Paul Fredrick and Wedding Attire Decoded

    Today's post is just as much for the guys as it is for the ladies. I'm talking about wedding attire and the dress codes. Some  people have been to so many weddings they have deciphered this dress code, others not so much. Most of our friends are already married, so I had the pleasure of attending many a wedding parties. But, there is always that one girl who is wearing white, or worse, the skankiest thing possible. Likewise, there are guys that wear jeans for a semi-formal dress code or linen in winter(just why). This is why Paul Fredrick made this handy chart for the (clueless) gentlemen who will be attending weddings this season. 

I am here to decipher this for the (somewhat clueless) ladies. 

                                       

     If an invite says black tie formal dress code, for ladies that usually means a gown. This gown does not have to be floor length, but equally elegant. If you are with a date, you want to match their level of formal. The above gowns range in prices from low to high (but not designer high). You should not have to spend your entire paycheck on your gown. The teal gown above is a Badgley Mischka gown from Rent the Runway for $125 (to rent), which is a great place to go if you have champagne taste, on a beer budget! The season usually does not matter for this dress code, but if it is winter a beautiful, fancy long coat or heavy wrap will work.

                                    

A knee length or midi dress is perfect for a semi-formal wedding. Usually, you would hold off on floral prints or pastels for the spring and summer seasons. A low-high heel is appropriate, and to me, required. No flip-flops here, girls! If you are ever in doubt, the little black dress is always a YES, just make sure it's not too little.

The casual/outdoor wedding mystifies me, I have yet to attend one of these, but, I look forward to one in 2016. You can really have fun with this one, pair a fun short summer dress with a wedge/espadrille or a long summer dress with flats. These types of weddings usually take place in the warmer months or tropical destinations so soft flowy fabrics and floral prints/ pastels all work.

Gentlemen, make sure to check out Paul Fredrick for their great custom fit (custom here)dress shirts for all your wedding attire needs, or just everyday! Ladies, fathers day is coming up, and they have some great styles for gifting plus 20% off orders over $200.

                                                        Thanks for reading!

PS.. Next week we will be hanging out at a gorgeous beach house for the week!! 

Wedding Season Means Dress Shopping!

      We are now in May and I can hardly believe it myself. The months have been dragging by because of this sad dreadfully cold winter. This next week the temperature will be rising up into the 70's on the east coast and I am starting to come out of hibernation. I have also realized that wedding season is upon us. Within the next few months I'm sure some of you will be attending a few weddings, especially if you are in the age range of 24-32. Everyone seems to be getting married or having babies. Which also means baby showers. Then the thought dawns on you... You will need to go dress shopping. Or that is how you justify it, like me.

       Finding a good dress is a task and a half especially if you have a long torso like myself or some other issue with dressing yourself. Then there are 'the rules' to go by. Depending on the guests of honor and the party theme or style you don't want to go too casual, too dressy, too skanky, too conservative etc. You should immediately rule out ALL white dresses! Duh. Unless it is a teeny tiny bit of white mixed with a black print, this is a big no-no. You can never go wrong with a little black dress option. It will never go out of style and I'm sure you already have one in your closet. Just in case you don't :

1. Is pricier than most things I post, but since it is such a classic dress, I imagine you could get a lot of wear out of it. $650   Theia lace dress at Neiman's. This one would also be a good choice for a longer torso because of the full skirt.
2. Halston, on sale for $123 here

More budget friendly ideas:

1. Lace top dress  $49.95 from H&M. I think this one would give a good balance to a long torso because of the lace torso.
2. bejeweled halter neck dress on sale for $76. Classic slim fit dress.

If your personality doesn't work with a little black dress and you're more fun, color is great unless this is a black tie event, where more muted classic dressed up adult colors are appropriate.  My go-to place for fun dresses or anything a little more unique is nasty gal. So, of course, the next 4 are from there:

   
     
 

            1. Peach tiered dress  $68.00   2. Blue lace dress  $68.00    3. Red strapless dress  $172.00
           4. Powder blue off the shoulder dress   On sale for $27.20!

I myself have a wedding in the fall, I will most likely go with black or something fall-y colored. Any suggestions for me?

                                                                      Thanks for reading!