Dress codes on invitations rarely mean the same thing to everyone. “Cocktail” can be a short dress for one couple and a floor-length frock for another. When in doubt, ask the couple, or ask someone in the wedding party.

Below is how we explain the main dress codes in the fitting room, with a few ideas for each. It’s a guide, not a rulebook.

Before you shop

Check the ceremony and reception locations first

The venue shapes almost every choice you make, so find out where the day will be held before you look at dresses. A ceremony on a beach or a vineyard lawn and a reception in a hotel ballroom call for quite different outfits, and some weddings move between two or three places in a single day.

• Where is the ceremony, and where is the reception? They are often in different places. Check the invitation or the couple’s wedding website, or ask someone in the wedding party.
• Is it indoors, outdoors or both? Outdoor ceremonies mean sun, wind and uneven ground. Indoor venues can be cool even in summer.
• What is the ground like? Lawn, sand, gravel, cobblestones, boardwalks and timber decking each suit different shoes.
• What time of day is it? An afternoon ceremony in summer calls for breathable fabric and some sun protection, while an evening reception may need a light layer.
• How far will you walk or stand? Check parking, shuttle buses and the distance between the ceremony and photos. A long walk in the wrong shoes can spoil the day.
• Is there a dance floor, and will you be seated for long? Think about how the dress moves when you sit, step up into a bus or dance.

Garden party or daytime

Light, fluid and a bit of colour

Daytime weddings, especially outdoors, suit midi dresses with a soft print or a clear colour. Comfort matters: grass, heat and a long ceremony. See more in our Lunch & Garden Party collection.

Relaxed celebrations

Casual and beach weddings

“Casual” or “beachside” on an invitation is not an invitation to dress down completely. It usually means relaxed and comfortable, but still a step up from what you would wear to the shops. If you’re unsure, a quick message to the couple or someone in the wedding party will settle it.

• Choose a fabric that moves and breathes. Cotton, rayon and other light fabrics are comfortable in the heat and in a sea breeze.
• Think about the wind. A full or very light skirt can lift on a beach. A midi length, a gathered skirt that is not too wide, or a wide-leg pant is easier to manage.
• Pants are a good option. A dressy wide-leg pant with a printed or silky top is comfortable, easy to move in and works on sand, decking and grass.
• Protect yourself from the sun. Plan for a hat or a light wrap, sunglasses and sunscreen, and find out whether the ceremony is in the shade.
• Choose colour and print. Beach and casual weddings suit brighter colours and prints. Keep to the guidance about white and ivory.
• Check the shoes and the ground. Flat sandals or wedges are the most practical on sand, and some couples ask guests to go barefoot.
• Pack a light layer. Coastal evenings can cool down quickly, even after a hot day.

Cocktail

The most common code, and the most confusing

Think knee-length to midi, in a fabric with some polish. Black is fine for most weddings today, but if you want to avoid it, navy or a warm colour works well. More ideas in Cocktail & Evening Wear.

Semi-formal and formal

Longer lines and more structure

For an evening wedding, consider a richer fabric or a more detailed neckline. A tailored wide-leg pant with a statement blouse is an equally formal option for many invitations. If you are the mother of the bride or groom, see our Mother of the Bride & Groom Outfits.

What goes underneath

If you don’t usually wear dresses: the foundations that change how it looks

If dresses aren’t part of your everyday wardrobe, a wedding can feel like a big step. The good news is that most of what makes a dress look and feel right happens underneath it. The same dress can look quite different depending on what you wear beneath it, and a few small decisions made well before the day can make you far more comfortable once you’re there.

Start with a well-fitted bra

A bra that fits properly changes the line of almost every dress, from the way the neckline sits to how the fabric falls over the waist. It is also the thing most of us are least likely to have checked recently. Our bodies change over the years, and many women are still wearing a size they chose a long time ago.

If you can, book a fitting with a professional bra-fitting service. Every city has specialist bra boutiques, and a fitting usually takes under an hour. If you’re in Perth, talk to our team about which fitters we recommend.

• Choose your dress first, then book the fitting. A fitter can only choose the right bra once they can see the neckline, the back and the fabric.
• Take the dress with you to the fitting, or at least wear something close to it, so the fitter can see how the bra sits under the fabric.
• Wear it before the day. Wear the finished outfit, with the bra, for an hour at home to see if anything pinches, slips or needs adjusting.

Body-shaping undergarments: a useful tool, not a must for everyone

Many women find that smoothing or shaping undergarments make a real difference as they get older, both to how a dress hangs and to how they feel in it. If you are uncomfortable in a dress, you tend to stand differently, tug at it and think about it all day. Feeling smooth and supported can let you stop thinking about it and enjoy the wedding.

That said, choose comfort over compression. Shapewear that is too tight can ride up, roll at the edges or leave marks, and a long day in a warm venue is not the time to find that out.

• Try it with the dress. Check the lines under the fabric, especially at the hem and around the thigh and back, in natural light if you can.
• Match it to the fabric. A fluid, light or clingy fabric will show more than a structured or lined one. A smooth, seamless style usually suits fine fabrics best.
• Consider the weather. In summer heat, a lightweight, breathable style is much more comfortable than a heavy one.
• Think about the day as a whole. You will sit, stand, eat and possibly dance. Sit down in it and check that you can breathe and move freely.
• Consider a slip or anti-chafe shorts under a dress in warm weather, if you tend to find thighs rub together or a dress clings.

Ask our team if you’d like help choosing a dress that suits what you prefer to wear underneath it.

Finishing the outfit

Choose shoes that suit the dress and the venue

Shoes are the part of the outfit that most affects how you feel by the end of the day, so decide on them together with the dress, not afterwards. Check both things: that they look right with the length and style of the dress, and that they suit the location you checked above.

• Lawns and gardens: block heels or a wedge are far kinder than a thin heel, which sinks into soft ground and can be hard to walk in.
• Beaches and sand: flat sandals or wedges are the most practical. Some brides ask guests to go barefoot, so check.
• Gravel, cobblestones and timber decking: a lower block heel or a flat is steadier and less likely to catch in gaps.
• Indoor venues and dance floors: a comfortable heel or dressy flat is fine, ideally with some grip underfoot and a cushioned insole.
• Hem length matters. Try the dress with the shoes you plan to wear, as the hem will sit differently with a flat than with a heel.
• Break them in. Wear new shoes around the house for a few days before the wedding.

Wear it again

Choose an outfit you’ll wear after the wedding

Many of our customers choose a wedding outfit they can wear again, and it is worth thinking about when you shop. Unless the invitation specifies formal dress, or you are the mother of the bride or groom, aim for something that is not a one-use outfit. A dress or outfit that works for a wedding and for lunches, dinners, work events and holidays is better value and kinder to the planet.

• Choose a style, colour and print you’d wear on an ordinary weekend. If you can picture it at a lunch or a dinner, it will earn its place in your wardrobe.
• Look at the cost per wear. A dress worn six or eight times costs far less per wear than a cheaper one worn once.
• Pick a fabric that is easy to care for. Check the care label before you buy, as something that needs dry cleaning every time is less likely to be worn again.
• Think about how you can change it. Different shoes, jewellery, a jacket or a wrap can move the same dress from a wedding to a business lunch.
• Consider separates. A dressy pant and blouse can be worn together for the wedding and apart on other days.
• Avoid very trend-led details if you want the outfit to last through several seasons.

What not to wear

The short list

White, ivory and cream are best left to the bride unless she has said otherwise. Avoid anything you’d be anxious about adjusting during the ceremony.