What to wear to a black tie wedding

Dress (in stock in all sizes! Also comes in blush pink) | Similar earrings | Sandals | Chanel bag (similar budget-friendly option here)

After yesterday's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale madness (who else waited over four hours to place their order? #raiseshand), I thought it'd be a nice change to talk about something completely different. Weddings. Because unlike the #NSale, those aren't stressful at all, right? ;)

Let's talk specifically about black tie weddings. They can be tricky any time of year, but especially in the summer. And since I've somehow managed to get myself invited to several now over the past few years and have learned a few things along the way I thought it might be helpful to share!

1. You can wear black -- Consider this post Exhibit A. There's a reason it's called black tie, after all ;) But in all seriousness, a black dress is perfectly acceptable wedding attire anytime of the year, even when it's hot AF outside and it's the last color on the planet you feel like wearing. A more casual wedding makes it easier to opt for something floral or breezy, but you can never go wrong with black.

2. Your dress doesn't have to touch the floor -- I might get some side eye on this one, but hear me out. I will almost always opt for a floor length gown for a black tie wedding. But if you want to go shorter make sure your dress makes up for in fanciness what it lacks in length. A midi or cocktail dress in a fancy fabric paired with statement jewelry would be perfectly okay in my book and would still be appropriate!

3. Fabric matters -- This kind of ties in to #2. Not every fabric can be dressed up and there's a huge difference between a jersey maxi dress that you'd throw on to run errands or for brunch on the weekends and what's appropriate for a black tie wedding. I'm all about versatility, but some materials are simply meant to be more casual and no amount of accessorizing can make them formal enough. If it feels too casual, it probably is.

4. Keep it classy -- We've all seen that girl at a wedding whose dress is entirely inappropriate because it's just too revealing. Don't be that girl. Tread carefully when it comes to cutout details, strappy/exposed backs, side boob and plunging necklines. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel good in what you're wearing but someone else's wedding is not the time to bring sexy back.

5. Your man should be in a tux -- "But he has a perfectly good black suit hanging in his closet. Can't he just wear that?" No. There will likely be other people wearing them and they'll be underdressed for the occasion. A rental is pretty affordable and you get all the accoutrements. Or, if you foresee having several formal events and want to invest in one but don't want to break the bank, check out places like Topman. That's where we got Vincent's and he always gets a ton of compliments when he wears it!

I hope this has been helpful but please feel free to tweet me with any other questions! Thanks for stopping by!