dress for a wedding?

[asterroc]

I'm going to a friend's wedding on Thanksgiving Saturday, she's the bride. The attire is semi-formal, the ceremony will be non-denominational, the bride is wearing a dress from J.Crew and the groom a kilt, and the bride is Chinese. I'm torn between wearing a strappy floor-length dress that's gold underneath with black mesh over (two crappy pictures here and here), and a Chinese-style ("Mandarin style") dress from my Nga Boo with half sleeves, a collar, and ends just below the knee, in yellow brocade (somewhat like this in cut).

I'm actually having the Chinese dress fitted and picking it up tomorrow afternoon, so if it's not ready that'll make my choice for me. While I feel like the Chinese one is a more appropriate level of attire (the long one seems a bit *too* formal), it strikes me that b/c of its outlandishness that it could be worn in many more circumstances than the long one, so I should wear the long one when I can. The bride's planning to have another reception in NYC a few months away, so it could be worn then, for example, presuming I'm invited which seems a reasonable presumption since she said she'd invite my parents.

I also have shoes and a purse for the long dress, and I'd have to throw something together for the Chinese-style one.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[meig.livejournal.com]

If the bride is wearing J. Crew, the gold dress is way too formal, IMO.

[meig.livejournal.com]

Pretty dress, though!

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

She's wearing this dress. She said to me that she specified semi-formal so the women attending get the chance to dress up.

[meig.livejournal.com]

That's not what I pictured when you said J. Crew :) I think either dress would work then.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

It's still a less-formal wedding dress though, so I'm still iffy. :)

[l0stmyrel1g10n.livejournal.com]

it sounds like you want to wear the gold dress more. so i say, wear the gold dress.

[zandperl.livejournal.com]

But I dunno, it may be too formal. And it's a nice homage to my Nga Boo to wear her dress. *vacillates*

[framefolly.livejournal.com]

Go for the gold! You'll have other chances to wear the Chinese dress. I like being overdressed sometimes ;) .

[sammka.livejournal.com]

I'm rooting for the Chinese style dress:

1) floor-length is too formal
2) the gold dress seems rather showy (both in color and in its strappiness), and you should always wear a less fancy dress than the bride. Then again, the pictures made it look somewhat more casual than I imagined, but that may have just been context.

[spazzy444.livejournal.com]

iawtc

[soapfaerie.livejournal.com]

ditto