Anyone who has hit a certain age and stepped into wedding season knows the pain that comes with attending multiple weddings in a short space of time.
Yes, there’s the priceless joy of sharing in someone’s special day – but there’s also the very real cost of travel, accommodation and presents, not to mention a new outfit.
Because you always need a new outfit for every wedding, right?
That’s what one woman discovered when she was invited to four weddings in a short space of time and made the grave mistake of wearing the same dress to three of them.
From a three million dollar wedding that ended in court, to an el cheapo one that was organised in five days, Mamamia Out Loud talk the extreme costs of weddings. (Post continues after audio.)
The woman shared her experience on UK forum Mumsnet, asking if she’d committed some unknown faux pas with her sensible cost-saving fashion choice.
“I wore the same outfit to three of these weddings. Two of these same-outfit weddings were the same crowd of people – family,” username GameOldBirdz said.
She thought nothing of her decision to wear the same dress with different bags and jewellery to each event, until her cousin sent her a message.
“My cousin, who was at both family same-outfit weddings, sent me a load of photographs yesterday and said in the email ‘It’s a shame you couldn’t be bothered to wear something different.”
Assuming the message was a joke, the woman replied, "I'm sorry if I offended you recycling my outfit, I'm cheap" with a winky face.
She discovered, however, that it was not a joke at all.
"We have a good relationship, we're friends, I thought she'd take this in good humour.
"But no, she sent a massive paragraph saying I was disrespectful, that it was very bad show, it was rude and that if I didn't want to go I should have declined the invitation rather than turn up inappropriately dressed (her words)."
Yep, that's right, her cousin - who clearly has the clothing budget of Kate Middleton, or at least holds her cousin to the same royal standard - told her she was "inappropriately dressed" because she saw the same outfit twice.
The woman said her mother agreed the cousin was acting bizarre, but went on the site to get other mums' opinions.
"So, was I being unreasonable to recycle the outfit?" she asked.
Thankfully, most Mumsnet users were in agreement that the cousin was being unreasonable. One by the name of GameOldBirdz said she had every right to wear the same outfit.
"How ridiculous! Who cares what a wedding guest wears, as long as they look reasonably well dressed?" said one user.
"They're bonkers. Perfectly acceptable to wear the same dress to more than one wedding," wrote another.
"Unless you were wearing a flowing white gown or a flamingo outfit then I doubt anyone else noticed what you were wearing!"
Other users pointed out that men wear the same outfits to events all the time and no one bats an eyelid.
"Just another example of everyday sexism. Men can recycle the same outfit but god forbid a woman does!"
Top Comments
My sister & I wore the same dress to an engagement & wedding. The engagement party, my sister was pregnant so wore a lovely dress.........the wedding 1.5years later (same couple) I was pregnant & my sister kindly leant me a lovely dress to wear :)
We didn't realise until we saw photo's of both events on F/B but we thought it was absolutely hilarious & tell everyone who's interested :)
Who cares what people wear! A wedding is a celebration, a joyous occasion. The emphasis should be on the couple getting married. If it were my wedding, I would firstly be grateful, that people took the time, effort and money to be present on the day and be pleased that people wanted to share in this significant milestone. Poop-ah to the cousin. I can't see how wearing the same outfit somehow implies that you didn't want to go in the first place.