What I Think You Should Wear to Your Wedding

Plus a special announcement.

Special announcement!!!! The upcoming month of May is 💖 WEDDING MONTH 💖 on Gumshoe, with four weeks of wedding-related content planned for your enjoyment and perusal. Of all the style questions that slide into my DMs, I would say at least half of them — maybe more — have something to do with weddings, so it seemed fitting to give the topic its own dedicated editorial sprint.

To kick things off, I’ve scoured the internet for unique wedding weekend attire: short white dresses, lacy skirts, camera-friendly loungewear, silk blazers, a few pairs of much-coveted white Chanel ballet flats, etc. — perfect for rehearsal dinners, courthouse elopements, poolside brunches, “getting ready,” or any other occasion outside the one where you might be wearing a more official wedding gown kind of thing. Most of the links are secondhand, and I’ve broken everything down by price point to make it easier to shop within your budget. Feel free to forward this along to any friends who are getting married and tell them they should subscribe to Gumshoe this month. It’s going to be a fun one!

NB: There are a few items below that are not made of 100% natural fibers, which I’ve noted after each of the links for transparency. I generally try to avoid recommending items that aren’t, but I do make occasional exceptions in order to prioritize size inclusivity, or in specific cases when a synthetic material appears to lend itself to the construction or function of the design. Sellers on Vestiaire Collective don’t always disclose exact fabric composition, so when in doubt, shoot them a message before you make a purchase.

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Under $200…

1. Emporio Armani silk ruffled sleeveless mini dress, size M, $148

2. 90s cotton crochet shoulder bag, $30.10

3. Chloe silk knee-length skirt, size 4, $115.67

4. Handmade 1970s cotton crochet dress, size S, $123.14

5. Topshop cotton midi dress with open back, multiple sizes available, $83

6. Cami NYC silk blazer, size 12, $194.70

7. Sacai lace skirt, size XXL, $185.50

8. 1970s raw silk dress with appliqué flowers, size S, $85

9. 90s textured silk lightly sheer dress with organza trim, size M, $129.99

10. Simone Rocha x H&M pearl collar cardigan, size XL, $100

11. Isa Arfen tie-front dress, multiple sizes available, $109

12. 80s Albert Capraro eyelet cotton dress, size S, $148.75

13. 1960s cotton lace dress, size M, $97.85

14. Ann Taylor silk pantsuit, size 6P, $44

Under $500…

1. Simone Rocha cotton corset with bows, size S, $360.34

2. Chanel flats, size 7, $450

3. 2000s Emilio Pucci virgin wool ruffle sleeve mini dress, size 12, $335.23

4. Brian Dales one-shoulder dress, size L, $310

5. Rosie Assoulin alpaca cable-knit sweater, size S, $480 (my friend Amelia layered this sweater over her formal wedding dress at the end of the night once it got chilly and it looked incredibly chic.)

6. Ann Taylor silk sleeveless top, size 14, $35 (a price point outlier for this batch because I had a very specific styling vision wherein this top is paired with the below vintage Bill Blass trousers!)

7. Bill Blass wool trousers, size 12, $288.81

8. Max Mara silk ruffle maxi skirt, size S, $247

9. 1970s Krizia Italy wool skirt suit, size 4, $301.02

10. 1980s Yves Saint Laurent cotton top with scalloped neckline, size 6, $357.86

11. Silvia Tcherassi silk mini dress, size S, $328.50

12. Fendi silk quilted mini skirt, size 8, $281.46

Under $1000…

1. 1980s vintage Bill Blass textured cotton dress, size 4, $540.47

2. Loretta Caponi cotton dress, size S, $621

3. Giambattista Valli silk mini dress, size 6, $952.60

4. 1990s vintage Melinda Eng cascading silk georgette ruffle dress, size 4, $814.12

5. Khaite silk v-neck dress, size 6, $562

6. Alaïa eyelet skirt, side 4, $990

7. Carolina Herrera silk mini dress with tulle bustle, size 2, $993.30

8. Chloe linen and eyelet top, size 8, $638.10

9. Chanel Spring 2015 cotton dress with floral appliqués, size 6, $836.50

10. Alberta Ferretti eyelet dress, size 10, $683 (note: not made of 100% natural fibers)

Sky’s the limit…

1. Chanel silk corset with black trim, size 8, $1,848

2. Erdem silk dress, size 4, $1,500

3. Chanel ballet flats, size 9, $1,198.77

4. Alaïa 90s cotton pique mini dress, size not listed (check measurements), $4,800

5. Valentino Garavani lace skirt, size 2, $1,285.20

6. Oscar de la Renta lace dress, size 16, $1,211.83 (note: not made of 100% natural fibers)

7. Ermanno Scervino dress, size 8, $1,175

8. Roksanda dress, size 8, $1,141.07

9. Rodarte silk crepe dress with velvet ribbons, available in sizes 0-16, $2,990

xo Harling