Colour of dress for wedding

slowmoe

Hi all, i'm going to a wedding this week as a plus one, i don't really want to buy a new dress for it so was going through dresses i already have that are daytime/evening/dressy/ not revealing as in wedding appropriate. Another girl who is going asked me what i was wearing, i said a black dress and she nearly died, said its rude to wear lack to a wedding, then i said red, she said i'd look like the scarlet woman, then the only option i have is cream or white and i know thats a no go!!!

Its a country wedding btw.

So the ideal dresses i have are red or black, or white/cream. Or i can look for something cheap i guess but can anyone let me know what colours are unnacceptable and weddings? Or styles/mixes etc

lainey316

Red is an issue? That's a new one on me. Red is fine!

Black is generally seen as fine but I personally am not into it at weddings. At a country wedding with a high pass remarkable old biddy quotient I'd probably avoid. White/cream is a definite no-no.

But red? Red should be absolutely fine as long as your frontage isn't hanging out (that applies to every colour really)

kizzyf

go with the red. Post a pic. I've worn black before but always with bright accessories.

slowmoe

Yes apparently red will signal i am a whore.

I really don't want to stand out for any reason at this, i have to go with oh as its important to him and will be a lot of his family and friends. So i just want to find something to blend in perfectly and not be the whore of the day or seen as upstaging the bride. Unfortunately this crowd would be quick to pass remarks and whatever remarks i get will be the reputation i will have for as long as i'm with my oh.

So i'm told nothing too short/tight/revealing/strapless/low cut/suggestive/white/cream/black/red


Arrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh

I bite have to just bite the bullet and buy a dress but i don't have lots of money at the min and as i'm not looking forward to it i really don't want to buy a dress for it. I have a tan dress that style wise is nice but might look cream under lighting. I have two or three races dresses but could be seen as too dressy for a wedding-possible upstaging alert i'm told

lainey316

This is very odd. What does yer wan want you to wear to teh wedding, a pastel dress suit? I'm pretty sure the scarlet woman nonsense went out decades ago. And equally I'm sure your races dresses would be fine, I mean the bride's going to be in a massively expensive (white aline strapless :rolleyes:) dress if you don't go for the big hat with it it should be fine.

What is the rulesmaker wearing herself?

slowmoe

I said my oh's sister and she said the same. "newcomers shouldn't wear red or it will get them a reputation"

I sort of feel like i'm entering a cult, but its just an extremely rural wedding.

The other girl has gotten some dress from coast, i think its coral and she spent 250 euro on it. She said they always get new dresses because they get so few nights out where there can dress up so its part and parcel of an event is to get a new SUITABLE and fashionable dress.

lainey316

If you can get to Kildare Village Coast had a number of dresses for €33.50 and €55 yesterday, including in this very respectable shape but in a few different colours (though some were black&white which is presumably a non-runner) -
http://www.coast-stores.com/CASTAWAY-COTTON-SHIFT/Dresses/coast/fcp-product/2224725909

there's a fab one in purple embroidered satin that would work perfectly I think but is over €100 (like this, I have it in green, my friend has it in a different purple I think http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/COAST-Arlena-elegant-floral-shift-satin-dress-size-10-/300539689188) and as it's outlet rather than new you should be ok to not have the same as someone else.

It does sound like a cult. I'm guessing it's in the midlands somewhere. Best of luck, OP. Sounds like you need it!

ETA - even calling you a newcomer sounds odd! And I'm not from the city.

Penny Dreadful

OP I am from the country and have been to many wedddings of my friends and cousins and have worn both red and black to them and not an eyelid was batted.
Provided you don't wear cream or white you're doing just fine.

E.T.

slowmoe wrote: »

I said my oh's sister and she said the same. "newcomers shouldn't wear red or it will get them a reputation"

I sort of feel like i'm entering a cult, but its just an extremely rural wedding.

The other girl has gotten some dress from coast, i think its coral and she spent 250 euro on it. She said they always get new dresses because they get so few nights out where there can dress up so its part and parcel of an event is to get a new SUITABLE and fashionable dress.

Sweet jesus, that's like something from Father Ted! Maybe you should ask if a burqa would be appropriate coverage? I've been looking for a red dress for weddings for years without finding the perfect one - when I do, it'll probably be worn to as many weddings as possible!

Quiet_thought

:eek::eek::eek:
I'm really shocked by her "rules".
As far as I'm concerned the bride and groom invited your OH with a plus 1, so you're not an outsider, you've been invited just like everyone else.
A black dress with bright accessories can look lovely, and as far as a red dress making you look like a scarlet woman.... ridiculous. I'm from "down the country", and I've never heard anything like that.
Everyone will be oohing and ahhing over the bride not scanning the crowd for red dresses. If you don't want to spend money on a new dress then don't. Wear your dress and don't mind miss coral!

Pandoras Twist

Some families are just weird. If its the OH's sister saying it and it will be the OH's family then maybe dont take the chance. I think it sounds ridiculous but maybe they really are that small minded.

Firstly I would try asking your friends for the lend of a dress. I'm sure you should be able to sort something nice that way without having to shell out money at all.

Other than that try Kildare village, possibly search for coast/monsoon/karen millen dresses on ebay or there is a place in the powerscourt centre (in dublin) where you can rent designer dresses for a few days. http://www.covet.ie/

mood

Penny Dreadful wrote: »

OP I am from the country and have been to many wedddings of my friends and cousins and have worn both red and black to them and not an eyelid was batted.
Provided you don't wear cream or white you're doing just fine.

Same here. Very odd comments regarding red!

Can you post pics of the dress and the race dresses or similar dresses?

Calluna

OMG I must tick every wrong box so!
Red is my favourite colour in the world, so I wear it at every opportunity (I would almost go so far as to say an addiction!). I've worn black to many weddings too, although most were winter weddings or I was pregnant and just wanted to not appear enormous
The only rule I ever thought of was to not wear white or cream...and even the upstaging the bride thing...I think nothing bar white/cream would upstage a bride. If you can't wear a massive hat to a wedding, when can you wear it?!
...or have I been getting it completely wrong at the 5+ weddings per year (don't get me started...have 4 weddings/afters in next 4 weeks...and none of them are in London and I'm wearing red to 3 of those!)

Most weddings I attend are rural ones. I never thought there was an issue with colour, or being 'too' dressed up. I know you want to blend in, but often the people who knock various dress options are either jealous or don't have the confidence to pull off anything other than the 'standard'. Equally I 'get' that you don't want to stand out too much in this instance.

Generally I'd call something inappropriate/questionable if it shows off too much skin - if you don't go too short or your boobs aren't hanging out and you don't have a combination of both and maybe don't go backless either - you are safe enough. Similarly, nothing too 'sparkly' or jewelly, which might have an upstaging possibility. But if your 'races' dresses are just colourful pretty dresses - go with one of them.

To buy a dress you are definitely talking €200 if you just walk into somewhere (non outlet). I have managed to get cheaper tailored dresses in e.g. Wallis for less than €100 but might need to accessorise them up a bit more. Not sure if someone would be offended if they thought I bought a dress in Wallis/Dunnes though.... but usually for me it's about how well the person looks stylewise - it wouldn't bother me if they bought it in Pennys if it looks good.


......or maybe I'm just...the Scarlet Woman!