What not to wear to a wedding

At the Royal Wedding, Pippa Middleton broke a cardinal rule of weddings -that it’s the bride’s special day and no one should overshadow her! To be fair to Pippa, when she chose her dress, I doubt if she realized that her white figure-hugging dress would receive as much interest as it did. Now the Kate in all probability may have forgiven her sister but for ordinary folk like me, the wedding is just about the only time you feel like royalty. If any wedding guest steals the attention on the Big Day, she is unlikely to ever be forgiven! To save you from the bride’s ire, here’s a list of what not to wear to a wedding.

• The color white: The only time a pristine white dress is acceptable is if you are the bridesmaid and the bride has opted for an all-white marriage. In all other cases, wear an ensemble in any hue that suits your complexion but steer clear of bright colors like neon yellow. For instance you could look enchanting in a floral dress like the St John’s evening garden dress for a destination or garden wedding.

• Revealing dresses: A dress that shows off too much skin is rarely considered to be in good taste. That doesn’t mean that you need to cover up from head to toe. Strike a balance by wearing an elegant one shoulder or strapless dress such as the BCBG Maxazria strapless gown shown alongside.

• Anything too formal or casual: Try to toe the middle path. A very conservative suit is likely to earn you the label of boring whilst a pair of jeans or cargos will give the impression that you just don’t care enough to dress up for the occasion. If you want to look chic, you would be well advised to avoid all fashion extremes!

To dress appropriately for any wedding, keep in mind the venue, the weather and the dress code if it is provided. When in doubt, remember it is better to err on the side of caution and dress conventionally