The honor of your presence is requested: What to wear to a wedding

Susan Wagner — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:44:08 -0500

There are a few life events that seem to be consistently hard to dress for: job interviews, first dates, funerals, reunions of any sort. And of course, other people's weddings.

When you are the bride, the fashion choice is fairly simple (seriously; you either do the white dress or you do something else, and I've never met a bride who didn't have an Opinion about what she wanted to wear). When you're a guest, however, the field is wide open, and while there are some basic rules to abide by, the actual What to Wear can be tough.

Carrie is wrestling with this right now.

My friend is getting married in November. November in Arizona is a tad bit unpredictable...It can be pleasant or still on the hot side. What does a 28 year old woman wear that looks cute, sassy and not too slutty?? I have a large chest, so spaghetti straps, strapless and deep V's aren't really an option for me. Especially since I overdose on wearing camis under everything during the week...Oh. And I'm a student, so it has to be affordable (and preferably something that is multi-functional so that I can actually wear it again)

Carrie's best bet is to look for a dress, rather than separates. A dress is just so easy; she can dress it up for the wedding and dress it down for work or a date later. It's ONE thing to pack when she's traveling, and ONE thing to put on when she's getting dressed. Additionally, dresses feel festive and sexy and grown up, which are things we don't always get to be in our everyday lives.

This wool trapunto knit dress, Banana Republic, is a terrific option because it is both simple and elegant. Carrie could wear it with pumps and pearls for the wedding, and then to work with a cardigan and a turtleneck, or with flats and a great jacket. The wide neckline will accommodate her cleavage without revealing too much while the clearly defined waist will accentuate her hourglass shape. Available in black and red, for $138.00.

At 28, Carrie is young and hip; this polka dot velvet dress, from Anthropologie is just the ticket for a festive wedding, with it's wide yellow sash and flirty hemline. Again, she could wear it again with flats or a cardigan for everyday, or for the holidays. Available in sizes 0 - 14, for $188.00.

Not everyone likes black for weddings (although I promise you, it's perfectly acceptable these days -- just ask the style mavens at Omiru). Instead, Carrie could opt for a navy blue floral dress, like this one from Garnet Hill. The simple line of the dress makes it incredibly flexible, while the pattern and beautiful silk fabric make it more special than the ordinary day dress. But that shouldn't stop Carrie from wearing it during the workday; again, a cardigan or jean jacket and a pair of pretty sandals make it entirely appropriate for dinner out or a day at the office.

Finally, Carrie -- and the rest of you -- should keep this in mind: it always seems painful and frivolous to drop money on a dress for someone else's wedding, because it's not practical or useful. But having a really terrific dress in your closet -- either a traditional Little Black Dress or some variant on it -- makes getting dressed for functions so much easier. And if you choose the right dress, one that is well made and fits you properly and and isn't too too over-the-top dressy, you really CAN wear it for more than just that one night. Take the plunge and get one really terrific dress; I promise you will get your money's worth out of it.

(Psst: The Cheap Chica found a terific LBD for TEN DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS. Shhh, don't tell!)

Susan Wagner writes about fashion at Friday Style and The Working Closet, and about everything else at Friday Playdate. She owns three Little Black Dresses, and wears them for everything from black tie functions to car pool at her kids' school. Seriously.

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The honor of your presence is requested: What to wear to a wedding