I can totally understand why there is so much online content at the moment about wedding guest dresses and outfits – it is quite a difficult decision you know…..
The day before yesterday my parents and I visited the pretty Somerset village of Mells. Before a tasty home-made lunch in the tea rooms and a long riverside walk, with a churches of England guidebook in hand, we went to have a look around the fifteenth century church. However, of course being a Saturday in June, naturally there was a wedding soon to take place. We still managed to have a quick look inside, but rather than the architecture, I was more interested with what the guests (all arriving in one big coach) were wearing! And oh my goodness, this lot were glamorous! They looked like they all had their own hair and make-up artist and had been loaned wedding guest dresses by top designers. And there’s us in our rain macs and walking boots making our way along the dusty rose-decorated aisle!
Anyway, a couple of months earlier I had the joy of Stephen and Kate’s wedding to attend, and I’d been so worried all their London friends would look amazing and trendy, and I’d feel dowdy and out-of-place. Well I might have done at this Mells wedding, but luckily (sorry if you’re reading this friends of Stephen and Kate!) I didn’t feel underdressed or too casual at theirs! Actually I spotted a few people wearing a similar 50’s style dress with a different pattern.
Phew – that was a long introduction to a fashion blog post! Anyway, this is the dress I wore – a floral dress in a 1950’s fit and flare shape. We didn’t have time to take blog photos of the outfit on the actual day of the wedding, so these are from our trip to Cornwall a couple of years ago. However I hope this will give you ideas for what you could wear if you have a summer wedding or special occasion coming up.
The time of year of the wedding meant that at the time it was still too cold for bare legs so I wore black tights and smart suede ankle boots. That’s the great thing about florals on a black background – the pink flowers feel bright and spring-like, but the black means you can add black tights and boots and it still look great. Very versatile!
Here I’m wearing the fifties-style dress with my pink suede Converse all-star plimsols. It’s quite a smart dress, so they help in making the outfit more casual and suitable for wondering around a National Trust property! I also feel I could start doing a jive at a moment’s notice, which is always something to consider.
The brand label says ‘Yafex’ – not something I’d heard of before, and I bought it from Amazon. Lindy Bop sell dresses with an identical pattern though. I love the overlapping criss-cross of the fabric over the bust; the fitted, but not-too-tight bodice and the flare of the skirt. It’s cotton with a little lycra for stretch; it hides all the bits I want to hide and makes me feel good. In fact, in 2016 I wrote about this being the perfect dress for confidence when I wore it to a blogging event. It’s definitely a style I’d recommend if you have a similar curvy figure to me.
Shop the look. Here are some similar 1950’s style floral dresses if you’re looking for inspiration for your perfect wedding guest outfit:
(Scroll down for link-ups)