The wedding is in the US South in July, in the afternoon. It’s being held at a Catholic church and from the look of the bride&groom’s wedding website, it’s going to be a fairly upscale affair. (Not super-fancy, but on the formal side.) I am going to be one of the people giving a reading, so my clothing will be visible to the congregation.
I already have a dress I was planning to wear, but it’s a little small and I fear I won’t lose enough weight before the wedding to feel comfortable in it. I’m also not really a dress person. So I’m thinking of a backup outfit to assemble, in case I don’t want to go with the dress. I’ve already spent a bit of money on the airplane ticket and gift (and that dress), and will be staying in a hotel for 3 nights, so I’d really rather not have to buy anything more for this wedding if I can help it.
Today I’m wearing an outfit to work that I really like, and I’m wondering if this could be appropriate wedding guest wear:
It involves:
[ul]
[li]A blouse similar to this one – navy silk, long-sleeved but very airy and lightweight, sheer but with a camisole underneath, thigh-length[/li][li]Pants similar in color and shape to these, but the material is a linen blend in a silk shantung texture[/li][li]These shoes in brown[/li][/ul]
I would dress it up with long earrings.
Is this appropriate for the occasion, do you think? I really like the blouse (it’s actually got a neat circular pattern woven into the silk, and it’s very Art Deco-looking), so if you don’t think pants are formal enough, I could try to find a knee-length skirt to wear with it.
I have to admit that a flowing, tunic-like blouse looks a bit informal. Might be fine, but you have described the wedding as an upscale affair and this outfit looks a tad informal and <ahem> 60’s hippy-like.
I’m pretty old-school… so to me pants are not dressy enough for a wedding, especially beige pants. I also would not wear black. Not to be a total PITA, but the shoes don’t seem dressy enough to me either. You said it’s kind of upscale… AND you’re doing a reading, so you’ll be pretty visible. I’m guessing you have a gut feeling you might not be completely comfortable (appearance-wise, that is) in this outfit, and that’s why you’re asking.
Can you say what state the wedding is in- “US South” is a pretty big area. Also is it in a big city? What’s okay in New Orleans might not be okay in Atlanta or Dallas. Austin is one thing, Raleigh-Durham, NC, is something else.
Hmm, I’m not really hip to women’s fashion, but wearing pants to an ‘upscale’ wedding? Won’t the women there be in dresses or skirts? Especially if it’s hot (which it will be in July in the South).
You’re exactly right. And the wedding will be in Louisville.
I’m not sure about pants to a wedding either, and I think the colors are too muted. (The dress I bought is a pretty sage green, and I could pair it with accessories of a good variety of colors.) The shoes are iffy, too. And here, some of y’all are saying no to the pants but yes to the blouse, and then others are saying the opposite…so much iffyness! Thanks for the advice, though, everyone – I will take it all to heart.
The bride and groom are friends of mine, and when we lived together about five years back, we were all really hippy-ish counter-cultural 20-somethings, so I have a gut feeling that if I showed up in the outfit I posted above, they wouldn’t be horrified or anything, but I really do want to make an effort to dress nicely, since it looks like they’re making an effort to have a well-put-together wedding.
My other issue is that I have a skin condition on my arms and am very self-conscious of it, way too self-conscious to wear a sleeveless dress (which isn’t really appropriate in a Catholic church anyway, if you ask me – I may be a former Catholic, but old standards die hard :)). That limits my options…and then factor in the July heat, and there are very few things I can find to wear. It’s really hard to find short-sleeved dresses that are even slightly formal, long-sleeved would be too hot and out of season; I could wear a sleeveless dress with a light jacket or wrap over it, but that might also be too hot… That’s why I’m really loving this blouse – it covers my arms but is light enough to wear in the heat. Maybe I could belt it with a brightly-colored belt and find a nice skirt…
It does seem too informal to me too, I’m afraid, for the kind of wedding you describe.
If you’re confident about the dress being appropriate, but not about it fitting, would it be possible to get it altered? That’d cost less than the new outfit.
If the wedding is going to be inside of a Catholic church, you may be more in luck with the sleeves than you think.
Most churches and church weddings I’ve attended in summertime (I live in SC) nearly *require *long sleeves because the thermostat is set so bloody low.
Get in touch with the bride or one of her female relatives/other friends and ask if they’ve been at a service at the church in question, and if they could tell you how cool the room was kept. I’m laying fairly decent odds that it will be cool enough that a long-sleeved blouse will be just fine.
What I have seen more than a few times are women wearing a fairly plain but nice skirt and dressy shoes and a long-sleeved very fancy or elaborate blouse for the service, and then for the reception (which is usually at a restaurant or outside or some place much warmer) they’ve magically shifted into a more breezy sleeveless or short-sleeved top.
I do have to say that I think wearing pants at a mostly-formal southern Catholic wedding is right out. I’m extremely casual in my dressing habits, but I wouldn’t ever try that. I’d get burn marks from the glares from the mothers and the elderly ladies in residence.
Too informal, but if you could find a skirt that complements the (gorgeous) blouse, I think it would work. Pants only work for a wedding if part of a very dressy suit, IMO.
(you’re worried about going sleeveless in church when 99% of brides wear those horrible strapless gowns? that the priests despise but can’t do anything about?)…Just wanted to add that yeah, that outfit is a bit informal, but I LOVE it, and the shoes, for non-church. You have a bit of time to find something else to wear, good luck!
I’m neither female nor gay, but I did spend eight months unemployed with nothing to do except watch What Not To Wear.
For a formal wedding, I would recommend against pants. I doubt you’d be thrown out (especially if you’re doing a reading), but you might feel out of place with every other woman in a dress or skirt.
If it’s an afternoon wedding in July, I’d suggest a light floral print dress.
And the wedding will be in Louisville.
