Fashion Rules to Follow When Dressing for a Wedding (as a Guest)

Fashion Rules to Follow When Dressing for a Wedding (as a Guest)

Have you received an invitation to a friend or family member's wedding? Unfortunately, many guests make the mistake of either dressing too casual or too formal. If you are a member of either the wedding party, then there's nothing wrong with dressing formal. In fact, you'll probably be asked to wear a certain type of tuxedo or suit. But if you're not part of the wedding party, you'll need to strike a delicate balance between casual and formal to present yourself in the best possible manner.

Leave Your Formal Suit at Home

There's nothing wrong with wearing a suit to a wedding, but as stated above, you need to create a semi-formal (not formal) appearance with your outfit. A traditional black-tie suit may create the appearance of being overdressed, which is something you want to avoid when attending a wedding as a guest. The attention should be focused on the bride and groom and not on the guests. You can still wear a suit; just make sure it's casual enough to fall in line with traditional attire for wedding guests.

Coat or No Coat?

A simple way to make your suit less formal and more casual is to ditch the coat. Sports coats and suit jackets are great for creating a formal appearance, as they bring the outfit together using cohesive colors and/or patterns. As a wedding guest, though, your outfit may look better and more appropriate without the coat. I recommend trying on your suit with the jacket and without the jacket in the mirror. As long as it matches without the jacket, leave it at home.

Brown vs Black

Can't seem to choose between brown or black for your outfit? Going back to fashion 101, black is a more formal color that looks better with formal suits. With this information in hand, it's safe to assume that brown is the better choice for wedding guests' attire. You don't have to necessarily wear a brown shirt with brown pants (not a good idea, by the way), but instead consider wearing a light blue button-up shirt with a brown tie, brown belt, and brown oxfords. This is a simple, classic look that's sure to impress. And best of all, it's the perfect balance between formal and casual, which is exactly what you should be trying to accomplish with your outfit.