Posted on April 16th, 2010 by Stefania
What shall I wear for the wedding? Long or short dress? What colour?
I’m not quite sure about you, but when I receive an invitation for a wedding it is always the same dilema! Expecially if I am going to a wedding abroad where culture and traditions are different from the Italian ones!
For this reason I would like to give my piece of advice to the girls who will be attending an Italian wedding. I am not an expert and these tips are not absolute – it is just something I know from my own experience, from what my mum and granny told me since I was a little girl.
1. LONG DRESSES OR SHORT DRESS. I would say Italian weddings do not generally require long dresses. Italian female guests are usually quite elegant – you know Italians are famous for being fashion addicted! – but a long dress is not needed unless you want to wear it.
2. HATS. Hats are seldom used, expecially during evening weddings. So if you are considering to wear an English style hat it could be quite unusual for Italians – you will be able to tell by the odd looks you get from them!
3. COLOURS. I would avoid black or white colours. Actually, I wore a black short dress twice – but I broke the etiquette only once since it was the same dress! – just because I really felt in love with that dress and I was pretty sure I would feel confortable with it. In addition, I would also say to check the bride’s dress colour (you can not take for granted it would be white or ivory), so you will avoid to turn up with the same one!
4. BE YOURSELF. If you don’t know the spouses very well and you have no chance to get in touch with one of the bride’s friends I would go for something you feel confortable with: if you have found a long dress which suits you I would go for that, but if you better like a short dress you can go for a simple one. You can always go for a nice hairstyle which could give an elegant touch to your look. Also, if you choose a simple dress you can play with accessories (like necklaces, bracelets and earings). I would say try to be yourself, it seems obvious but it is something we often forget. The worse thing is to go to a party and feel uncomfortable because of what you chose to put on!
Photo courtesy of Andrea Zaros
Hello girls, nice to read this post about dresses for guests. For my last wedding in Italy I went for a medium-lenght dress, a bit tight on my shape, harmless, round neck; a thin belt closing your waist in the same colour of shoes and small pochette-bag. If it’s spring I would recommend a short jumper and a sand-coloured trench-coat. Please consider that shoes are VERY IMPORTANT! (I am living in Rimini, so I’ve an idea of that ;-P) High helled open sandalos are a MUST, look at these: http://cdn2.yoox.biz/yoox80/layout/item/s1.gif
For dress, accessories and more, have a look http://www.yoox.com
I think long or short it does not matter. During evening ceremonies it is preferable to have an elegant dress in a dark tone (but not black!). Avoid floral patterns or light colors, because they are mainly used for day-wedding. My suggestion is to choose a dress that help you to feel elegant, but also comfortable. Have fun, and don’t mind too much about the dress code!