dear diva: what do i wear to a winter wedding?

so today, one of my fellow divas msgs me: i've got a wedding in a week and i am stressin! what do i wear? what works for my shape? " i was in need of inspiration for a new project, so i was happy to get to work. here's what i came up with:

Evening Dresses at ModCloth
Pumps by Bouquets

the diva in question has an hour glass figure. this girl's got more curves than the guggenheim! (if you dont know what that is, go google it. RIGHT NOW. we'll wait) immediately my mind went to two types of dresses, the sheath and the A-line. two dresses that are perfect for the curvy figure. i would usually include the shift dress but that can sometimes look boxy...

the sheath is perfect as  it highlights all of your curves. as long as the dress is well made and has good supporting structure, this dress is a killer. think of Kate Winslet in the bodycon dress.. hawtness. the most important thing when wearing is sheath dress however, is your underwear. most women, irrelevant of shape or size, would need a bodyshaper under this type of dress to avoid unseemly underwear lines... no VPLs ladies..just...no.

(side note* the bodycon is a contoured sheath dress. regular sheath dresses aren't usually that tight but are still flattering to curves)

but for this occasion, i felt she should go with the A-line. it's such a flattering cut on curvy women as it cinches in at the waist and draws away from the body, accentuating that hour glass figure. this dress in particular has lots of built in structure and details, with darts at the bust and inverted pleats in the skirt. (again well-fitting undergarments support and help for a proper fit.) A-line dresses are also rather timeless and versatile so this dress can be worn on another occasion.

to make this dress wedding appropriate accessories are of utmost importance. classic pieces, with gentle lines and delicate workings help add a flair of sophistication to the look, which is what she wanted. no brassy, brazen jewellery here. to pull it all together i added a dark blue peacoat, a perfect colour to contrast with the  raspberry red dress; a gold scarf and champagne-coloured pumps.

 note : as its winter, one would need to wear tights with this look. classy floral patterned or lace lights would be perfect; NO FISHNETS! additionally, i suggest wearing the dress with a cardigan, especially if it's a church wedding. (call me old-fashioned, but bare shoulders are inappropriate for church.) have a look at napturality85's six ways to wear a cardigan video, for stylish ways of wearing it with the dress- or you can simply take it off at the indoor reception.

now for hair and make up: unless your hair is dead straight, i feel an updo is more appropriate with this look. use product to define your curls or texture of your hair. (hair rules/ kinky curly/shea moisture etc) and style in a flirty updo... again, napturality 85 comes to the rescue with a sophisticated updo.

Make- up should remain clean and fresh. of course the basics would apply, foundation, eye brows etc., but i'd skip the bronzer ( its winter!) and instead use a highlighting powder like MAC mineralise skinfinish in soft and gentle - just a light dusting on the t-zone and cheek bones. use a rose/pink blush to bring some colour to the face and be sure to blend it in well. it should not look like two pink circles on your cheek (FAIL!) for the eyes, light is also the way to go. a gold/champange toned eye shadow on the lids with a brown or skin-tone colour in the crease would be perfect;  and of course eye liner and mascara. dont forget to line the lower lash line with a pencil liner! add a  peach-toned gloss to lined lips ( neutral liner- this is not a chola look)

and that's it! i hope this was helpful to anyone else looking for a formal winter look. god knows its hard getting dressed up when it's cold outside.

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stay fierce!