“Dressed Up, Not Trussed Up” Wedding Guest Dresses
We’re heading into Occasion Season (weddings, graduations, etc.), and several of my readers have requested ideas for Wedding Guest outfits. For many of you, that means a dress. So for today’s post, I’ve rounded up a few dresses that could work as wedding guest attire, or for other festive spring and summer events.
Dressed up, not trussed up
I’ll be honest, while there are a lot of dresses out there, I see very few that I find appealing. By that I mean: has sleeves (at least a short sleeve), either solid or a print that won’t date and doesn’t look cheap, is at least knee length, and doesn’t require shapewear or special undergarments. Bonus if it can be dressed down and worn in a more casual look. If you’re OK with sleeveless styles, you have a lot to choose from. Sleeves are a bit more challenging to find, at least those that aren’t puffy and voluminous.
The dress shown above is a bit of a splurge, but that abstract water lilies print is more timeless and less twee than many florals. The blue-green colorway is a versatile one, and although I’ve styled it here with warm toned accessories, it could also work for a cool palette. (Just swap out the gold for silver.) You could also replace the fabric tie belt with a thin leather or chain belt, or leave it unbelted.
I couldn’t resist the nail color; if you’ll be wearing sandals or open toe shoes, why not have a little fun with your pedicure? 💃 And if your event will be held outdoors on grass, consider a block heel style shoe or sandal for better stability.
More Wedding Guest Dress Ideas
Talbot’s Satin Midi Dress – $169
Talbot’s currently has 30% off dresses, making this a budget-friendly option. Winters, this blue and white print is good for you! In Misses, Petite, and Plus sizes.
Boden Pleated Dress – $245
The front pleating adds interest to a simple design. Also available in a bright cool pink.
On my monitor, this looks like a good green for Springs.
LK Bennett Tiered Polka Dot Dress – $380
I like how the neutral palette and polka dots add some restraint to balance out the floaty, tiered shape. This one is probably best on those of average to taller height.
Estelle Plus Sunshine Radiant Stripe Dress – $169
Excellent colors for you Autumns! This mesh dress has a slip liner. Sizes 16W-24W.
Me+Em Cotton Paisley Print Midi Dress – $495
This one’s definitely a splurge, but I think this could be dressed up or down, and the cotton fabric will be comfortable in the heat. Click on the link to check out the close-up images of this gorgeous print!
Eileen Fisher Crushed Silk Dress – $328
It doesn’t get much easier than this…
Yes, it’s sleeveless, but you can always add the matching cropped cardigan in linen or the silk tie jacket (shown here, can be worn several ways). The dress and toppers are available in several colors, in regular sizes XXS-3X, and in Petites.
Favorite Daughter Wrap Dress – $288
Here’s a good one for you Autumn Romantics and Bohemians!
I hope this has given you some ideas for wedding guest looks (or any other special occasion coming up on your calendar). If you don’t wear dresses, don’t worry…I’ll be putting together some special occasion outfit ideas with separates soon.
Have you found a good source for dresses for weddings or other events?
Find your best colors…
Not sure which colors best suit you? A Personal Color Analysis is a great investment in yourself and your wardrobe. You’ll save time and money, and build a wardrobe that helps you get dressed with ease and confidence.
Join us for the next Red Leopard Color Event in Los Angeles, over the Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-26) ! Manina from Red Leopard will be flying in from London, and we’ll have some special guests, refreshments, and lots of fun. During your session, we’ll help you find your individualized color palette to look your best! There are still spots available; click HERE to reserve your space.
To give back to the community, we are donating two sessions to individuals who lost their homes in the Eaton or Palisades fires. We still have one complementary session left, so if you know someone who is rebuilding their wardrobe after the fires and would be interested, email me at [email protected]
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From the UK, I can thoroughly recommend the Scarlett and Jo range. They have a wide range of sizes from UK 12 to 32. I found them when I need a dress for a nieces’s wedding by googling dresses for “mature, curvy women” and hit the jackpot. I ordered two styles / colours and my husband urged me to keep both!
Many dresses have sleeves, they have a “magic band” at the waist which holds you in without constricting, and are machine washable. The net / polyester construction does mean they are heavier than other dress fabrics which may be a consideration if you have a luggage weight limit. They are very reasonably priced for my (post-retirement) budget. The range of colours is tremendous and this dark Summer found this stunner: https://www.scarlettandjo.com/products/verity-wine-ikat-print-maxi-gown
Thank you Alison, I’ll be in the UK soon and will definitely be looking at these gorgeous dresses.
Dee – Some John Lewis stores stock them but worth checking in advance. Hope you have a wonderful trip.
Any time a dress is needed, I recommend taking time to search the Boden site. The quality for price is high, there are usually a range of styles and colours/prints, and many items are natural fiber and machine washable.
I really like the Tobie dress from Anthropologie. Granted I’m not wearing it to a wedding, but will take it with me to the South of France this summer.
Thanks for these suggestions. Like you, I had trouble finding a special occasion dress this season that was not too much (too much floral, too many ruffles, too twee). So I shopped my closet and will wear my Eileen Fisher crushed dress from last year. I have a feeling I will be wearing that dress for many years to come! I can change it up with accessories and it packs so well.
The brand Phase Eight has a lot of mother of the bride dresses. I bought a purple one which I thought was still youthful (although I am not so sure anymore). The rest of their dresses are indeed ‘mother of the bride’s which to me is horrible. If Ron wants to put me off a garment, he could say “You look like a mother of the bride”. But then again, I don’t think I dress according to convention. Each to her own.
Greetje
If I had a special event I would spring for the Eileen Fisher tiered crush silk dress in butterfly. It looks elegant yet comfortable and would work with the little sheer sweater in the same color. I would love to have my colors done but that would also be a huge splurge. I gravitate to blue and neutral in the chalk white to pale grey heather tones. I’m also 5’1” was a natural ash blonde and now am mostly white haired. Cool tones like silver jewelry look best against my very fair skin. I’m 80 years old now and have always been petite but now I’m about ten pounds heavier than I was but still appear more slim than I am. I walk a mile a day with my husband and little dog Trixy. You are new to me. I found you through Mary Ann Picketts blog on Sunday. We live in a small town well outside if it in Colorado. Everyone dresses very, very casual here. That beautiful dress I have eyed for a few years of EF would go to California with me for my granddaughter’s second wedding if she has one. So nice to have found you! Sydney
Thank you for adding the pricing next to each items link. It helps a lot with knowing if something is within my budget or not. I also appreciate the more lower budget options too. I love Boden’s clothing so much but I’ve only been able to keep 2 of the many items purchased due to sizing which makes me gun shy to order from Me&Em. Hoping to visit Me&Em store while in London this summer!
May I suggest special occasion gowns by Kamarov who I believe are located in California. They have a web site which you can order from as well Nordstrom’s used to carry them. The dresses are very ‘spendy’ >500.00USD but I own two of them and they are a marvel. These dresses fit like a dream! I bought my first one in Montréal many years ago and the charming vendeuse agreed when I commented that the dress didn’t look like much on the hanger but was something totally different on the body! I’ve worn it many times since in casual and very formal situations. The second dress was purchased directly to wear to a black tie wedding in Philadelphia. It is long sleeved silk charmeuse with lace sleeves and insets. I literally tossed it in a bag and it came out ready to wear! That was ten years ago and they still carry the style though in a different pattern/colour.
The company was started by a woman who traipsed up and down Rodeo Drive looking for a dress to wear to her son’s wedding! She was so fed up she designed and made her own dress and went on to create this company. Some of the dresses are intentionally MOB/G but most aren’t. Designs are classic not frou frou and slip over the body easily with no snaps or zippers. My second dress I’ve worn with boots and a Jean jacket!
For the first time in “forever”, we are not attending a wedding. For the past several years, all of the groomsmen/best men in my son’s wedding finally found their one and only and I’m grateful that each one invited us to their celebrations.
But. . .if I had an invite this year, this Tuckernuck dress would have been ordered instantly. Just perfect.
If I am invited to an event which requires me to ‘doody up’, including weddings, my fall back is an Alquema (Aussie brand) Estrella dress which comes with a matching long coat. Bit similar to the Eileen Fisher silk dress. Very flattering. Problem is when buying for a special occasion, is can the outfit be worn again? Would love to attend your Red Leopard session, but, not practical, I am afraid
I absolutely love the waterlilies print on that Tuckernut dress. So fresh!