Ask The Fashion Police: Can I wear black to a wedding?

Dear Fashion Police,

I’ve been invited to a friend’s wedding in March. The problem is, I tend to live in black, and I am not very good with colour. I have a couple of little black dresses which I love, but I’m worried that wearing black to a wedding is just "not done". Is it? Can I wear it, or will I just cause offence?  ~ Sara

Sara,

Personally, I say the "never wear black to a wedding" thing is outdated now. Black is a classic: it can be worn for more or less anything these days, and is no longer strictly funereal. To my mind, the only colour taboo for wedding guests involves wearing white, cream or any other colour that could cause people to mistake you for the bride. No matter how good you look, or how un-bridal your outfit its, it will still scream out "I really wish I was the bride!", which is so not a good look.

As for black, well, unless you’re planning on wearing it with a veil and a mournful expression, I say go for your life. If you’re at all worried about it, try accessorizing with a wrap, hat, shoes or handbag in a brighter colour, pin a corsage to your dress, or go for something like the above dress from Coast, which breaks up the black with a touch of white and a corsage detail.

If you’re still worried about causing offense, have a quick word with the bride to be and ask her if she has any objections to guests wearing black. In my experience, most brides couldn’t care less what their guests wear, as long as it’s not long, white and accesorized with a veil.  And, of course, as long as it doesn’t look like this…