‘Bohème chic’ wedding guest dress for the desert

[GlitteringFeeling]

Hello - another person with a wedding guest outfit conundrum! Have kindly been added as a fairly late plus one to the wedding of my boyfriend’s friends. I’m very much looking forward to going, however am tearing my hair out a bit on what to wear. Not helped by the fact I don’t really know any other ladies going, so can’t ask them!

Wedding is the desert in Morocco in August - evening event, so apparently temperatures will have dropped. Guest code says ‘Bohème chic’. For Men it asks for linen suits in pastels or shades of camel with shirt and tie.

What do I wear?!

I’m interpreting the Bohème chic to mean flowy and non-structured, probably maxi length… but given the colours suggested for men, I also assume not too bright? But can’t be too light with fear of looking bridal!

I wore this dress to a wedding in the south of France earlier in the month - lovely to wear, but I think the blues are too much? https://www.mytheresa.com/gb/en/women/poupette-st-barth-faye-printed-midi-dress-blue-p00746549

I’m early 30s, size 10, mid/dark brown hair and typically drawn to richer colours like cobalt blue, raspberry pink etc. ideally don’t want to spend more than £200, unless I love it!

Anyone seen any dresses that might fit the brief?

thank you in advance!

I love this

Boho chic means an upmarket monsoon. You want raw silk or pure cotton, even a cheese cloth type. Floaty. Perhaps a block print pattern. Bedouin type jewellery. If in any doubt get a simple dress in one colour (using the men’s palette as your guide) that is floaty, maybe with some tassely bits, and then really load up with your silver bracelets. Consider spending your money on statement jewellery. Dangly earrings. Sienna miller is your muse. Though not the marks and Spencers version of her.

I like the Indian wedding dress posted above! Keep in mind that it’s Morocco so not loads of flesh on show, you’ll need a cover up. Floaty shawl could do the job!

i bet you already have something in your wardrobe that you could adapt. I have to admit I don’t think the dress you posted looks madly boho, but hey, what’s anyone going to do — hardly ask you to undress on the day, plus I bet you won’t be the only one struggling over the dress code. Oh last tip, do you know the bride? I’m wondering if this boho chic style is ‘her vibe’ so look at what she tends to wear for inspiration!

For instance, and Im not in any way actually suggesting the below dress! But what I’d do, is get a dress like this (note that it’s defined as boho on the website!). Then I’d get really beautiful jewelled sandals. I’d wear lots of beautiful Bedouin jewellery (I may be a bit lucky here since I have a lot of gorgeous unusual stuff from years of travel, but sounds like you might do too?) and then hair, nails, and makeup - and you’d fit the bill. I wonder if by boho she’s trying to encourage you to feel relaxed, but she’s added the ‘chic’ bit to ensure you all make an effort…

www.johnlewis.com/aspiga-embroidered-boho-dress/p6133906

Oh. I’ve just noticed you say it’s an evening event. Ah. That changes things a bit… a more evening fabric and look is probably needed… and yes, a bit colder too.

Op, you can ignore my messages, I think your dress is fine for the evening. With a shawl. Lots of jewellery. Get the shoes/sandals right. Relaxed hair etc.

Your dress is gorgeous. You can up the "boho" vibe by wearing sandals, bangles, hoop earrings, shoulder bag and a headscarf

Thank you all for the further messages and ideas!

I know the existing dress isn’t bang on theme (hence why I asked!), but as people have pointed out I need to weigh up accessorising it versus buying something new.

Some lovely other new options for me to look at!

regarding modesty etc - neither of the couple is Moroccan and they’ve hired the whole venue. Given all the details on the wedding website, down to stating colours and ties for men, I would be very surprised if they missed saying women need to be modestly dressed… but I will ask my boyfriend if he can find that out to be 100% sure!

Check out their instagram oages, if they have ine, they sound like the types to have vision boarded the wedding and the venue may also give some style cues on its website.

I don’t think there us anything wrong with a dress code per se but i think boheme chic is a bit odd and unspecific. Boho chic can range from a kind of hippy/careless/ frumpy look (and to me a tiered skirt verges on the frumpy) to a sophisticated roaring twenties heiress on the prowl in north africa vibe. Whatever you do should appear artfully casual and chic—the very upscale version of boho.

they sound like the types to have vision boarded the wedding

Erm. What does that mean?

You need to channel Angela Lansbury

Guest code says ‘Bohème chic’. For Men it asks for linen suits in pastels or shades of camel with shirt and tie.

If couples are stipulating a rigid dress code, then they should be paying for the guest's pastel or camel linen suits and the ‘Bohème chic’ dresses. It's enough that guests will have to pay in order to attend a wedding in Morocco.

That took so long to upload a photo, Im rubbish at things like this, this is what Im envisaging

"Ultimately, a vision board is a blank canvas from which you can design every aspect of your life."

"A vision board is essentially a physical (or digital) manifestation of your goals. Vision boarding involves collecting images or objects that speak to the future you want to create and arranging them on a board for a tangible and aesthetically pleasing reminder of where you're heading."

That dressing is not Boho at all @OP nor would I say suitable for a Moroccan wedding, unless both parties are western and doing it purely as a destination wedding type thing. I think the dress mentioned up thread for the Indian wedding is far more fitting.

https://www.folkster.com/products/rebecca-dress-teal-teal-blue-green-embroidered-one-shoulder-dress

It comes with a waistcoat type top

https://www.folkster.com/products/madeline-hand-embellished-midi-dress-raspberry-midi-dress-embroidered-raspberry-occasion?pos=3&&sid=a4bb4c9f8&ss=r

I suppose they might both be too bright for the dress code?

If you just google boheme clothing it is all long sleeved floaty maxi dresses. I've disappeared down a rabbit hole now as they are all gorgeous there will be more upmarket natural fiber versions, but as you like jewel colours this is lovely

www.debenhams.com/product/izabel-london-floral-side-split-maxi-dress_p-54d44b5f-94ec-4b3e-950d-50d466f48163

My mum's side of the family is Maghrebi and we lived in Morocco until I was twelve. As the couple aren't Moroccan themselves, I don't think you need to be super glam (we tend to go big or go home when it comes to weddings) and the dress you've already got looks boho chic to me. Just remember that typical everyday dress in the desert communities didn't evolve only out of religious customs, but practicality. It's a fierce dry heat during the day and if there's any breeze at all the sand can make your skin feel prickly. Then at night the temperature drops like a stone. Loose-fitting breathable clothes that are easy to layer work well for both situations. I'd definitely take some kind of wrap or coverup with a dress like that.

Where exactly are you going? If you have time to do a bit of shopping in Morocco before the wedding, you could find some silver jewellery in the souq that would look absolutely gorgeous with the dress. It would be a nice souvenir for you to bring home as well.

The dress that @Bignanna showed is perfect. The right colours, long sleeves, floaty - it's the definition of boho. Where's it from?

I know I could have googled it, but I posted my "thick sounding" remark to illustrate that most people wouldn't use that term, nor do they live their lives like that.

Given all the details on the wedding website, down to stating colours and ties for men

I think if DH had been told what to wear to a wedding he would just stay at home. No-one tells him what to wear to that kind of detail.

I don't think that dress guidelines are wrong, but to be told what colour to wear is going too far.

Freemans

https://www.freemans.com/products/together-ombre-jacquard-tiered-maxi-dress/_/A-25G921_12?utm_source=GoogleProductList&utm_medium=PLA&utm_campaign=Womens_Dresses_OccasionDresses&utm_content=25G921&ns_campaign=Womens_Dresses_OccasionDresses&ns_mchannel=PLA&ns_source=GoogleProductList&ns_linkname=25G921&ns_fee=0&utm_medium=cpc&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwhIS0BhBqEiwADAUhc5T17nPl_rPcoSbvS5IKbGd3E290gy88z9ROW1g81FwTAcLy4iPDtRoCvTQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

This dress would be perfect as others have said!

"I think if DH had been told what to wear to a wedding he would just stay at home. No-one tells him what to wear to that kind of detail"

Mine, too.

It doesn't matter if you approve or not @RampantIvy !!

The op needs help. With what to wear. That's what sh's asked.

Free People are good for boho
www.freepeople.com/uk/shop/tried-and-true-maxi-dress/

Well sure @RampantIvy all right thinking people would absolutely reject any dress code as an impermissible infringement on their independence. And no doubt you and your husband, if invited to such an affair, would also let the bride and groom know how disappointed and repulsed you are by their shallowness.

But OP wants to join in the fun and dress appropriately for the festivities. Its no different from wearing a hat for Ascot if you are invited. Its such a silly humblebrag to pretend you and sturdy man of the people would never dress up for an event.