Recently in Weddings Category

Q. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding and the bride is concerned with what color shoes we should wear.  Our dresses are tea-length and chocolate brown.  Dyeables are not an option, as it is an outdoor wedding and the dye will run.  She’d like us all to be in the same shoe due to the length of the dresses. 
-Shoe Review

A. Just like we worry about the dress and the surefire phrase you can wear it again, you’d like to make sure the shoes you invest in can actually be worn on another occasion.  The chocolate dress and the shoes do not have to match exactly, and thank goodness for that since no one wants to look like a chocolate popsicle.  Your shoes can be a lighter or darker version of the hue of the dress or go one step further and look at bronze as your metallic choice to give the dresses more “shazam!” as Beyonce would say.

Nina Mabel Braided Sandal
$79.95 at solestruck.com

Chinese Laundry Wesley
$54.95 at zappos.com

RSVP Venice
$89.95 at zappos.com

Q. I am going to be married in the near future (we are considering eloping, so it’s a bit casual). To that end, I picked up the J. Crew whitney silk faille dress in pale green and am trying to figure out how to accessorize it. I’m thinking strappy heels and some sort of wrap with dangly earrings, but I’m not sure what to do color-wise since the dress is a light sage green color and I don’t particularly want to wear white with it. Would metallic sandals work? Where would I look for something like this (especially as I tend to need a 12W)?
-Wedding Shoe Woes
 
A. Just because you’re considering eloping doesn’t mean your wedding attire has to be casual.  It’s your day to shine whether it’s walking down the aisle at the Little White Chapel in Vegas, with your closest family on a hilltop in Hawaii or having a small gathering at an intimate restaurant.   

Shopping for a larger size shoe can frustrating since many designers do not produce larger sizes and when they do, they produce fewer styles and stores buy smaller amounts of the styles compared to sizes 7 and 8. It may take a little more sleuthing to find a stylish heel that accompanies the chartreuse dress, but my suggestions lean towards a metallic heel and these shoe picks all come in your size:

Special Occasions ‘Coco’ 
$143 at designershoes.com

Annie Selena 
$58.95 at zappos.com 

J. Renee ‘Inga’ Sandal
$82.85 at nordstrom.com

Q. I am wearing a knee length black dress to a wedding and party at night.  Can I wear nylons that are nude instead of black?
-Leg Cover

A. You can wear nude stockings instead of black, but you may need to spend a little extra time in the hosiery department matching up your skin color to make sure the nude stockings really do look like you are wearing nothing at all - since that’s the point. Or, if your can swing it in the cooler temps, go bare legged and perhaps use a sunless tanner on your legs.

Q. I loved wearing my wedding gown on my wedding day. It’s an ivory, strapless, floor-length Nicole Miller gown that I bought in the eveningwear section of Nordstrom, so it isn’t super bridal—no lace, beading or tulle, just sleek silk satin. Before I got married, I thought that by buying a white evening gown instead of a wedding dress I’d have more opportunity to wear it again, but anytime I consider wearing it, it seems too bridal. Should I just give up hope of wearing it again and pack it away for future generations, or is there any way I can accessorize it to make it less "here comes the bride?" Thanks for any help, I love your site.
—Always a Bride

A. Saving the dress for future generations is risky - a lot of care must be taken to store it properly and you can’t be sure your descendents will want to wear it, so my suggestion is to find a way to wear it again. If you can’t get the wedding march out of your head every time you slip on your white evening gown, consider taking it to a tailor and ask if the fabric can be dyed a darker color.  Or have a good tailor shorten the length of the dress to cocktail length and you’ll be assured that the dress will look different.  You should make a change since it’s likely that you’ll wish to wear the dress to an event with people who attended your own wedding.  Another benefit of making the change is that your dress and wedding memories will always be significant to that day.  Have fun mixing up color in your accessories like bejeweled strappy heels, a colorful clutch and dangling earrings. A pretty wrap or fitted cashmere cardigan can also help change the look of the dress.

shown left: use this Vera Wang A-Line dress as inspiration, $220 at nordstrom.com

Q. I am attending a black-tie event in November.  I don’t feel comfortable in floor-length dresses.  Is tea-length acceptable?  If so, what do you suggest?  Help…and hurry! 
-Black-tie challenged

A. If celebrities can walk the red carpet for the Oscars and Emmys in sophisticated tuxedos (a la Greta Garbo and Diane Keaton) and sweet tea length confections (think Sarah Jessica Parker), then it’s certainly fine for you to attend a black tie event in a dress that doesn’t skim the floor. Here are a few favorite finds:

velvet dress
Laundry by Shelli Segal
$265 at edressme.com

BCBG Max Azria
´D Esprit´ Trimmed Point Strapless Dress
$400 at nordstrom.com