If you're inching towards the latter part of your 20s like me (what of it, totally cool with it) then you've probably been to a couple of weddings this summer. I've got 8 altogether. One of my mates has got 10. She's a lot more popular than me though.
Now, don't get me wrong, attending this many weddings is excellent. Obviously there's the whole coming together to celebrate your friends' union in matrimony and blah blah blah but mainly, wedding season is great because if you're lazy and don't ever plan anything, suddenly you've got parties every weekend with people you're normally too shit to hang out with. It's like your betrothed friends got together and created a self help programme to get you out of the house this summer so you don't become a massive hermitted weirdo. Thanks betrothed friends.
The trouble with going to so many weddings though is what to wear. One time a girl who works in fashion told me it was 'not appropriate' in the age of Instagram to wear dresses again and again to weddings and, whilst I normally couldn't give a monkey's about what's 'appropriate' and what's not, I have realised that weddings are pretty much the only time I *am *photographed (again, I refer back to the lazy thing) so actually, if I do wear the same dress, my Instagram feed looks like I spent all summer at one long ass wedding. And while I do love weddings, that's a commitment that even I couldn't make. Free bar or not.
So, how you do make it work? Here's a few tips
1. Figure out a schedule
I've got three dresses, two new, one old and, what I've done is work out a schedule of who is going to be at which wedding when. Like my blue dress, it can be worn to one school friend's wedding, but not the other's because all the same people will be there. Also, the bride at wedding number two will know I couldn't be arsed to shell out for something new for her special day. And that's not ideal now is it?
2. Go hard on the sale
Fast fashion is probably not very good for the environment and living an eco-friendly life. In fact it's awful for that. But, it can be handy for if you need to buy something cheaply. Websites like ASOS, Missguided etc have more clothes on their websites than there are people in the world and, as a result, there's always a sale even though at off peak sale times it's called the 'Outlet'. Head to the outlet, set the max price to £20 and prepare to do some heavy scrolling. You will be richly rewarded for your labours - check out this from ASOS for £13 (wore it to my last wedding didn't I?) and this for £16. Bargain.
3. Over-accessorise
This is not your opportunity to wear an accessory so heinous that your dress pales in comparison like Phoebe Buffay in The One Where No-One's Ready. No. This is your chance to take a plain dress and make it into five different dresses. Different shoes, different jewellery, hair, make-up.... The whole shebang. This is the page they do in fashion magazines called 'One Dress Five Ways'. Obviously though, you're not a moron and can figure out five different looks without being told how to do it.
4. Realise no-one gives a crap
When you last went to a wedding, how many girls' manicures did you check out? None. Those manicures cost at least £12 and they were all wasted because you were too busy necking Jaegerbombs by the bar and making (drunk) eyes at the DJ (who LOVED the 5ive Megamix). Dittos for shoes. Can you remember what anyone's shoes looked like apart from your own? Didn't think so. Basically, stop worrying about spending hundreds of pounds on making yourself look good because everyone else is so caught up in doing the same thing that they wouldn't be able to remember what you were wearing if it was the last round of* Who Wants To Be A Millionaire* and they had all their lifelines intact. At the end of the day, the only people laughing are those companies who are robbing you blind convincing you that you need to look a certain way.
So, stick two fingers up to them, pull on your school prom dress, whether it fits or not, and head off to get pissed with your mates.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.