Last year, I went to six weddings, and only one of them was in New York where I live. For months, I was gone every other weekend, and I don’t think I’ve ever traveled more in a short span of time in my entire life. I went to Mykonos, the highlands of Iceland, Buenos Aires, Boston, and San Diego. I got really good at packing but even better at the special kind of mental gymnastics needed to justify buying a small collection of special, fancy dresses essentially for one night.
At first, six nearly back-to-back weddings and the five trips planned around them sounded beyond stressful. That was until the shopping lover in me realized this just might be my dream come true. I finally had an excuse to buy a handful of designer dresses I had been dreaming of. Is that the best way to think? Definitely not. But I’m a fashion editor who spends so much time admiring and writing about runway and red carpet pieces I have no reason to own—but wish I did—for my day-to-day life. The thought of being able to curate my own selection of exceptional special-occasion dresses that would forever be tethered to incredible memories made me giddy. I can confidently say there are fewer things in my wardrobe that I’m more proud of than my wedding guest dress edit.
You Can’t Go Wrong With an LPD (Little Pink Dress)
The first dress I wore was sourced from The RealReal. It was for the only wedding that I attended in New York in late August. I knew it would be hot, and the dress code was less formal, so I opted for a vintage pink Miu Miu dress from the 2000s with a long floral strap made of soft fabric. It only felt right to go all pink with vintage suede Prada pumps. A little pink dress is now superior to an LBD in my opinion, especially for a summer wedding. It’s cheeky, cutesy, and easy to accessorize.
Mango
Lace Dress With Structured Neckline
Wilfred
Engage Mini Dress
Consider Mismatched Patterns and Prints to Bring More Fun to a Formal Dress Code
The next wedding was a formal black-tie affair in Mykonos, Greece. I had actually purchased a vintage Roberto Cavalli gown in Marbella, Spain, two summers before in case an occasion exactly like this came up. It is one of the most beautiful things I’ve laid my eyes on with a print so ridiculous it just works. Throughout the gown, there are seashells, leopard prints, and pink blossoms. I have eccentric style, and I think a patterned gown like this works great if you want to have a little more fun with a formal look. It also felt perfectly in line with the location. I wanted something that felt like the vacation I was also having.
A Black Gown Doesn’t Have to Be Boring
Not all summer destination weddings are in warm locations. My second destination wedding was the weekend after Mykonos and took place in the highlands of Iceland. There was a possibility of snow with lows in the 20s but also the potential of highs in the 50s. I had no idea what to wear, but in times of doubt, there’s always Rodarte… right? Right!
I opted for a black Rodarte gown I found on sale since that felt best for the colder landscape. It was covered in a velvet floral pattern with an asymmetrical ruffle. I already thought it was perfect and then saw that Charli XCX had worn the same exact dress. The thing that makes Rodarte so special is that it’s so ethereal, so you could wear one of its gowns in an unconventional way—which I did with stockings and a fur jacket because I had no choice on the day of—and it still works. There’s a quirky whimsy to the brand that makes it perfect to wear to an untraditional affair.
RODARTE
Sequined Tulle Peplum Gown
Rodarte
Black Silk Satin Puff Sleeve Dress With Sequin Detail
RODARTE
Cotton-Blend Lace-Trimmed Devoré-Chiffon Maxi Dress
Rosettes and Prize Ribbons Are the New Bows and Ribbons
By the time I had to head over to San Diego in early October, I knew I wanted to try out a shorter pink dress again. I found the perfect option: another secondhand Miu Miu dress from The RealReal, except this one was from 2013. I had loved this dress on the runway and was so excited to finally own it. Like the first Miu Miu dress I wore at the beginning of my wedding stretch, it had a fun detail that cascaded down the dress. It can best be described as a rosette prize ribbon. While rosettes and prize ribbons feel very much like the new bows and ribbons, I don’t think we’ve reached a saturation point yet. They’re an unexpected detail on a wedding guest dress, which is perfect if you’re looking for something that’ll set you apart.
Bardot X Revolve
Aradia Maxi Dress
Mango
Draped Halter-Neck Dress With Flower Motif
Sandy Liang
Brown Otter Maxi Dress
Wear an Emerging Brand to Feel Like a Fashion Editor Off Duty
I’ve written about Siedrés before because I think the Turkish brand is a fashion editor’s best-kept secret. Since discovering it a little over a year ago at a fateful press appointment, I’ve been obsessed.
I wore a Siedrés dress to cap off my wedding marathon in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was a patterned blue dress with red floral accents and ruffles throughout complete with a matching thin scarf I tossed around my shoulder. It’s fun to support a newer brand, and it felt cool to have people ask me where it’s from and leave them with knowledge of something they didn’t know about before.
You Can Always Go Bright With Color
For a wedding just outside of Boston in October, it was still nice enough to wear a shorter dress with no jacket, but I wanted to step away from pastels since it was still technically fall. I opted for another Rodarte dress I found on sale (the Rodarte gods blessed me not once but twice!) in a bright purple. I feel like most of my friends tend to gravitate toward pastels, but I think going brighter in the color department is even more fun, and everyone should do it more often.
abercrombie & Fitch
The Giselle Drop-Waist Maxi Dress
MANGO
Asymmetrical Modal Dress
Banana Republic
Matte Silk Halter Maxi Dress