RSS
Home
Where to shop (and what to wear) for the wedding
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
.jpg)
It’s wedding season. Don’t let the rain-soaked invitations dampen your spirits, the arrival of these elegantly designed and carefully worded pieces of cardstock mean one very important thing: it’s time to go shopping!
If you’re single, you’re probably looking for the outfit that will snag you a hubby. If you’re in a committed relationship, you’re probably looking for outfits for the two of you that says: “we’re next!” and if you’re married with young kids, you’re looking into your closet and wondering if you can still fit in the dress you wore to the last wedding you attended (probably while you were still single). Don’t do it.
Chances are, you’ll begin your shopping on the internet, and who can blame you? There are lots of great places to shop online (I've listed a few at the end of this article), and free overnight shipping is irresistible. Fortunately, Washington, DC also has plenty of brick and mortar shops for those of us who crave instant gratification. Plus you get the added benefit of trying before you buy and discovering that you can fit into an extra-small.
These days, shopping for a dress to wear to a wedding has gotten trickier as more and more bridal parties are getting outfitted at your local department stores and boutiques. Not to mention running into your “wedding twin”. On her blog, Kate Loss suggests buying a designer dress to avoid a wedding twin. According to Ms. Loss, “the higher the price of the designer dress, the less likely someone else will be wearing it.” To find a pricey designer dress, start with these brick and mortar DC stores:
Sangaree
Intermix
We One You Two
Barney’s Co-Op
Cusp
Neiman Marcus
Bloomingdales
Value is the new black
For a dress that you can get away with wearing to every wedding you attend this summer (and fall), check out these brick and mortar DC options:
Lord and Taylor’s
BCBGMAXAZRIA
Club Monaco
Macy’s
Nordstrom’s
And for dresses so reasonably priced, you'd happily risk looking like a member of the bridal party or running into your wedding twin:
Loehmann’s
Filene’s Basement
Ann Taylor
J. Crew
Zara
Express
White House/Black Market
H&M
Okay, so now that you know where to shop, here are a few rules to keep in mind:
Ascertain what color the bridesmaids are wearing [usually the color used in the invitation is a dead giveaway]. This should influence your palette – no point clashing with the focal characters in the official photos.
Go for pretty, delicate, non-slutty, unaggressive styles, and comfortable heels, as you will be on your feet all day, all night, and most likely will have to deal with grass, cobblestones, stairs, and all major heel-wearing hazards.
Play fair – it is considered very bad form to upstage the bride at her own bash. It is not fair to give the groom doubts.
From the book HOW TO WALK IN HIGH HEELS by Camilla Morton. Copyright © 2006 Camilla Morton. Used by permission of Hyperion. All rights reserved.
Want a designer dress without the designer price?
You can enter the brick and mortar store and head directly to the sales rack without removing your sunglasses, or you can go online. There are currently three (maybe more, but I only know of three) fashion outlet sites out that hosts pop-up sales on designer clothing - sales that last about 24 hours and offer discounts on designer merchandise of up to 80%. That’s right: defrost the credit cards. These sales sell out quickly. The sites require you to register for these member-only discounts. However, registration is free and worth it if you must, must splurge. They are:
Smart Bargain’s Rue La La
In-Style Magazine’s Gilt, and
Net-A-Porter’s The Outnet
Image Source: BCBG.COM
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
