Sarah Jessica Parker at the 2014 Met Gala

FQ’s guide to deciphering dress codes

25 May 2017

Event dressing can be a hard task and deciphering dress codes can be the trickiest part of all.

We totally get the challenge but not understanding dress-code guidelines is never an excuse to ditch them completely.

FQ’s fashion and editorial assistant Jess Thomson recalls attending a wedding where the dress code was clearly stated as semi-formal on the invitation. “I opted for an understated pink and black strapless silk number – it was 2010 after all,” she says. “Much to my surprise (and disdain), a couple arrived in head-to-toe denim and sneakers. This was not only completely disrespectful to the bride and groom, but also utterly visually unappealing in the group photographs – which live on forever don’t forget.”

We don’t want repeat episodes of this people, so here are some tips and tricks from Jess to help you decipher how to dress to code in these seemingly difficult situations. It’s not actually as hard as you think…

Words: Jess Thomson
Photos: Getty Images

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