Another wedding guest dress question

[Shmallow]

Is this too casual and/or voluminous for an outdoor summer wedding in the south of France? I really want to find something that isn't too tight all over as it'll be very warm, and the silk/cotton combo seems about right.

www.karenmillen.com/product/karen-millen-silk-cotton-trailing-floral-puff-sleeve-midi-dress_bkk28357?colour=blue

I think it's lovely and would be just right.

That is really pretty. Lovely dress.

Looks great - with lovely sandals and bag and layered jewellery it will really add to it even more x

Hmm … 😄 I took a very similarly shaped, voluminous cotton dress to the south of France a while ago, and felt remarkably dowdy and wrong in it. (Which almost never happens!)

It may be that the inclusion of silk makes this one airier. It may be that you don’t turn into a puddle of sweat in punishingly hot weather. There were other women who wore voluminous plain cotton dresses and didn’t suffer. But if you have the slightest doubt, imagine how it might look and feel when moderately damp. And heavy.

(I recall on that trip how I envied the French women arriving day after day to our event in tiny white vests and little suede mini skirts. Or those in incredibly light strappy sundresses with little crocheted cardigans.)

Maybe take it but have a back-up, in case it doesn’t seem perfect when you arrive?

@Shmallow I like silk cotton as a fabric. You should be ok and it’s always a challenge if you want sleeves - I assume you do. I think it’s just right. I’m so glad my DD who is getting married this year isn’t doing it anywhere hot. I’d melt.

Its a lovely dress, but I have no idea what people wear to a French wedding.

One thing to note though, the model is 5ft 9 so if you are shorter, it might look more like a maxi dress and come to your ankles. I'd definitely order it and see how it looks though.

Having looked through all the new Karen Millen dresses there isn’t anything there I’d want to wear in the south of France in summer. It’s all just too much fabric, or too … heavy handed. (KM isn’t somewhere I shop, but if you particularly want something from there I’d wait for the summer stock and get something properly lightweight and either sleeveless or strappy, (depending on the mores of the wedding, of course).

Lovely dress but very English’ looking. I have no idea what French people wear to weddings though: suede skirts in summer don’t seem a good idea!

Perhaps OP doesn't want something sleeveless or strappy?

I don’t think the dreary Amish way they’ve styled it helps. It could be nice.

Well, maybe, @PhaedraWas!

They haven’t styled it at all - just put what looks like a pair of hospital slippers or something on with it. I zoomed in on the shoes and they are hideous!

I also think the huge bow would only look okay on a neat bottom- it would be a disaster on me.

Personally it’s a no! Too much fabric, it’s looks heavy and the overly puffed sleeves and bow at the back is giving Alice in Wonderland vibes and the print reminds me of Sanderson curtains back in the day.

I don’t know if you want sleeves or not, but I would look for something midi to maxi length, less fussy and aim for simple but stylish using accessories to add a bit of glamour for a wedding.

colour & print of this may not suit you but it’s more what I would look for in terms of style and shape, it looks nice with tan accessories (on the NFD website) but you can also got for metallics.

https://www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/shop/hybrid/never-fully-dressed-emma-v-neck-paisley-print-midi-dress

I agree. I think the slim, tall model looks a bit dowdy in it. I would wear it with high heeled sandals, to glam it up a bit but it’s not something that would suit me. It would swamp many women.

I absolutely agree with @RubiesandRose

it gave me pottering around house barefoot before taking dog for a walk on a hot day vibe.
I think it’s not stylish and it doesn’t have this special occasion feel you need for a wedding.
It might look good on someone who looked good anyway but there would always something that could look better.

Surely viscose = a sweaty mess though?

I’m not a sweaty person so viscose would be fine for me in the heat, but it’s more the style and shape I was pointing OP towards as opposed to fabric specifically. I would be more uncomfortable in the cotton satin!

I think you’d be far too hot in that dress. And the bow on the back is definitely not something I’d want to see on anyone over the age of 2! It’s really not giving me south of France vibes at all. As someone said further up the thread… it’s just very ‘English’ and not in a good way. Sorry, but that dress is a no from me.

I don’t mind viscose either. I’m far more likely to sweat in cotton! I find cotton so heavy, viscose is always fine for me. I realise I’m a minority on MN though 🤷🏼‍♀️

Some great points here, thank you all! I do like it, but I can see perhaps not for this occasion.

I'm not wedded to KM, haven't ever actually won anything from there before I don't think, but quite liked the look of this one. I don't want strappy or sleeveless for reasons, but I do agree the long sleeves on this might be too much. And I'm also not 5'9 so the points about being a bit dowdy/swamped/also melting are very good, especially how close it'll be at the back. I feel like this winter has been endless and am forgetting what it feels like to sweat.

The guests will be a mix of French and British. I will carry on my hunt!

@Shmallow I think a dress with shorter sleeves but fairly floaty will help. Mini deodorant in your bag!

I'm not sure how anyone can think that is a better choice. It's far more fussy. Viscose is a nice material. It's a breathable material but it's also generally heavier and warmer than light cotton.

I think it's a lovely dress. I wouldn't worry too much about "the model is 5' 9" objections. I'm 5 ' 3". According to the received wisdom on MN I shouldn't be able to wear almost everything I own.

In reality I don't need to have things altered and at most dresses might look vey slightly longer on me. I'm not convinced this information is accurate or possibly dresses are scaled up to look the same on the model as they would on a "normal" woman.

South of France and cotton, I might look at Aspiga.