Our We Try Before You Buy series aims to take the stress out of shopping and eliminate the number of post office visits you make each month to return failed online orders. We test new-season buys and styling ideas so you don’t have to. Here, we’re letting you know what is actually worth investing in.
I can’t think of many occasions where you carefully scout out and plan an outfit six months in advance—apart from weddings. And I’m not just talking about your own wedding dress. To help you find the prettiest wedding-guest outfits out there this year, we had more than 50 dresses from Rixo, Rejina Pyo, Ghost, Topshop, ASOS and many more sent to the Who What Wear offices for our team and trusted stylist friends to try on. The dress everyone fawned over the most was a pink linen floral midi dress with puffy sleeves by Gül Hürgel (the team is even considering buying one together). However, Olivia Rubin’s button-front lavender-printed midi dress was a close second.
Rixo has become a failsafe for wedding-guest dresses, and we love this season’s daisy-print maxi Monet dress in powder blue and dark grey. If you want to try something a little different, ASOS has the most amazing double-breasted trouser suit in a bright citrus green, which is perfect for a city nuptial. When it comes to shoes, all the stylists and editors went for strappy sandals, opting for pairs from Zara to Kalda to Topshop. Keep scrolling to see and shop the nine wedding-guest outfits we tried on and loved.
Gül Hurgel Dress
"Forget attending the weddings I’ve been invited to—I’m eloping with this dress! I’ve never felt quite so princessy or special in my entire life (and that’s including wearing my very own wedding dress a couple of years ago). The magical pink-and-yellow daisy print is my new fave colour duo. With its sweetheart neckline, cinched waist, full skirt and balloon sleeves, it’s flattering on literally every figure, but for an hourglass shape like me, it’s the ideal silhouette. Not to mention it’s really comfortable too—something that definitely helps you have a good time at any party. Shame my budget probably cannot stretch to it. Fashion fairy godmother, where are you when I need you?” says Who What Wear UK’s editor in chief, Hannah Almassi.
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ASOS Green Suit
"I love the power suit for a wedding for a bit of something unexpected! As much as I love a floaty dress, I just love being the woman in the suit for a formal occasion. This one in particular is joyous in its citrusy colour, and the bag with its basketweave texture is a great accessory for a spring wedding,” says fashion influencer Nicole Ocran.
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Les Reveries Dress
“I love this dress for weddings because not only is it beautiful, but it’s also very comfortable. I feel very free. When you go to a wedding, you want to look great, but you also don’t want to look like you are trying too hard. And I love that with this dress is simple yet very elegant,” says stylist Eni Ilori.
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Olivia Rubin Lavender Dress
It’s a bit of a running joke in our office with this franchise that it’s actually more like We Try Before We Buy, as someone always ends up buying what they’ve tried on. And that is about to be me with this dress. I have a real weakness for pretty dresses, but this is a whole other level of beautiful. The fabric is quite heavy, so I was worried it might make me look like I was wearing curtains, however, it actually hangs perfectly and is light enough to wear for a summer wedding in the English countryside. Plus, Olivia Rubin is a new London-based dress designer, so it’s very unlikely someone else will wear this dress.
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Related: Trust Us—These 7 Dresses Are Destined for It Status
Rixo Floral Dresses
"I absolutely adored this Rixo dress. I have a few weddings to go to this year and honestly think that this would make the perfect wedding-guest outfit. I’ve never been sure about what the etiquette is around wearing black to a wedding, but the ditsy daisy print and white dots mean that it still feels fresh. I loved how it nipped me in at the waist and the sleeves slightly billowed out over the tops of my arms for a really flattering silhouette,” says Who What Wear deputy beauty editor Mica Ricketts.
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Yellow Suit
"When it comes to dressing for work, I’m all over suits, yet for some reason or another, they’ve never really appealed to me for weddings. For this reason, I decided to challenge myself and try on a two-piece—and boy is it a good’un. In this season’s hottest hue, this ’70s-style suit is just too awesome for words (but I’ll give it a go). The high-waisted flared trousers help make legs look a mile long, while the jacket packs plenty of throwback vibes with its retro collar. All you need is a statement necklace and neutral tote to make this suit sing. I’m in love,” says Who What Wear UK acting assistant editor Joy Montgomery.
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Rejina Pyo Dress
"I get so excited at the sight of a wedding invitation, as it means I have an excuse to dress up seriously fancy and spend the day feeling great. Nothing gives that feeling quite like a slinky silky midi dress, so that’s always my first go-to. They’re appropriate for the formality of the event and are genuinely super flattering. This Rejina Pyo dress has the perfect amount of ‘extra’ about it with the asymmetric hemline and one shoulder detailing, giving a fashion edge but on a low-key scale. Obviously wearing white is a no-go (unless it’s an all-white wedding, which I recently experienced!), so the polka dots and black detailing mean it’s acceptable,” says stylist Hannah Lewis.
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Ghost Dress:
"As a self-confessed tomboy who rarely wears dresses, this bright-pink satin Ghost dress was definitely a bold choice for me! This whole ensemble makes me feel like the well-travelled rich aunty I one day aspire to be. With a super-flattering V-neck cut and timeless button detailing, this dress gives all the luxury feels without the hefty luxury price tag.
Last season’s snake-print trend isn’t going anywhere, so these sandals were the perfect choice to compliment my bold wedding-guest look. Add a couple of Missoma necklaces and a gorgeous Staud bag and Bob’s your uncle (or should I say, Seun’s your aunty?),” says stylist Seun Ogunsola.
Related: Summer 2019 Fashion Trends: Looks You Need to Know
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Rotate Metallic Dress:
"I’m not normally one for glittery dresses, but this Rodarte one caught my eye as soon as I saw it on the rail. It’s the perfect evening guest outfit, and while it may look slinky, it’s incredibly comfortable to wear, so I know I could dance all night in it!” says Who What Wear social media editor Alyss Bowen.
Next up, see our guide to the key trends for spring/summer 2019.
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