Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Art, Fashion & Design >

No white shoes after Labour day, no black at a wedding?

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

22:38 / 05.04.04

To all intents and purposes I am a stylish Scrubb around town. I am aware of fashion but do not follow it slavishly enough to warrent stalking arrests. I know my wedges from my spikes, my bias-cuts from my A-lines, and I use this knowledge for Good.

Now. I have several weddings to attend in the coming year and am trying to assemble suitable outfits. Odds on favourite at this time is my corset, pencil skirt, micro-fishnets, kitten heels, a suitable jacket (for the ceremony) and some feathers for the hair. Smart enough for the bride's parents yet saucy enough to bag a bridesmaid.

However. All of the above is black. Is this an appropriate colour for a wedding guest? All four weddings are going to be very traditional old-school businesses, and I'm not sure whether wearing black will bring Doom to the proceedings and lead to the death of the best man in a hideous dinghy accident, and cold-sores to the groom's sister. Anyone? Will this be ok or must I knuckle down to powder blue?

(The other alternative would be a morning suit, but I really really can't afford to pay for one that fits well at any time in the next decade)

08:13 / 06.04.04

I think you should be all right. You could add some colour in accessories (perhaps the feathers in your hair? Or a bag or flower or something?) - and it wouldn't need to be pastel either if you prefer something bold.

I think the most important thing is to look as if you have made an effort, really, and you should be all right on that front. I wore all black (except my fishnets were beige I think) to a wedding last year and no one complained. I suppose old grannies might mutter a little, but that's what old grannies are for...

08:47 / 06.04.04

Rather black than white, I think is the main thing. White's a big no no as it looks like you're competing with the bride, and black used to mean that you were mourning for her. *gulp* No-one worries anymore though, except - as KCC says - the odd old lady - and I suspect that they only do that sort of thing as an excuse to talk to you - so have some polite chit-chat reserved for that sort of thing. If you're really bothered and you know them well enough - ask the bride or groom!

15:35 / 09.04.04

Don't know the etiquette where you are, Salt Scrubb, but when Ganesh's mother got married again, the last time, she and both of her daughters wore black. Relieved only by their flowers and, in the case of one daughter, a mauve pashmina. It was a very happy affair (apart from the food poisoning after the oyster hors d'oeuvres ) and they all looked mighty fine.

But why would anyone ever wear white shoes, before or after Labour Day?

Tryphena Absent

16:11 / 09.04.04

I don't understand that whole Labour Day thing. When's Labour Day? When can you wear white shoes again?

I hate to confess this but I'd never wear black to a wedding unless it had a colourful pattern atop it.

17:08 / 09.04.04

Labor Day is the first Monday of September, so presumably the 'no white after...' rule is basically 'don't wear white shoes in the autumn'. Which makes sense.

I don't think that people are so superstitious sbout weddings anymore, but accessories, or something to break the black would be good. Then again, I'd say that for clothes not just for weddings.

Tryphena Absent

00:17 / 10.04.04

(I do like and support superstitions that relate to births, deaths and marriages. Don't listen to me on any of these subjects unless you want a lengthy discussion as to why we need to show our cheeriness at a wedding through the use of colour.)

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

09:50 / 11.04.04

Thanks for all advice. The black thing is more practicality than choice - the one proper corset I own (Vollers, full boning and lacing, satin, mmm...) is black, and I really want to wear it. In the future, when we all have jet packs, I'll be monied enough to own an entire walk-in wardrobe of corsetry in every colour and never have to worry about offending brides again.

The accessory idea is a good one though. Moving on then - would matching shoes, handbag and feathers be nasty? Would it be better to synchronise just 2 of them?

10:08 / 12.04.04

I'd tend to say more matching rather than less... although it might seem over the top to have so many things in the same colour, they're all going to be so much smaller than the outfit itself that it won't look tacky.

By the way, what form do the feathers take?

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

13:38 / 20.04.04

Mmmmkay, folks, update. Outfit currently looking like this:

Black: skirt, corset, fishnets, heels, eyeliner.
Pale blue: sparkly cardigan thing, hair-clip/comb with long feathery stuff.
Red: hair (dyed), lipstick.

Are we loving it? I'm certainly loving it.

15:20 / 20.04.04

Yes, definitely. Sounds smashing.

16:05 / 22.04.04

salt scrubb, it sounds TOO good. more than not wearing black (which i say is fine), i am obsessed w/the idea of not upstaging the bride!! and yr outfit sounds so awesome, esp. w/the feathers in the hair, it sounds like you might do just that. i don't mean to make you obsess more, but i had to share this cos it's a thing w/me.

Scrubb is on a downward spiral

11:27 / 03.05.04

Thankee kindly. The first of the weddings (so many!) is in three weeks time. Am now steeled and ready for sartorial glory (and bagging a bridesmaid).

Also - have just found out that the Australian wedding (3rd of the batch) is in mid-December, ie. the middle of the bloody summer. In Canberra. Hopefully the fabulous outfit will stand up to the heat and baked concrete.