Dressing for the Occasion.

When you are part of the Wedding Entourage, there is no need to ever figure out what to wear since the Bride has this all worked out for you as part of her, well...Entourage lol.  While we've all had our chances of being part of a bridal party at one point or another, whether as a flower girl, bridesmaid or even a Maid of Honour--it isn't always going to be the case..

Everyone makes a point to dress well for a wedding of course, since most weddings require either a suit or a dress or some culturally-specific attire.  Most weddings are either semi-formal or black-tie events--as would be stated in your invitation to prevent anyone from arriving in jeans and a t-shirt to a semi-formal dress shirt and tie event and stand out like a sheep among wolves.

photo courtesy of: http://agirlgottaeat.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/1280x1024-satc-1.jpg

So you have RSVP'd to a wedding and it's coming up soon...what to wear?  I thought I'd share a few of my lessons over the years of going to weddings...

First thing's first, always take stock in what you have in your closet! 
Closet shopping is the cheapest way to find an attire for a special occassion.  You never know what hidden gems you may have in your closet!  I have often bought pieces of clothing that I put away for an occasion such as weddings and christmas parties, but may forget if not worn within two months of buying.  It is always your cheapest bet and the best bet if time is off the essence!

Closet not providing a quick attire solution? If you have no idea what you'd like to wear for a wedding but your closet is no help, check out a few mags.  I've always thouight that magazines are a great source of ideas into what you may want to look for at a store.  This technique also works for the brides--often they are asked what specifically they see themselves in in order to narrow down the choices.  I've watched enough episodes of 'Say Yes to the dress' to know that a sales consultant hates a bride that wants to try on the whole store!  Focus is the key.  Going to the mall with an idea prevents over-spending, wasting your time and effort and even makes it easier to navigate through the racks.

Figure out your body shape! This is an all too common mistake, trying to fit into a size too small, excusing a big dress too big to hide flaws.  Always try to dress for your body shape to flatter your best assets!  Don't let the dress wear you, wear the dress meant for your shape!  A great example of a woman that knows her curves and best assets is Kim Kardashian.  She recently went to one of her besties' wedding wearing a body hugging Herve Leger  strapless dress which suited her curves beautifully and she shows off her decouletage and silouhette well.  It doesn't have to show off alot of skin to make you look at your best--but it does have to fit.

Bringing a date? It's cute that most couples like to match, but it seems so matchy....(and abit tacky! lol).  I myself have fallen under that trap with my own significant other at special occasions, matching what he's wearing and vice versa.  If possible, don't match--just compliment your colour tones.  There is nothing wrong with matching, but it would look quite ridiculous to be thought of as twins!

Comfort--I cannot stress this enough people! No matter how pretty you may want to look, there is no substitution for comfort! Do not sacrifice your comfort level for looking pretty, you'll just end up regretting it! lol.  Here's an example: I once went to christmas party with a skin-tight dress that provided little room for anything else--um say like food perhaps!? lol..I barely finished what I took from the buffet table, not from being full, but from not having any more room in my dress! what a shame! haha.  Also, there's going to be an abundant amount of dancing and eating, wouldn't it be wise to try and be as comfortable as you can? I get that with heels, it's a hard task..lol learn to balance!  (All else fails: bring flipflops in your purse! lol)

LDB Alternative:  Okay, so everyone tends to gravitate to the Little Black dress usually since it's always slimming, always fitting for any special event and it's one of those 'when all else fails' kind of deal where it looks good on virtually everyone...I get the allure, but why dress in black in the hottest season of the year?  Take advantage of the season! There are lots of colourful dresses to choose from, why settle on black? Unless its a funeral(literally), you have more creative room during summer on the range of colours to choose from!  Try prints, brighter colours like fire-engine red or electric blue, even pastels and neutrals that will make you look crisp and fresh for the season!

One last thing....Try to have fun!

If you're like me that loves to get all dolled up for special occasions, there is no better time to!