What to Wear For a Winter Wedding – December’s Thrifty Six

December 18, 2023
What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six collage

This month it was Jane’s turn to choose the theme for our Thrifty Six challenge. She set us the prompt of “What to Wear to a Winter Wedding”. At first I thought of wearing a dress (such as this bronze one) with tights and ankle boots. But then I decided on this Iris Apfel x H&M suit because it’s very luxurious and also warm enough for a winter wedding.

Playing the waiting game for the sell out suit

I’d been dreaming of getting my hands on this suit ever since I missed out when the collection went on sale…everything sold out in a matter of minutes! Refusing to pay silly prices on eBay, I played the waiting game – for a very long time – and managed to buy the trousers first for the original retail price. Then, months later I found the jacket on Vinted for the RRP, which is nothing short of a miracle given they’re often listed at between £450 and £650!

Finding the matching shoes

Finally, a few weeks ago the shoes popped up on Vinted too. I didn’t buy them straight away because they’re a size nine and I thought they might be too big. But then the seller kept reducing them and I thought maybe I could add my orthotic insoles. As it happens, they’re only slightly loose so I don’t need the insoles. The seller is obviously an influencer who was gifted them (lucky thing). She wore them once for photos and there are a few small marks on them. There’s also a tiny gem missing from one shoe, which I knew about, but you can’t really notice it.

I found the Zara green frilly blouse in an Oxfam shop in Nottingham at the weekend. It was new with tags for £14.99. I hesitated buying it at first because I already have a green frilly blouse – which I’ve worn with these trousers. But I couldn’t resist the silky fabric and the embellished buttons. My bag is also from Zara, which I bought on a trip to Madeira.

What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six, Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit and shoes, Zara green frilly blouse, Zara green quilted bag, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring
What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six, Iris Apfel x H&M  pea print suit, Zara green frilly blouse, Zara green quilted bag, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring
Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit
What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six, Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit and shoes, Zara green frilly blouse, Zara green quilted bag, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring
Iris Apfel x H&M pea print shoes
What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six, Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit, Zara green frilly blouse, Zara green quilted bag, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring

SHOP THE LOOK

Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring
What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six, Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit, Zara green frilly blouse, Zara green quilted bag, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring
What to Wear For a Winter Wedding - December's Thrifty Six, Iris Apfel x H&M pea print suit and shoes, Zara green frilly blouse, Zara green quilted bag, Yaa Yaa London green solar power ring

Iris Apfel x H&M trousers (eBay, similar), jacket (Vinted, similar) and shoes (Vinted, similar, similar) | Zara bag (similar, similar) | Yaa Yaa London ring | earrings from TK Maxx (old, similar)

Now let’s see what my thrifty friends would wear to a winter wedding…

Jane

Jane of preloved_vintage_handmade

“What to wear for a Winter Wedding?…

There’s loads to consider, you need to look on point, feel comfortable, be able to throw a few shapes on the dance floor…

…and in December, you need to be warm!

 I took this 1970’s duck-egg suit, raised the hemline by about ten inches and zhuzhed it with some ‘Chanel’ style buttons…

A designer silk blouse plus black and gold accessories ‘winterise’ the pretty pale blue colour and give the outfit some ‘edge’.“

Grace

Grace of Graceful Rags

“I’ve never been to a winter wedding before, and I’ve been told red is a no-go at weddings (so this thrifted BCBG Max Azria dress wasn’t an option). I decided on this black number instead, which I found for $1 and in just my size. It has velvet and sparkles—very festive, indeed! I paired it with a hand-me-down pearl clutch and vintage snowflake clip-on earrings. Thankfully it was an unseasonably warm day when I took these pics, as I don’t have a matching thrifted coat!”

Jodie

Jodie of Jodie’s Touch of Style

“Cowboy boots are all the rage right now, and I figured I could dress these up to answer the question of can you wear boots to a wedding. I decided to go with a neutral outfit and then add interest with the boots and other accessories in green.

The only thing that isn’t thrifted are my glasses and ring. This outfit is one of my all-time favorites, and I even came up with a hack to shorten my sweater that will be on Instagram soon.”

Shelbee

Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge

“For this winter wedding challenge, I wore a long sleeve lace bodycon dress by Bisou Bisou with peep toe heels by Nine West. Both were purchased at local thrift stores years ago. My preloved vintage fur coat and thrifted gold sequin clutch complete my wedding guest attire. My scarf was made by Anne of SpyGirl from upcycled fabrics so it fits perfectly into this thrifty theme. The only things not preloved are my earrings and headband but both have been around for a long time in my formal wardrobe. I will never find it necessary to spend hundreds of dollars on special occasion clothing when I can find beautiful preloved things for a fraction of the price!”

Nancy

Nancy of Nancy’s Fashion Style

“I saw this Maison Scotch skirt on Vinted months ago and immediately fell in love with it. But if you know me, you know that I left it for too long and it was sold before I knew it. I searched and searched, and weeks later saw the skirt twice on Vinted. Once with a matching top! It was a bit on the pricey side, but the saleswoman had only worn it once. So I wanted to haggle because that’s just what I do.

But she didn’t want to reduce the price. So I left it like that for a while. And then Jane came up with the theme, what do you wear to a winter wedding. And that was exactly the push I needed to complete the purchase. I’m not the type who attends a wedding in a super chic way, I never have those kinds of weddings either (if I had I would). But because of the lurex, this set is of course super festive! And those colours!”

What would you wear to a winter wedding? Have you got any weddings or other special occasions coming up?

Here are some other posts featuring wedding outfits:

What to Wear For a Summer Wedding

Wedding Guest Dresses From PrettyLittleThing

What to Wear to a Fall Wedding

Red Lace Dress and Velvet Jacket

Choosing Bridesmaid Dresses For a Spring Wedding

This is where I link up!

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11 responses to “What to Wear For a Winter Wedding – December’s Thrifty Six”

  1. Marsha Banks says:

    Emma, this suit is amazing! How lucky you were able to score the entire outfit and shoes. Those shoes…fabulous! And, the green frilly blouse is perfect…makes all the embroidery just pop! I don’t know about wearing this to a wedding…you’ll outshine the bride…hahaha!!!

    https://marshainthemiddle.com/

  2. Nancy says:

    Emma, I think I have no words for this look! I find it…… amazing….. fabulous….unbelievable…..I want to display it! Every time I see something new. So interesting. And the colours!! Oh oh oh, this is just a stunning outfit!

  3. Jennifer says:

    This is a fun outfit!!

    Jennifer
    Curated by Jennifer

  4. Lanae Bond says:

    I love the colors you are wearing. Pearl accents are pretty and look good with the look. I love your glasses because they are very trendy.

  5. OMG, Emma, this suit is nothing short of brilliant! I love everything about this from head to toe! The suit, the ruffle blouse, the fantastic shoes, the bag, the jewelry, and the colors! Oh, the colors are just so beautiful! I am so glad that you managed to get your hands on this outfit. Enjoy it because you look magnificent!

    Shelbee

  6. jodie filogomo says:

    That’s just incredible that you found the matching shoes Emma. It’s such a standout outfit.
    I can’t wait to hear what your prompt is for next month.
    XOOX
    Jodie
    http://www.jtouchofstyle.com

  7. Nanacy says:

    Winter weddings invite us to blend elegance with comfort! Consider layering with stylish shawls or capes while choosing outfits in warm hues. Let each piece tell a story of love and celebration, reminding us all how beautiful it is to come together during this season!

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