Vogue releases ultimate style guide for wedding guests

Leave the fascinator at home

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The birds are tweeting and the daffodils are blooming, it can only mean one thing: wedding season is fast-approaching, in all its unbridled saccharine splendour.

Whether you’re merely a humble bystander or a dedicated bridesmaid “who’s never the bride”, wedding guest attire can be quite the cause for contention, with sartorial horror stories plagued by grotesque headwear and ill-fitting dresses chosen by someone else.

A style guidebook for navigating this murky mode of occasionwear is long overdue and according to British Vogue, we’ve been getting it wrong this entire time.

While tradition might have you reaching for your fascinator as soon as the wedding invites start to roll in, the fashion bible claims that the twee headwear staple looks “half-hearted” and should be avoided “at all costs”.

Instead, they suggest channelling some 1920s nostalgia with a pillarbox hat or sprucing up your hairdo with some fancy clips.

It’s also time to embrace the cardigan, Vogue states in its April issue feature, as this can provide an inoffensive extra layer of warmth in case the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worst.

(British Vogue (British Vogue)

Plus, you can add some sartorial pizazz by accessorising it with a statement brooch.

It’s time to ditch the clutch bag too in favour of the more sophisticated top-handle handbag, as often sported by Meghan Markle.

Meghan Markle has a penchant for the top-handle handbag (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

However, if you really want to impress with your style choices, forget high street brands and well-known designers, seek out niche under-the-radar labels such as the Vampire's Wife and Brock Collection to stand out from the crowd and ensure nobody else is wearing the same outfit as you, which is indisputably the cardinal sin of wedding guest dressing.

Other key takeaways from Vogue’s comprehensive guide include swapping stilettos for wedges, avoiding pale colours and staying far away from anything resembling fake tan.

Wave goodbye to fears of being a fashion victim this wedding season.