Fall wedding attire

A question from Jen, who apparently loves ponies.

My cousin is getting married the first weekend of October in the middle of Illinois. What should I wear to fall-yet-maybe-still-hot-yet-maybe-freezing wedding? I have to go light a candle or some other stupid thing during it, so I have to look presentable. The details: the wedding is indoors at 2:30, with a reception dinner. I am size 14/16ish, with 7.5W shoes. I own many black skirts, but apparently one can't wear black to weddings. I don't have a ton of money to spend, so I would like to get a dress or skirt/shirt and hopefully shoes for $100 or less. I prefer not to shop online unless I am complete sure of sizes. I have a Torrid nearby, and I think a Lane Bryant, and maybe an Avenue, but that might be a hike, and all the usual other stores found in any mall in America. What should I wear?

The only real rule is that your attire should be appropriate for the time and location of the ceremony and reception. You wouldn't wear a cotton day dress to a winter wedding in a chapel and you wouldn't wear a cocktail dress to a ceremony on a beach. This one sounds like a basic afternoon ceremony, evening reception type wedding which are pretty much the only kind we have here in the midwest. I've been to many.

I don't see any reason not to wear black to a wedding, as long as it's not head to toe black. If you don't want to invest a bunch of money into this occasion, pairing a black skirt you already have with a light sweater or blouse in a color you like is a very viable option. It's better to be overdressed than underdressed but I'd aim for pulled together and "nice."

If you have a suit with a black skirt or trousers and a jacket, you could wear both to the ceremony and take the jacket off for the reception. I'd wear a top that's fancier than just a button-up you'd wear to the office, something prettier and party-going-ish. You can add a little glitz with some dangly earrings and heels in a metallic leather that compliment your jewelry. Basically, something you'd typically wear to the office but dressed up a bit more for evening. This is the route I'd take.

But you can definitely find an outfit plus shoes and maybe even jewelry for under or around $100. You mentioned Torrid, Lane Bryant and the Avenue, so here are some items from each store to give you ideas.

I love Torrid but many of their dresses are a bit much for an afternoon wedding. I really like this jacket and it'd be great if you have a pair of black trousers or a straight skirt to wear with it:

I'd wear it with a satiny or charmeuse shell underneath, maybe in a deep purple, emerald green or burgundy. If you get one with wide straps to hide your bra, you could take the jacket off at the reception and shake your booty on the dance floor with the shoeless bridesmaids.

Your shoe selection depends on what they have in the store but I'm fond of these:

Torrid's shoes are wide widths so no worries there. These pieces are easy and stylish and you'd probably even wear them again!

Lane Bryant has several dresses on their website but I never see many of them in the stores. I'd go there to look for a nice blouse or sweater, such as:

I love that buckle on the neckline and the color is super pretty. Again, you can wear it with a black skirt and dangly goldtone earrings and you're set.

This jacket is black but it has the shiny silver stripe and piping detail to take the edge off the color. I'd layer a more colorful cami underneath to break up the black further.

Lane Bryant is a great place to find inexpensive costume jewelry that can dress up a basic outfit but won't cost you a fortune. For shoes, honestly, head over to Payless. They have a lot of shoes in wide widths and you can probably find some cute heels there for cheap.

If you do find an Avenue nearby, that'd probably be where I'd check first. I really like this dress:

And these shoes:

The dress says "I'm here to light a candle!" and the shoes say "I'm here to party!" The dress and shoes together cost just under $100.

I hope this helps, Jen. Just try not to outshine the bride :)

Comments

[LoanForWedding.com]

Any suggestions for guys who don't have a clue what to wear? :)

[Lea]

Great advice!

I'd also recommend dresses at Fashion Bug. I was shocked at how excellent the colors and cuts were when I went there a month or so ago -- the 1940s line especially. I bought a black and white dress that I'm planning on wearing to a wedding in a couple of weeks, and I'm going to go with red accessories to make it pop.

[JenLovesPonies]

Thank you so much for your advice! I am so clueless when it comes to fashion. This is going to be a busy shopping weekend- and I did find an Avenue not too far from work, so yay!