The first official day of summer is finally upon us, which means that your weekends are all booked up with road trips, backyard BBQ’s and weddings (weddings, weddings). So when the inevitable humidity of a Saturday in July calls for you to attend a wedding, how can you make sure you’re ceremony-appropriate without suffering heat stroke? Picking out the perfect dress for the wedding shouldn’t turn you into bridezilla (especially when you’re not the bride). We’ve got the guide that will save you the sweat of deciding what to wear to Summer “I do’s”.
First and foremost, in any season you’ve got to make sure you consider the bride. Summer makes it more tough when hemlines are shorter, and colours get bolder. Certainly avoid white, and keep the amount of skin you’re going to show tasteful. Bandage dresses and micro-minis fall into under the “don’t do this” heading. Be particularly sensitive if you’re attending a religious ceremony. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with the bride to ask about the dress code if you’re really unclear.
Daytime weddings:
Light and casual fabrics are acceptable for day weddings, so say yes to lightweight fabrics like linen and cotton. Vibrant colours, and bright florals are great for daytime.
Where to find them:
Day dresses (clockwise from top left): tribal print dress $45 by Volcom, lace chiffon dress $58 by American Apparel, rust chiffon one-shoulder dress $90 at Topshop, dot printed dress $74 by Calvin Klein, climbing floral dress $64 at Warehouse UK, chevron striped dress $68 at modcloth.com, henley woven floral dress $25 at Aeropostale, floral jersey tank dress $15 at Old Navy.
Evening Weddings
Night dresses (clockwise from top left): orange one-shoulder dress $69 at Macy’s, layered-tank dress $69 at Urban Outfitters, Pink dress $80 at modcloth.com, floral one-shoulder dress $95 at ASOS, yellow satin ruched dress $154 by Elizabeth and James, black and white striped dress $50 at onestopplus.com, one shoulder chiffon dress $39 at delias, backless black dress $550 by Opening Ceremony
Although black was once a no-no for weddings, we all know that a little black dress suits any occasion. It’s best advised to keep your black dress for an evening wedding. Evening weddings (anything after 6 P.M) can also be assumed to be a little more formal, so keep that in mind when choosing the fabrication of your dress. Leave the cotton-paisley sundress in your closet. And how short is too short?
Knee length is a good guideline, and younger women can go a couple of inches above the knee with their hemlines.
