Atypical shopping day & outfit for wedding

[shootingstar]

Thx for the thoughts and comments. Har, Har, Malkin, those ARE my dress shoes. I guess they're not spikes. I would trip..

Lazy me will probably throw on a black jacket for warmth. So I can't give the impression of an all-black suit at his wedding. The skirt needs to have some life --beyond black. I am wistful and sad that his mother/my sister is not alive to witness this.

[malkin]

Oh--the shoes in the picture are fine! I was just thinking about the skirt and the blouse.
If you want more color you could look for a pretty cotton knit jacket or small sweater in a springy or summery color that you love.

What do you think about including a small memento of your sister in your outfit? Maybe a bit of jewelry or something in her favorite color, or some other little thing so you can bring a thought of her with you for the day?

[redrhodie]

I wore the same green silk dress to 2 different weddings. It was perfect for the first, which was at an afternoon wedding at an inn. So I thought I was set for the next wedding, which was at the Harvard Club in the evening. I felt very underdressed when I saw everyone. The thing that saved me was borrowing my friend's dressy shawl, which luckily looked great with my dress. So if I were you, I'd invest in some kind of wrap or shawl in a pretty color and fabric, like silk or cashmere. You'll probably get a lot of use out of it.

[malkin]

I was just thinking about how ridiculous it is for me to give any kind of fashion advice. I never know what to wear, but I know that feeling physically comfy in my clothes helps me to feel more socially comfy. Okay, 'socially comfortable' is generally quite a stretch for me, but 'socially acceptable' at least.

And the converse--when my clothes don't feel good, I can count on being out of sorts.

[shootingstar]

Most likely my outfit is slightly under dressed. (sounds like I'm wearing only underwear... ).

But I'm not worried about being underdressed. As long as what I wear flatters me. It's a family member getting married. I've known him since he was a baby when I still lived in Toronto. I'm just one of 4 aunts. (I suddenly feel old saying this..) It's just nice to be with my extended family...whom I only see once a year or less.

But for weird reasons if it was a friend's wedding and I didn't know anyone else (except dearie), with a pile of strangers invited also. For reasons I can't explain fully, I would want to dress up more.

[lph]

Malkin, I know just what you mean. I'm pretty useless when it comes to fashion, but being dressed "appropriately" (gah, there's a phrase I hate) just means I can relax more and enjoy the occasion. Loved the suggestion of a memento.

Shootingstar, it sounds like you have the outfit nailed. It looks nice! If you're in doubt, what I would do is ask a handful of other women - it's usually pointless to ask the guys - what they're going to wear. I find a lot of female guests wonder about exactly the same thing before a large formal occasion and want to blend in too. (If they're the overly polite types who will always answer "oh, that will look just fine" no matter what, you can ask "should I wear this outfit, or this one").

Strangest wedding outfits I've seen (well not very, but a little odd): at a winter wedding up in Tromsø in the north of Norway. February, well below freezing, light snowfall. Most of the women are in long dresses, dressy pants, many in national costume, but a gaggle of the brides young female friends turn up in buttskimming skirts, bare legs and high heels, teetering through the snow :-) Hardy kids.

[Crankin]

lph, younger women dress like that all the time here. Snow, cold, rain, whatever. Last Friday night I was in Boston for theatre and I had the chance to observe many young women out, hailing cabs, etc. It was about 30 out, with a biting, strong wind. Of course, I see adults out in snow storms, with shorts and no coat, too!

[malkin]

We see the barely dressed out in the snow all winter here too.

My daughter is planning her wedding for May 2014 and I'm already scratching my head about what the heck I am going to wear. I like the idea of national costume, but I'm pretty sure my little bride would not approve!

[lph]

thread digression: malkin - so what would your national costume be?

I ponder buying one every now and then, but they're traditionally supposed to be regional, i.e. don't wear one you don't have a family connection to. And the one associated with where I grew up is just so darn ugly. There's a nice one, modern, not traditional, made recently for Oslo, but it sort of defeats the old-fashioned aspect of it all. And they cost an arm and a leg whatever you buy.

[shootingstar]

What do you think about including a small memento of your sister in your outfit? Maybe a bit of jewelry or something in her favorite color, or some other little thing so you can bring a thought of her with you for the day?

It's a lovely idea....

Rather interesting this discussion on national costume. I don't have a "costume". It's real "fashion", real life wear. It's a real top meant to wear at work or for a function...actually that is abit dressy with a high Mandarin collar in plain black linen but edged with bright red and orange floral borders all the way around along the hem, up the button front with asymmetrical front closing, frog closings, and fabric is part of the collar. I actually have only worn it ...once. I would call it a nouveau fusion Asian design --a contemporary interpretation of Chinese tops. Yes, I did buy it from Chinatown.

The thing is to me...it feels a bit "corny" when I wear it with my family. Yes, I know my roots, blah, blah...but still...

I do have a pink satin traditional Chinese high collar dress that was my mother's with some embroidery on colour, by side dress leg slit. I cannot fit the dress since she was naturally bigger boned than me, as a young woman. She wore it for special occasions during first few years after she immigrated here. I keep it only as a heirloom, I guess.

And not surprisingly 2 of my sisters did wear cheongsam, 1 had one made as her wedding gown (in crème white), and the other sis, wore a red one as her going away dress, post wedding gown.

[malkin]

thread digression: malkin - so what would your national costume be?

Not having a suitable national identity is pretty much the problem that keeps me away from a national costume!
I grew up in California in the 60s and 70s, so either I'd have to look like the women on Mad Men or a barefoot beach bum.