If your legs are your best asset, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t wear a thigh-skimming mini dress to a wedding (anyone who objects has no place in a reasonably evolved society – just because it’s a wedding doesn’t mean you have to come dressed in Amish attire). However, if you’re uncomfortable with showing off anything above the knee, then a midi dress – still the length du jour – is a great option. There are so many styles out there – we love this divine Erdem dress, which we’d wear with a pair of flats for added insouciance. But try Rejina Pyo for pretty sleeveless options, or Rosetta Getty, whose dresses have become a byword in simple elegance. Rixo London and Self-Portrait offer desirable , flattering styles at contemporary price points. To ensure that no one comes wearing the same dress as you turn to Ukrainian label Flow, known for ruffled, romantic looks.
Printed floral dress, Erdem at Matches Fashion
Want to update your go-to wedding guest look? Throw on a jacket in a sherbet shade, whether pink, lemon or baby blue. Not only are ice cream hues a trend this season, but they also prevent the suit jacket from looking like workwear. It’s a wedding after all, you want your outfit to feel celebratory. Wearing a trouser suit in a candy colour feels very zeitgeisty, but otherwise invest in just the jacket which you can wear with jeans and white trainers beyond wedding season. Racil is best in show when it comes to summer-ready tailoring, although Gucci does some strong options too, as does Victoria Beckham. On the high street, Mango’s baby blue blazer is a safe bet.
Double breasted blazer, Racil at Matches Fashion
Remember the hair clips you used to wear at school? Well, they’re back having undergone a luxury makeover at JW Anderson, Versace and Simone Rocha. It was Rocha’s bejewelled version that really caught our eye at the spring/summer 2018 shows (and also seen on Alexa Chung), but if you can find any of the brand’s mostly sold-out pearl hair slides, then snap them up fast. Try a half-up-half-down style with one of Charlotte Chesnais’ classic gold clips – a popular choice among fashion circles. Accessorize does budget-friendly versions, but just make sure you stack them – two at a time are the modern way to wear them.
Black flower barrette, Simone Rocha at SSense
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Forget about the clutch; this season it’s all about the satin pouch, made popular by brand of the moment Attico. Pleasingly, it fits more inside than your standard clutch and it doesn’t matter if it looks a little bulky – good news for anyone who has ever spent time trying to fit a purse, phone and lipstick into a punishingly small bag. Last season’s basket bags are still big news – just make sure you choose a more decorative style (Prada’s are good), so that you don’t look as if you’ve mistaken a wedding for the beach.
Embellished satin pouch, Attico at Net-a-Porter
Sequins are not just for party season – for spring/summer 2018, brands from Halpern and Mary Katrantzou to Gucci and Marc Jacobs showed us how to wear shimmering styles as daywear. Team a sequinned vest with a pair of wide-leg pastel trousers, a sparkling pencil skirt with an oversized shirt and disco mules or a metallic dress with an oversized jacket. & Other Stories offers a sequinned pencil skirt in lilac (a key colour this season), which we’d pair with block heels and a white silk vest.
Sequin skirt, Mary Katrantzou at MyTheresa
Sure, your favourite party heels might feel like just the ticket when you’re standing in front of the mirror the morning of the wedding, but you will want something comfortable to wear when the dancing begins later on in the evening. Wincing your way onto the dance floor is not a chic look. Instead, consider a pair of low heels; jewelled tones offer a sense of occasion but frankly we’d take a pair of Malone Soullier’s double-bow kitten heels in any colour going. Manolo Blahnik and Dior both serve styles so desirable you’ll want to spend half your paycheque on them, while Sezane’s pompom tan sandalswill serve you well at weddings and beyond.
Bow mules, Malone Souilliers at Matches Fashion
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There’s no one who doesn’t look good in a wrap dress and it’s a style that also delivers in terms of versatility. Dress it up with a pair of mules or block heels, and consider espadrilles in the summer months. We like Rouje for its effortless French girl femininity; Zimmermann for its romantic bohemia and Suncoo for its flirty mini styles, the latter of which can be dressed up with a blazer.
Wrap dress, Rouje
Of all the jewellery trends that are big this year, statement earrings are the easiest to wear and the most likely to attract compliments. The more decorative the better, but just to be sure to keep other accessories low-key and your hair fuss-free – a blow-dry will make you look overdone. Whether Balenciaga’s epic clip-ons or Simone Rocha’s crystal bow earrings, they really are the quickest way to make an old look feel new and instantly dressed up. Forget about work-appropriate studs – think huge hoops, vibrant beads, fringing and crystal numbers.
Rhinestone earrings, Uterque
Trouser legs have been growing increasingly roomy over the past few seasons, which is great news as they’re extremely flattering. Choose a style cut high at the waist and preferably that comes to your calf so you can show off your shoes. Tuck in a silk vest or a sequinned cami and you’ve a wedding outfit that’s both stylish and appropriate. Black will obviously work harder for you, but a pastel shade is less harsh during the summer months.
Belted trousers, Zara
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It used to be that the only footwear dressy enough to wear to weddings were high heels, which created all sorts of issues in terms of comfort and mobility. This is thankfully no longer the case, with both the luxury market and high street favouring a decorative or glamorous flat. Relatively new label Aeyde has become popular with editors and influencers; its mix of chic flats and low heels are both practical and aesthetically pleasing options for rushing around in. The brand’s wrap-around ballet flats, which come in black and pink, will add a feminine edge to any ensemble – and they’ll look just as good with jeans the next day.
Ballerina flats, Aeyde
This article originally appeared on Harper’s Bazaar UK.