A few years ago, I weighed as much as a cow and could only fit into clothes which were designed for men, so my wardrobe consisted mainly of replicas of the same baggy jeans and slouchy t-shirts. Although I was envious of fellow females with much slimmer bodies because they could have fun with fashion, there were some advantages to having limited clothing choices. For instance, whenever I had to attend a wedding or any formal function, I did not need to go through the lengthy and careful selection process many women undergo just to be sure they are appropriately (and prettily) dressed. All I had to do was throw on my ever trusty jeans and a better-looking shirt, and I had every reason for being so dressed down.
But now, years later and almost 20 pounds lighter, I am a victim of the “to wear or not to wear”dilemma. Because I, as a young female who always wants to put my best appearance forward, understand the difficulty many women face in picking a right outfit for a wedding, so here are some guidelines.
A few things to consider before you head straight for the classic Little Black Dress:
What type of wedding or function is it?
If it is a traditional Malay wedding, that strapless, backless number would not seem like such a great idea. Likewise, wearing stilettos and a tight skirt to a wedding on a lawn is not a very smart move either. The key is to find out how, where and when the wedding would be carried out, and choose your outfit to suit the occasion. Also take into consideration whether the hosts have specified a dress code.
Picture courtesy of richardsutphen.com
What is your relationship to the person who invited you?
Generally, this comes in three categories: family member or close friend, acquaintance, and working colleague. If it is the wedding of someone from the first category, going all out would be nothing short of fine. After all, your best friend or favorite cousin would want to see you in your best attire on her special day. For people whom you are merely acquainted with and are not very close to, such as a distant relative or a friend of a friend, it would not be such a good idea to be dressed to the nines, because it may appear to some that you are trying to outshine the couple or their family. If you attend the wedding of a colleague, consider not only your rapport with the person, but also the image you want to portray at work. The independent career woman with pitch perfect presentations would raise eyebrows if she appeared in a dress which barely covers her behind.
Picture courtesy of viktorviktoriashop
What do you expect of the wedding?
Sometimes some single ladies harbour hopes of meeting a decent man at a wedding of a friend, so they tend to dress according to what they consider attractive and appropriate enough to come across as single, available, and gorgeous. Some, on the other hand, have less desire of being noticed, and merely want to attend and leave the party as soon as possible. Both notions are fine. The idea is to be sure of the impression you want to leave on the people at the wedding, and also of the experience you want to gain from it.
Picture courtesy of telegraph.co.uk and bestofneworleans.com
Because there are so many types of female garments out there, it would be difficult to suggest an outfit for every single type of wedding available, so these general tips should guide you enough. However, if you still find yourself scratching your head in indecision, remember these few tried-and-tested outfits. Although everyone is different and so is every wedding, there are some typical and general outfits which usually do not fail.
A skirt or pants-and-blouse combination works for day functions, a cocktail dress for night. The key is moderation: try to avoid anything too fancy (forget that beaded evening gown) or too casual, like your jeans-and-tee outfit. The idea is to look like you put in enough effort to make yourself look good and not to upstage the bride or groom. There are loads of websites offering advice on what to wear to virtually any wedding, such as About.com and Top wedding questions .
Picture courtesy of University of Notre Dame and About.com
One type of wedding which may cause guests more complications in deciding what attire to don is the traditional one. These weddings sometimes can be a killer to dress for especially when they are very different from the daily culture we face. For example, what do you, as a young Chinese lady, wear to a traditional wedding of a more senior Malay couple? You’re not even sure what food they will serve, let alone know what is suitable as an outfit.
An easy way out would be to simply put on the traditional clothes of the couple whose wedding you are attending. So, if it’s the wedding of the Malay couple you are celebrating, a baju kurung or baju kebaya would be safe bets. Not only does this show that you put some effort into dressing, it would also make the couple happy to see you embracing their culture. One thing to bear in mind, however, if you are opting for the traditional look, are the taboos or customs of the culture. For instance, some traditional Chinese families frown upon wearing black at a wedding, so even if it is the most fancy cheongsam you have ever seen, if it is black, chances are you wouldn’t be receiving many (or any at all) compliments.
For guides on where to get such traditional attire, Midvalley Megamall has a few of such shops, such as E’tho , which hosts a fusion of culture ranging from batik tops to Mandarin collared shirts, and Qilin , selling traditional Chinese attire like the cheongsam. Aseana , available at KLCC, features a collection of traditional and contemporary Asian attire by local designers such as Farah Khan and Tom Abang Saufi and also overseas designers.
Picture courtesy of Qilin
