Ask Lisa: ‘My daughter is getting married at the Elvis chapel in Vegas. What do I wear?’ (2024)

Lisa Armstrong is The Telegraph’s head of fashion. She began her career in fashion at Vogue. She has written four novels, has an honorary doctorate from the University of Arts in London, and was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to fashion.

Each week, she responds to your queries, lending her expertise to help you shop smart. Have a question for her? Submit it below.

It’s that time of year… when friends and children throw your sartorial order into disarray by going and getting married. Cue lots of panicked conversations about what on earth to wear.

There’s all kinds of choices out there, so try not to succumb to buying something that doesn’t feel very “you” or that you won’t ever wear again (but if you do, reselling is relatively straightforward these days).

I’ve grouped some of your questions together in a batch this week so that they don’t get held in a logjam. The main thing to remember: enjoy yourselves. If you love what you’re wearing, that’s an excellent start.

Dear Lisa,

My lovely mum is getting married soon, but is struggling with what to wear. She is 65 years young, about 5ft 2in, and a size 8 – but feels her tummy sticks out and her chest is a bit bony. The wedding will be at the register office with a party afterwards at home, so she doesn’t want anything too grand, but wants to feel her best. We have been scouring the shops and online but nothing seems quite right.

The wedding is bittersweet as her partner suffers with Motor neurone disease, so it will be happening quite soon!

– Catherine

Dear Catherine,

You don’t say whether or not your mum wants to wear white the second time around so I’m suggesting some varied options.

Whatever your mum feels about her tummy, she’s obviously in good shape. Something that enhances that seems a good idea – if you’ve got it, etc. An outfit that accentuates her waist would look lovely and feminine. A peplum jacket would mean she could forget about worrying about her tummy… this sort of thing, from Self Portrait (£380) is rather lovely, and similar to a style the Princess of Wales has worn before. There are colourful variations as well.

Heart print maxi dress, £195, Kitri

Or, finally, she could go for a softish trouser suit – nothing too masculine – that still shows her petite figure. Something like this, with a curvy jacket.

Jacket, £475; Trousers, £335; both from The Fold London

Dear Lisa,

I’m shopping for a September wedding guest outfit. I need the look to go with a pale pink bag which I recently bought and want to make the star of the outfit. Any suggestions?

– Katy

Dear Katy,

You might want to wait for the sales, or until new stock comes in. But for now, some ideas to think about: just about anything will set off your pale pink bag, from navy to lemon. The question is do you want to keep a neutral background, as with this navy dress from NRBY…

Velvet button dress, £299, NRBY; Pink satin handbag, £99, LK Bennett; Burgundy court shoes, £105, John Lewis

... or carry on with the pink theme? In which case, go for a much deeper shade. A near-miss won’t work.

Or how about clashing? Come autumn, you might feel like moving away from pastels. Burgundy and pink look very sophisticated together – very Roksanda, very Gucci. Something like this burgundy Whistles dress from By Rotation, available to rent from just £6. If you do decide to go the rental route, be sure to reserve your outfit well in advance.

– Lisa

Dear Lisa,

My daughter has just announced she is getting married in the Elvis chapel in Las Vegas. As her 75-year-old grey-haired mother, who is a size 16, what do I wear?

– Jane

Dear Jane,

A Vegas wedding sounds fun and gives everyone lots of leeway. Colour is so enjoyable for everyone – both wearers and onlookers – and could work beautifully with your grey hair.

Jasper Conran’s silk wrap dresses could be just the ticket (the silky ones seem to have less-full skirts). This pink one is so pretty and you should get a lot of wear out if it afterwards too, dressing it down with espadrilles, or glamming it up with heels and jewellery.

Yellow colour-block dress, £238, Reiss; Pink silk wrap dress, £420, Jasper Conran; Mint midi dress, £275, Me+Em

Another idea is this shape which comes in a (very flattering) structured but drapey cornflower blue knit fabric that skims over lumps and bumps from The Fold London (£395). I’ve seen it on curvy women and it looks fantastic.

Cornflower sculpt dress, £395 The Fold London; Suede slingbacks, £199, Pretty Ballerinas; Yellow clutch, £65, Stine Goya

Edeline Lee makes very flattering dresses (the Princess of Wales is a fan) and in this By Rotation rental listing (available from £27), you can see how they look on someone your size. The dark green might be a bit subdued for Vegas – it looks tasteful on its original owner – but you could bling it up with jewellery and shoes.

For elegance – you show ’em in Vegas – you can’t beat a coat dress. This one from Hobbs (£229), currently reduced, is stunning; same for this sage green edition (£249). Both of these would look great over this classy boat neck dress, also from Hobbs (£199).

Silk blend coat, £229, Hobbs; Sage dress, £199, Hobbs; Sage coat, £249, Hobbs

If you want the full Vegas experience, this is another very flattering knit dress from The Fold (£395) that goes Elvis then pulls back in a classy, subtle way that won’t overpower. It also comes with a matching cardigan.

Silver knitted dress, £395, The Fold London

Wishing you very happy times,

– Lisa

Do you have a style query of your own? Ask Lisa here.