Match your bling to your stature. If you’ve got curves, go big and bold—we can take it!
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For a white-tie wedding, a floorlength gown is a must.
#W E T H E C U RV Y
Dress Code DECODER
To help you interpret attire requirements for various kinds of weddings, our #WeTheCurvy columnist, Meredith Shaw, gives her take on what’s sartorially expected of guests. PICTURE THIS: You have 30 minutes until you need to leave home for a wedding and you’ve tried on (and rejected) everything in your closet. Now, you’re standing in your underwear, slightly sweaty and exceptionally flustered, and you utter to no one in particular, “I have nothing to wear!” Listen, I’ve been there—we all have. Wardrobe woes are stressful, especially when weddings are opportunities to reconnect with loved ones, so of course you want to look your best. Above all, you should feel great and sashay your way into matrimonial season with confidence. My sage advice comes in threes. First, follow the dress code on the invite, taking the location and time of day into account. Then, weeks before the big day, decide on your dress, shoes and accessories. Finally, bring on the confidence and “curvitude”— how else do you think a sashay happens?! FIND MORE OF MEREDITH SHAW’S BEST FIGURE-FLATTERING ADVICE AT
canadianliving.com/wethecurvy. A U G U ST 2 0 1 7 | C A N A D I A N L I V I N G .C O M
1. BEACH FORMAL
Let your inner bohemian run free! The invite might say formal, but the fact that it’s happening on a beach inherently makes the surroundings more easy-breezy. Not into the boho esthetic? Choose a chic sundress (long or short)—something you’d wear to a lovely dinner in summer. Just be sure to skip the stilettos and opt for fancy flats or low wedges instead. Michel Studio dress (sizes 12 to 26), $150, additionelle.com. 2. WHITE TIE
You must have fancy friends, because this dress code isn’t capital-F formal—it’s all-caps formal.
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If you don’t want to invest in a ritzy (a.k.a. expensive) gown you’ll likely wear only once, you can rent one. The Canadian company Rent Frock Repeat has a huge inventory (more than 1,600 dresses) of stunning silhouettes in sizes 0 to 24. Badgley Mischka sequined gown (sizes 12 to 16), $170 (for a four-day rental), rentfrockrepeat.com. 3. DRESSY CASUAL
Do you veer toward dressy or casual? For this confusing invitation, take the venue into account: Is it in the city or the country? Will you be outside or in? What’s the decor theme? This gives you the opportunity to
really let your personal style shine. If you crave bold colour, go for it. If you love sequins, do it. If you adore lace, wear it—just make sure it’s not white! Nautical-style dress (sizes 2 to 18), $245, josephribkoff.com. 4. ALL IN THE DETAILS
An outfit without accessories is like a cupcake without icing—just wrong! Never underestimate the power of baubles to really pull an outfit together. Choose one showstopper (earrings, necklace, cuff) and go more subtle with the rest. Daromara clutch, $65, aldoshoes.com. Metal stretch bracelet, $15, lechateau.com. Gisele earrings, $119, swarovski.com.
PHOTOGRAPHY, CARLYLE ROUTH (SHAW). HAIR AND MAKEUP, VANESSA JARMAN/PANTENE/NARS/P1M.CA. DRESS, $280, GATSBYLADY.COM. EARRINGS AND BRACELET, BANANAREPUBLIC.CA. WATERCOLOUR MURAL WALLPAPER, ANEWALL.COM
Not into embellishment or beading? No problem—try a subtle style detail like a lace-up front or a corset back.
