Department Stores Can Outfit This Wedding Party
Dear Fashion Police: A friend of mine will soon be having an 11 a.m. wedding. What should the attire be for the entire wedding party? Also, what is the protocol on including gift registry cards within the bridal shower and/or wedding invitations?
--A FRIEND WHO’S TRYING
TO DO THE RIGHT THING
Dear Trying: Your friend is having a wedding “soon” and the wedding party isn’t outfitted yet? We’re no stranger to procrastination, but this is a little much. Someone had better get a move on.
The only clue you gave us about this wedding is that it’s at 11 a.m.--not a lot to go on. We’d at least have to know the location, the degree of formality, the budget and what the bride is wearing in order to give any specifics. But since you have to find clothes in a hurry, here are some suggestions: For the men, try a department store or large, well-stocked menswear store for some basic suits, and pray they do quick alterations. For the women, you’ll have to bypass the traditional bridal salons, since it can take six months from first fittings to completed dresses. Department stores and national chains such as Ann Taylor and Talbots offer the best selection of styles, sizes and colors.
Bridesmaids’ dresses don’t have to match exactly (it’s tough to get everyone to agree on one style anyway). Think about wearing similar silhouettes or color palettes, which can look great.
We’ve been to wonderful weddings that were pulled together in record time. Remember that necessity is the mother of invention, and sheer panic can make you very creative.
As for sending a gift registry card along with the shower or wedding invitations, the answer is no. No, no, no. Never. Don’t even let it cross your mind. While you may think of it as a convenient way to tell people where the bride and groom are registered, it comes across as: “Give us presents. Here’s what we want.” Not very classy. If anyone wants to know, they can ask the shower hostess, the bride’s family or a close friend.
*
Dear Fashion Police: My daughter is employed in a large bank in the finance department. She doesn’t work with clients directly but deals with them on the phone. There isn’t a dress code, but she wears suits. Her boss feels that she should be wearing navy or black suits, but doesn’t allow short-sleeve suits for spring and summer or pant suits. She has light-colored suits and feels she looks very professional. I feel that she is dressing properly , but her boss seems to like to have this same discussion with her weekly. She has asked him to write down how he would like her to dress but he will not do so. Please give me some answers.
--WHAT’S A MOTHER TO DO?
Dear Mother: Your daughter’s boss will only allow her to wear navy or black suits with long-sleeve jackets? Hmmm. Getting this information secondhand makes us think there are some details missing, but we’ll do our best.. Ask your daughter to make sure there is no written dress code and find out exactly what the company’s policy is about women’s attire. It’s unlikely it’s limited to dark suits, but there could be an informal policy that dictates this.
Is she the only one being asked to dress this way? She might want to talk with her co-workers to see if they’ve had similar experiences. If several employees band together and present their case, things could change. If there is no formal dress code, they could lobby for one that allows some variations on professional attire.
Although many businesses are becoming more casual, others adhere to conservative rules of dress. If this is one of them, your daughter may have to go with the flow.
Write to Fashion Police, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to socalliving@latimes.com.
