WHEN it comes to choosing a dress for a wedding guest, there are some unwritten rules.
One woman’s choice drew criticism over everything from the style to the color.
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In a Reddit afteruser Wateraerobics_ shared a photo of the dress she planned to wear to a wedding.
She posed in a tight-fitting red dress with spaghetti straps, a plunging neckline and a slit on the thighs.
“I’m going to a wedding in St. Louis in November for my friend’s cousin,” the poster read.
She explained that the event had a black tie dress code, which left her wondering whether the look was “appropriate.”
While red is often seen as a no-go when it comes to weddings, Reddit users pointed out a number of other issues.
“To put it mildly, that thigh gap is really, really high for a wedding,” one person wrote.
“It’s made worse by the fact that it’s a silhouette that skims the body.
“That, combined with the color, which some people, especially in the South, find controversial, and the fact that it’s quite low cut, makes me personally just look for something else.”
“It’s too sexy for a wedding. The slit is just so high,” another reader agreed.
“It’s a little too sexy, in my opinion. Also, you’re better off with red [because] “In some cultures it’s just for the bride,” a third Redditor said.
Another superstition says that guests who wear red to a wedding have been intimate with the groom.
Other Reddit users suggested saving the look for another occasion.
“Good for New Year’s Eve. The low cut combined with the color and high slit make it less suitable for a wedding. I would keep looking,” wrote one person.
“Yes, it’s great for a black tie event, but not for a wedding,” another reader agreed.
“The high gap [and] The plunging neckline shows more than is appropriate for a wedding.
Do’s and Don’ts of Wedding Dress Codes
By Josie Griffiths, fabulous deputy editor and bride-to-be.
Josie Griffiths said: I will never forget the wedding I went to in October 2022 where one guest wore a white dress.
The dress didn’t fit properly, it reached the knee and didn’t look like a real wedding dress at all, but that didn’t stop everyone from judging her.
The rules for wedding guest outfits – which, unfortunately, are much stricter for women than for men – are supposed to be about “not overshadowing the bride,” which is actually quite difficult to do at someone else’s wedding.
But if you do it wrong as a guest, you’ll come across as a bit ridiculous, and to a lot of people who don’t know you personally.
It’s just not the right occasion for your new white dress, no matter how much online retailers like to dump them in the “wedding guest” category.
I would avoid anything too tight/short and avoid very formal dresses unless the dress code dictates it. You don’t want to be wearing a long sequined dress to a smart casual event.
Personally, I don’t like black dresses either, it’s not a funeral.
Otherwise, you should be pretty safe. Technically, wearing red means you’re in love with the groom, but that’s the kind of rule most people would laugh at these days.
I always check what colour the bridesmaids are wearing, just to be sure. After the Spanish wedding I saw them walking down the aisle in the exact same dress that I had in my Asos shopping bag a few weeks earlier.
If you are in doubt, it is best to ask the bride. But if you are already in doubt about your dress, that may be all the answer you need.
“It looks great with a sultry look, so wear it on other occasions too.”
“I absolutely would not wear this to a family wedding,” said one commenter.
“There are too many factors at play to make it acceptable for black tie,” another reader noted.
“It’s too tight, too bright, cut too low, the slit is too high and I’m looking at the fabric with one eye.
“For a black tie you need elegant, beautiful fabrics, clean lines, balance and one or two interesting features.
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