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How to wear white to someone else’s wedding

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Image credit: Unsplash

Tradition dictates that when you’re attending someone’s wedding, the worst thing you could possibly do is to wear white.  

But times, they are a-changing, and many brides are either requesting that their guests wear white to fit in with a theme (remember Kim Kardashian’s epic nuptials? Or the Royal Wedding where Pippa Middleton almost upstaged Kate?), or brides are simply opting to steer away from the conventional white in favour of bold, bright and colourful gowns.

READ MORE: 10 gorgeous brides who refused to follow the norm

But what do you do if you know the bride is going to wear white? Is there any way to flout the rules without offending the bride on her big day?

Personally, my go-to rule is to just wear a different colour (unless the bride specifically asks you to), but if you’re going to go ahead and defy common sense, here’s my advice on how to get away with wearing white in a way that will hopefully not cause offense.

1. Consider the shade of white you’re wearing.

Off-whites and shades of white that are closer to cream are safer options to consider.  It’s not a sure bet as some brides opt for champagne and ivory coloured gowns, but it sure is better than donning a bright white number.

Top tip: Glamour.com suggests that you never actually ask a bride for permission to wear white and we couldn’t agree more.  Doing so would put the bride in an awkward position (because she’ll feel obligated to say it’s fine when it’s obviously not), and you’ll look like an unmitigated ogre for having the audacity to make the wedding all about your wants and needs.

Feel #godly in this #whitejumpsuit now available in store and at www.dachboutique.com ??

A photo posted by D A C H BOUTIQUE By: Dachira (@dachboutique) on

2. Don’t wear a dress

…Unless it’s a colourful one, in which case you should go ahead and carry on being your frock-loving self. However, if you want to wear a dress that’s white, we’re going to have to put a stop to your shenanigans right now.

Nothing says I want to dethrone the bride like wearing a white dress, so if you want to avoid looking like a complete and utter dingbat (see point one), then wear anything but a dress (no, that’s also not an invitation to show up naked, by the way).

Jumpsuits are so hot right now, so if you are going to wear something a whiter shade of pale, then opt for a sexy one-piece garment like a jumpsuit.  Skirts or trousers and a top are also okayish options.

3. Bling it up

Pair your outfit with bold and chunky accessories to draw the attention away from the colour. Cosmopolitan says that it’s all about making your outfit about the accessories you’re wearing and not about the clothes you’re wearing, so the more accessories you pile on, the better.

Go bold. Go colourful. But mostly, go big. People will be so busy staring at your fabulously bejewelled self, they’ll forget you’re actually wearing white.

4. Consider your fabric choices

Refinery29 suggests avoiding anything that looks like wedding material. That would include: tulle, lace, satin, silk or chiffon. Yes we know that the silky satin slip dress material and style is so hot right now, but wearing that in white?

You might as well be begging for exile.  

In conclusion, you can wear white if you exercise caution. But why would you?

To echo Refinery29’s final thought on deciding whether or not to wear white to a wedding is to ask yourself this: “Don’t I have anything else to wear?”

Spoiler alert: the answer to that is usually yes.

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