A post about a mother allowing her teenage daughter to wear a black skater-style dress to a wedding has gone viral on Mumsnet, the UK online forum.
In a post shared on the Am I Being Unreasonable (AIBU) subforum under the username Bikeybikeface, the mother said her 14-year-old’s style was “a bit [alternative]bit gothy” and that she originally wanted to wear a pants suit.
There weren’t many pantsuit options for her age and height. “So we found a long sleeve skater style black dress that she didn’t sniff at,” the user wrote. “It’s a winter wedding so long sleeves are fine and not out of place.”
The mother asked: “[Is it unreasonable] let my teenager wear black to a wedding?”
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In a survey of more than 2,500 people attending weddings in 2022, conducted by wedding planning website Zola, it was reported that “cocktail” attire (a slightly more chic sentiment than “semi-formal”) was the most popular and most “guest” is “preferred” dress code for the wedding.
“Black-Tie Optional” (which is a little less formal than “Black-Tie”) was another guest favorite.
The Zola survey found that more than a third of guests plan to buy or rent three or new outfits for weddings they’re attending this year.
A survey of 500 people who attended a wedding in 2021 conducted by The knot (another wedding planning website) revealed that 51 percent of guests were most looking forward to dressing up, while 32 percent reportedly spent more money on clothing and accessories than they normally would.
In a later comment, the mother said in the latest viral Mumsnet post that the newlyweds were in their early 20s and “I’m sure you’re ok with that, I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t an epic faux pas.” I can’t remember the last time I was at a wedding, so my wedding etiquette has been out of date for years.”
She said, “I often hear that black is a no go for weddings unless it’s the background for a colorful pattern,” noting, “I wouldn’t have minded anyone in black with me, unless , it would be the MIL [mother-in-law] with matching black hat and veil.”
Several users on Mumsnet supported the mother in the latest post.
AutumnIsHere21 said: “I think that will be fine. I think the average wedding guest knows that teenagers are a law unto themselves when it comes to fashion wins!
Plump82 wrote: “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wearing black to a wedding. I have and have seen a lot [of] other people do the same.”
Cotton55 said: “Teenagers can be so picky, especially when it comes to more formal attire. If she’s happy and you’re happy, I would definitely let her wear it. I don’t think anyone would have a problem with her wearing black. “
Some users disagreed, like SissySpacekAteMyHamster who said: “I think a teenager should be able to understand wedding etiquette. I don’t want people to wear black to my wedding. Can she maybe compromise and stick a light colored jacket over it?”
User ChildrenOfTheQuorn shared: “I did it for a wedding about 10 years ago (black, lace, long sleeves). The bride joked that I looked like I was dressed for a funeral. I wish I had at least worn navy blue now!”
news week could not verify the details of this case.
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