The pandemic has put an end to a lot of things — including events with formal dress codes. No more wedding invitations embossed with “Black Tie” or panic trips to a department store to find something fancy enough for a dressy event. These days, when we do have to get dressed for an occasion (it’s rare, but it happens), it’s almost always going to be casual. And that includes weddings, too. If you’re lucky enough to make the cut for a wedding in 2020 — wedding ceremonies are obviously smaller right now due to social distance protocols — or be invited to watch it over Zoom, you can expect that the dress code will be pretty low-key. No silky LBDS, uncomfortable heels, or stiff tuxes required. Instead, for a casual wedding, guests can experiment a bit, perhaps opting for a short suit instead of a cocktail dress, or a monochrome set rather than a traditional gown. Hell, depending on the bride’s level of chill, you might even get away with wearing sneakers.
To help prepare you for a fall season of laissez-faire ceremonies, we've rounded up 10 wedding guest looks that fit a casual dress code to a T. Ahead, check out our no-points-missed shopping guide to dressing for a casual wedding.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.You can never go wrong with a polka dot sundress. Dress it down with a pair of sporty sandals or sneakers and you've got the ideal casual wedding look.
& Other Stories Puff Shoulder Crepe Midi Dress, $, available at & Other StoriesAttending the ceremony via Zoom? Just make sure you add a statement pair of earrings.
Ganni Ruffled Smocked Checked Cotton-Blend Midi Dress, $, available at Net-A-PorterIf you think a slip dress and boots could be too fancy, just add a baseball cap.
Silk Laundry Deco Slip Dress Houndstooth, $, available at Silk LaundryMonochrome short sets are a great option if the weather is nice. They're not as dressed up as a dress or a full-length suit, but they still look polished.
Mango Plaid Short, $, available at MangoFor a chillier wedding date, throw on a chunky vest over a slip dress — it'll dress down the look, while also keeping you warm through the ceremony.
Zara Gathered Slip Dress, $, available at ZaraIf you're feeling daring, opt out of the been-there-done-that dress category and try a pair of patterned trousers with an oversized blazer instead.
The Source Unknown Notch Lapel Suit Blazer, Pastel Pink, $, available at The Source Unknown
Holiday The Label Kokomo Pants, $, available at Lisa Says GahBlack cardigan + black slip skirt + black clogs = a casual wedding uniform that can't be beat.
Musier Paris Cardigan Sunny, $, available at Musier Paris
Vince Satin Slip Midi Skirt, $, available at VerishopGiven that we're living in COVID times, we don't see any reason why you shouldn't wear pajamas — be it fancy pajamas — to your next wedding.
Sleeper Party Pajama Set with Double Feathers in Black, $, available at SleeperGo the cottagecore route by pairing a soft-colored sundress with retro, lace-up boots.
Glamorous Midi Tea Dress, $, available at ASOSRuched dresses, big collars, and statement sneakers will never not make a great impression.
Sandy Liang Bessie High-Neck Midi Dress, $, available at Saks Fifth Avenue
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Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds just shared an important, sentimental first time: Reynolds’ voting in his first U.S. presidential election. Lively shared a photo on Instagram of the couple standing side by side, ballots in hand. “It was Ryan’s first time. He was understandably scared. It all happened so fast. Like, REALLY fast,” Lively wrote in the caption. “He wept. I pretended to weep.” Reynolds shared the same photo and, in his caption, thanked Lively for making his first time “so gentle and loving.” But instead of their cute joke, Twitter can only focus on one thing: a random, subtle discrepancy in their photos.
In a real-life version of “What’s Wrong With This Picture?,” Reynolds’ followers noticed that, in his post, Lively isn’t wearing shoes; but in hers, she’s wearing brown heels. This begs the question: Did Lively Photoshop high heels into her voting photo? If so, why?
A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) on Oct 22, 2020 at 12:28pm PDT
A quick zoom-in seems to indicate that Lively’s shoes are drawn on — she even added Christian Louboutin’s red stripe to the heel and tagged the designer on Instagram. Reynolds and Lively both confirmed the joke on their respective Instagram Stories, each sharing the same photo with a different drawn-on boot. “@louboutinworld are you hiring?” Lively wrote. “Barefoot iPhone doodler with vast experience avail.”
A post shared by Blake Lively (@blakelively) on Oct 22, 2020 at 12:28pm PDT
From embarrassing birthday tributes to funny Halloween costumes, Reynolds and Lively are known for trolling each other on important occasions, especially on social media, and (early) voting day is no different. For months, Reynolds has been documenting his excitement about voting on Instagram, sharing infographics about ballots and reminders about early voting. On National Voting Registration Day, he even posted a quick video. “It’s National Voting Registration Day, which is a huge day,” he wrote. “For me, it’s like Christmas Day. Except what’s under the tree is the rest of our lives.”
Despite living in the U.S. for much of his life, Reynolds, who is Canadian-born, only became an American citizen around 2018. When Donald Trump was first elected, he expressed his disappointment about being unable to vote. “I would have loved to have voted in this election, now more than ever, but I didn’t get to have a voice,” he told Variety in 2016. No wonder he got so weepy — first times can be emotional.
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There’s (at least) one in every friend group: They're already on the waitlist for an XL shoulder bag from Sunnei's spring '21 runway show, have a friends-and-family discount at Dover Street Market, and consistently pop up in the first wave of followers of new brands that later appear in Net-A-Porter's Vanguard edit. Their holiday wish list is made up of fashion gifts you wouldn't dare wear, let alone spend an entire paycheck on, but will undoubtedly want more than anything come the next gift-giving season. If you're not this member of your friend group, you probably won't recognize the pieces in the gift guide ahead. But they will. And since they're going to be the one on the receiving end of this giftee-gifted relationship, isn’t that what truly matters?
If you have a friend who fits the bill, then you've come to the right place. The 17-piece gift guide ahead was created with your most fashionable friend in mind, the one who drags you to store openings, sample sales, under-radar vintage shops, and parties where '90s runway shows are projected on the wall. Which means that showing up to whatever totally chic (and socially distant) holiday party they're throwing without a top-notch gift is out of the question.
Click through the slideshow ahead for 17 gifts that even your most fashion-forward friend will love.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.Not only are collars arguably the biggest trend of 2020, but this one's also from H&M's latest collab with cult-favorite fashion brand Vampire's Wife.
The Vampire's Wife x H&M Large Collar, $, available at H&MFor those back home right now and unable to hit up their favorite local magazine store.
Lula Japan Lula Japan, $, available at Iconic MagazinesWhat fashion-obsessee doesn't want to wear the scent of Chloë Sevigny?
Violeta By Mango Openwork Knit Top, $, available at Mango
Violeta By Mango Knitted Short, $, available at MangoYou don't have to love fashion to fall for these silver baubles.
Luv Aj The Monaco Huggies, $, available at ShopbopDickeys: the stylish layering tool they don't know they need... yet.
COS High Neck Wool Cotton Hybrid Collar, $, available at COSTo an untrained eye, this might look like an aesthetically pleasing bottle of $20 nail polish. But to your fashion friend, it's actually a vegan, 10-free bottle of $20 nail polish created by one of 2020's most-beloved indie brands. They'll love it.
Tigre et Tigre Nail Polish | Buckets of Rain, $, available at Tigre et TigreLogo tights are trending right now, and we're betting that these Gucci GG tights are your fashion friend's favorite.
Gucci Off-White GG Tights, $, available at SSENSEThis sterling silver necklace from Wolf Circus is from the Canadian jewelry brand's new Everybody collection, which is exactly what it sounds like it is: a jewelry collection for everybody — they'll love it.
(The price shown here is in USD, while the website presents price in CAD.)
Wolf Circus Indy Necklace in Sterling Silver, $, available at Wolf CircusBecause they keep hinting at the Khaite pair but you can't spend $660 on a holiday gift.
Pêche Lea Flats, $, available at PêcheIf they can't travel to France this year, we suggest gifting them Simon Porte Jacquemus' photo book of the designer's home in the country's southern region so they can play pretend.
Jacquemus Marseille Je T'aime, $, available at JacquemusThis bottle says it all.
Molandra Products Got Gaultier? White 20oz Stainless Steel Water Bottle, $, available at AmazonFastening your hair messily in a retro-esque banana clip is the only way to style tresses this holiday season.
Aileam Tortoise Banana Claw Clips, 2Pk, $, available at Amazon$55 might seem like a lot to spend on socks, but for your fashion friend, a pair of Comme Si socks will be money well spent.
Éliou Rainbow Sunglasses Leash, $, available at ÉliouBecause they wore through their New Balance sneakers last year and need the new-and-improved version.
New Balance Off-White Made In US 990v5 Sneakers, $, available at SSENSEMidriffs were out for the world to see during spring '21 fashion month, so obviously your fashion friend needs to get in on the trend stat.
The Source Unknown Fuzzy Mohair Cardigan, $, available at The Source Unknown
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In addition to dance videos, thrift hauls, Harry Styles-inspired knitting challenges, and lessons on how to save the environment, TikTok is home to users sharing their honest opinions on products. It was in this nook of the popular Gen Z app that I found a pair of faux leather pants, which at the time of publishing have 493.9k views. “I got the pants that everyone is obsessed with,” said Lauren Wolfe in an unboxing video on TikTok. “Words do not describe these pants. I’ve really never had pants that fit me so well.” More than 600 people left comments on the video asking about size, dupes, and how they feel IRL. The Melina Pants are from Canadian retailer Aritzia’s in-house brand, Wilfred, and are known to sell out with every drop. They’re black and high-rise; feature a zipper fly, straight leg, and a five-pocket design; and are made using polyurethane and nylon from Japan.
Coincidentally, they are also the same pair I wore nearly every day before COVID hit. (I actually wore them the last time I went out pre-pandemic.) I agree with Wolfe: These are best fitting faux leather pants I have ever tried. They also go with everything in my closet. I wore them to work with oversized blazers and to dinners with sweaters and boots. I wore them on Christmas day, which I spent with my entire extended family, and, again, on New Year’s Eve — two occasions that called for very different styling, as you can imagine. They even made an appearance during New York Fashion Week in February. But when the pandemic took hold, ushering me out of my beloved pants and into a more situationally appropriate pair of sweats, I filed them away in the back of my closet, where I expected they’d stay at least until 2021. Then, I joined TikTok.
Like Wolfe and I, TikTokers first took to the Melina Pant because of the way they fit which — given that most faux leather pants are either skin-tight leggings or have an elastic waistband rather than a real, button- or zip-fly structure — is hard to get right. “I love them — I think they fit so well,” said Lottie Smalley on TikTok. “They’re snug and stretchy.” “So I tried them on and they fit amazingly,” said user Fia Mia. Commenters across the Aritzia hashtags on TikTok (in addition to #aritziamelina, the pants feature prominently on #aritziahaul) list off other reasons, including that they stand out stylistically, are soft, and are more than warm enough to wear in winter. “If I could afford these, I’d buy them all,” said Natalia K in a comment on Wolfe’s post. (The pants cost $148.)
Inspired by the TikTok buzz, I pulled my own pair from the back of my closet. Slipping them on, I remembered all the qualities that kept me coming back time and time again: the length isn’t cropped, meaning that they actually reach my ankles, something that most leather pants don’t do given that I’m almost 5’9; the waist tapers in rather than leaving that all-too-common gap in the back of pants; and the lining inside allows them to straddle the line between keeping you warm in the outside winter weather and making you too hot inside with the heat on. (If only Ross Geller had hit up Aritzia — that whole baby powder-plus-leather pants fiasco could’ve been avoided.) To break up the hours of TikTok scrolling I’ve been doing of late, I brought out my self-timer and a few different sartorial add-ons that are also lying in wait for the world to safely re-open. First, for a comfy daytime look, I threw on a blue-and-red sweater with a school-boy-like V-neck collar that I just got from London-based skate and fashion brand Thames. Then, for a nighttime transition, I swapped out the knit for a ribbed, white tank top. I also threw on an oversized, faux leather button-down from Aritzia, which I wore open, and, later, a Ganni shirt with an XXL collar paired with a chunky knit from Oak + Fort.
While I could probably go on forever naming the different things that my favorite cold-weather trousers could go with and praising them, there are a few downfalls to the viral style. According to some reviews on TikTok, they don’t fit larger body types as well. One user named Taylor filmed a duet video on the app alongside Wolfe, which showed her, a size 16 compared to Wolfe, a size 2, trying on the Melina Pant (available in sizes 00 to 16). While they fit both women, Taylor commented: “I can’t really sit down in them lol.” Another user named Kyy commented: “Definitely look good… but I feel like they were made to fit a smaller body type.” Another user, Madison, suggested the H&M version, “From one size 16 to another, they fit way better on me and I can breathe in them.” That being said, as others pointed out, and I (size 4) myself experienced, due to the vegan leather material used, the Melina Pants do stretch out with time. “The pants look amazing on you,” Mercades Brown commented on Taylor’s post. “Give ‘em a few more wears and they’ll fit amazing.”
Currently, the Melina Pants are available in Burgundy, Pecan Brown in limited sizes, and in black, Dark Ivy Green, and Cognac in most sizes. At one point, they came in red à la Britney Spears in the “Oops! I Did It Again” music video, and I regret not purchasing them for a chance at recreating that throwback style moment. As some have pointed out, at $148, they’re not cheap by any means. But in comparison to the three- to four-digit price tags on genuine leather pants and the amount of wear I get out of them, they’re also kind of a steal, if you ask me.
So are they worth the TikTok hype? In my opinion, yes; I would buy them in every color if I could. With the style known to sell out quickly, though, I suggest you give the Melina Pant a try before they disappear… again. If after all that you’re still not convinced, here are six pairs of affordable faux leather pants to shop instead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
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Maybe it’s just us, but a certain tipping point approximately 1.5 months ago, we began to miss dressing up — sorely. Luckily, the highly anticipated collaboration between The Vampire’s Wife and H&M is here with a major dose of the glamour and drama we’ve been longing for.
Launching October 22, the tightly edited collection contains a dreamy, feminine range of ruffly, beribboned, wing-sleeved pieces, all under $70. Ahead, we’ve put together four spooky/kooky looks that make the most of the range’s powerful silhouettes and dark elegance.
Together, a floor-sweeping openwork gown, fingerless lace gloves, and rich-widow sunglasses inspire shock and awe — and convey a thematically appropriate witchy spirit, pitch-perfect on the spookiest night of the year, if you’re so inclined.
We’re going to level with you: getting your mitts on this collaboration won’t be a walk in the park. But if you have got speedy clicking fingers, why not enjoy the spoils of your labor? Be an unabashed fan by wearing a branded T-shirt, ruffled collar, and lace-print tote all at once.
What to wear, if you, like this editor, are celebrating another turn around the sun soon? Our answer: “creative black tie,” with a matching minidress and bow-closure cape in shimmery lace, and a charm to ward off the evil eye.
For feeling your own power with an added dose of good luck, we’ve paired a sharp-shouldered dress and heaps of amulets, including nazars, ladybugs, and a miniature envelope for holding love letters, affirmations, etc.
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Zara has long been our go-to for affordable takes on runway trends. That is, until the pandemic flipped our normal style approach on its head, veering us toward comfortable, at-home fashion rather than quick, one-off trends. (Though the last Zara collection saw us stocking up on quite a few fall pieces.) Seemingly with that in mind, the Spanish fast-fashion retailer announced an all-new category on Wednesday: lingerie.
For the first-ever Zara collection, the brand will release 129 unique styles. In addition to bras and panties, the collection includes pajamas and nightgowns, silk robes, sleep masks, bodysuits, co-ords, T-shirts, and cashmere socks. For those who aren't interested in comfort-leaning offerings, Zara’s also created a selection of “elegantly seductive” lingerie made of silk, satin, and tulle. Titled “The Female Gaze," the new line is all about women wearing lingerie for themselves, according to the press release, and, as such, is equal parts comfortable, luxurious, and sexy.
The launch of The Female Gaze couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Right now, across Instagram, runways, and street style, a trend we’re referring to as “overwear” is garnering attention. Bras are being worn as everyday tops, underwear is being styled with blazers and loafers, and boxer shorts are taking on the role of shorts. Then there's 2020’s obsession with nightgowns. Fancy socks and other hosiery, too, have become as essential to our wardrobes as the shoes worn with them, and silky pajama sets are now just as appropriate for outdoor dinners and Zoom parties as LBDs once were. All to say: Zara's new launch will be our new at-home uniform.
Ahead, see the collection, which ranges in price from $17.90 to $149 and will be available to shop at 6pm on Thursday.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.The Female Gaze collection will be available to shop at 6pm EST on October 22 atZara.com.
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