift your dress up a few notches. The one I’m wearing was an exciting Marc Jacobs find from a local consignment shop! But one of the cute vintage bed jackets I talked about in my newsletter about the power of the jacket would be a really fabulous option as well.
And speaking of vintage…
This purchase was an instance of “buying the dress with nowhere to wear it.” I have now worn it a few times, but I always try to play around with the styling since its so distinctive! I’m loving this slightly coquettish version with a pink ribbon as a headband. Doing something fun with a hair accessory can really help change up an outfit.
Like so…
or mixing it up with a different belt (or ribbon)
I love toile <3
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And to really shake things up, I give you some wedding outfit ideas with skirts. From last weeks read, you have hopefully caught on to the fact that I am in my “skirt era” lol.
I give you: Skirts!
I recently picked out this skirt from Ann Mashburn and it is my wardrobe’s “roman empire” - I can’t stop thinking about different ways to wear it. When worn in a formal setting, I love it with a simple black off the shoulder top and metallic shoes that play very well with the iridescent silk taffeta of the skirt. Now if you’re thinking a skirt feels more appropriate for a rehearsal dinner or welcome party I give you the below:
That red/orange with olive green is *chefs kiss* to me. I honestly think this could be really great for a beach wedding that has a semi-formal dress-code. On another note, this halter top is an homage to my childhood wardrobe a little, though this halter is styled-up from the denim shorts and Nike sneakers I probably wore with mine as a little kid, but I digress. The knit halter with the taffeta skirt has a nice bit of juxtaposition and looks really fun with a metallic heeled sandal (no sneakers here).
As for one more skirt outfit:
It’s kind of sassy isn’t it? I feel like if you are going to a wedding or rehearsal where you can count on doing some dancing, this is the outfit for you. The ruched silk skirt really is the “personality” piece here, but I do love accenting it with the metallic shoes for some extra oomf.
So for all of you planning your upcoming wedding guest outfits, take a peak at your wardrobe and play around a little. Accessories can take you a long way and skirts can be a cool way to break up all of those “wedding guest” dresses you’re tired of wearing. Wishing you luck and rhythm on the dance floor this wedding season.
Cheers xx,
Taylor
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