10 Things You Should Never Wear to a Wedding

TLC posted an article called "10 Things You Should Never Wear to a Wedding" and I thought it'd be fun to comment on their "rules" since I'm generally skeptical of fashion rules.

I feel that there are very few universals anymore when it comes to fashion, style, and matching. The whole "don't wear white after labor day" or "don't wear black and brown together" rules can all be broken if done properly and by someone who can pull it off. Don't get me wrong. If you're a boy and you wear a brown belt and black shoes people are going to comment. But current trends are all about mixing colors and patterns that no one would have ever dreamt of mixing 10 years ago.

Okay so here are the supposed rules.

Never wear ____ to a wedding:

10. Black

Okay, I get it. It's not a funeral. I'd be reluctant to wear black to a wedding. But I've seen a lot of black cocktail dresses at weddings this year and no one seems to be scandalized by it. I know I've worn dresses to winter weddings that were very dark and partially black.

9. Something Skimpy

I wholeheartedly agree with this one. Anything that draws a lot of attention and takes focus off the bride/couple is insulting. This event is not about you. You can look good without wearing something that will attract stares and whispers from the entire room and a glare from the grandma. It especially upsets me when a mother or mother-in-law shows up wearing something skimpy...it's just so very tacky and insulting, not to mention trashy.

8. Jeans & a T-Shirt

Okay sure. In general this seems legitimate. But I'm sure there is an exception somewhere in the country. Redneck theme wedding? Elopement with a few friends? Special request by the couple?

7. A Tux

This is another rule that addresses upstaging. Probably true in general, although there must be extremely formal weddings out there that require a tuxedo dress code.

6. Bell-Bottoms and other Dated Attire

Whose to say what's dated these days? Someone, somewhere, I'm sure. But this rule is a little to vague for me.

5. A Tiara

This is another one I completely am on board with. I'm not personally even really a fan of the bride wearing a tiara (if you're not a real-live princess tiaras seem a little pretentious to me in any scenario) but a guest is a definite no-no.

4. A Prom Dress

I've seen this happen many times and it isn't pretty. This kind of falls into the same category as a tux. Unless it's an extremely formal wedding, ball gowns and formal dresses just look tacky...not classy. Recycled prom dresses are a no, I agree.

3. A Pant Suit

I think this rule is crap. Pants suits are not for everyone of course, but there are classy pant suits that are perfectly appropriate for a wedding---especially if you're Ellen Degeneres (who wore a pant suit to her own wedding) or the grandmother of the bride.

2. Anything Loud or Garish

This goes right back to the skimpy and tiara rules. If you're attracting attention and taking away from the bride, it's just rude.

1. White

This has been a hard and fast rule for as long as brides wearing white has been in fashion. I think it holds true in general but I've seen exceptions.

Example?---a themed wedding where the bride asks guests to where white and she/the wedding party wears color. And of course there are the many other cultural traditions where the bride doesn't wear white anyway. I can't imagine this rule holding true for those ceremonies. Real life example?---The Royal Wedding (Will and Kate) totally broke this rule when sister Pippa wore white. In fact, white bridesmaids dresses is a recent trend in wedding fashion.

As for guests at the average American wedding ceremony---there are white dresses that aren't solid white (like floral patterns) that you seem to be able to get away with. Other, more controversial choices likes creams and off-whites can be risky. I've seen mothers and mothers-in-law wear these shades to weddings...in some cases it's pulled off, in others the bride is furious. So yeah, I'd be very skeptical of wearing anything even remotely close to solid white to your average American wedding.