First In, Best Dressed: June 2014

You know how I've been talking white dresses non stop lately? I just think its such a nice British custom that I'd love to see more of it at weddings generally. Well, I've also been thinking about how to introduce the whole wearing white thing at your next wedding without it turning into a big deal and in a way that can be dressed up or down so you can get the most wear from it.

Sorted! Take a look at these white dresses. Yes, they're white but they have enough colour splashed across them to let you feel comfortable wearing them as a guest at a wedding as well as throughout summer. White but not too much white and just enough white in the right places. With a shawl or jacket, these dresses will really step into their own this summer.

These dresses are on sale now
First in, Best dressed

Selected Femme

MERLA - Maxi dress - white 

£85
I love the shoulder strap detail here and knowing how good it will look with a cropped jacket or cardi in any of a number of colours - whichever suits you.

I've already snapped this dress up myself and will be teaming it with a cropped lavender shrug and metallic silver sandals for those billowy outside nuptials I'll be attending. What I especially love about this style is that once I'm dressed, I won't have to keep fiddling or fussing with my outfit.

Every wedding I go to, there seems to be some conspiracy against women being comfortable and looking good in formal and semi formal wear: from hoisting up their bra straps, straightening out their stockings to pulling down their hems, badly designed outfits are everywhere. The maxi dress trend does away with all those concerns and as long as the wedding is somewhat causal and being held outdoors, I'm so there. Now I'll be able to focus on the job at hand and not worry about those pesky details. Summer ready.

Kilian Kerner

Occasion wear - white

£720

Here's an investment piece dress that will slide right in with all those black wardrobe pieces you know you want to get more wear out of, or let you introduce and splash some colour. It's good to go for weddings as well as other formal occasions, depending on what you team it with. What I love about this dress is it's length (making it practical for so many occasions) and that it feels like a response to that classic go-to; the little black dress. If it was all white it would be decidedly too wedding-ish, but the black distressed print really shakes it up. It's both modern and classic, meaning that you'll be able to hang it in your wardrobe for years to come.

Indi & Cold

Maxi dress - white

£145

Yes, I might have a thing for maxi dresses. Biased? for sure. They're just too easy to wear and there's no thinking about holding down your skirts or pulling down your hem when walking up staircases (never a classy look). So what's a girl to do during the summer wedding season? Go with the flow. Length adds instant sophistication and you can always dress it up with the right shawl or jacket. I love the birds on this dress, the print just makes it fun and the flashes of teal mean you can accessorise away from the white to your hearts content.

Molly Bracken

Maxi dress - white

£45

Do you know the one question 99% of people ask me when they find out I'm a wedding planner? What to wear! So what do you wear when you've been told it's a casual affair? What do you wear when the Bride's not wearing a 'wedding dress' and you've been asked to come as you are? How exactly do you make sure you're not (perish the thought) overdressed for such a wedding?

St. Emile

Cassis- Summer Dress - Blue

£330

Now let's inject some classic charm into an otherwise thoroughly versatile summer dress. This is a white dress for those afraid of stepping on toes. It's mostly blue, so no matter what the rest of the guests think about wearing white to a wedding, you're safe in this one. And its perfect for indoor and outdoor celebrations. Beautifully simple and chic, blue and white simply define summer.

Virgos Lounge

Nicola- Cocktail Dress -Party Dress- White

£100
It might be summer but its not all outdoor weddings in the sunshine and breeze. So what to do about a formal wedding? When you want to look your best in white...without being mistaken for the bride? How's this one for glam? At £100 its a steal and I've actually seen it in real life with a a gold cuff on the wrist, a blue clutch and gold / metallic  fishnet style tights (more lace than fishnet, but you get the idea) teamed with nude heels and she looked fabulous. 

There you have it, a wedding ready white dress for all budgets. So if you're attending a wedding this summer, why not embrace that most British of traditions - white wedding style? You'll look fabulous, and you'll be part of a bigger movement to bring white back to the nuptials scene.

You can find all these dresses at retailers throughout the UK or online at Zalando 

Not that I need an excuse to buy another dress...