Where I'd Shop for Weddings IRL

And online.

Wedding season is in full swing, and I’m getting some panicked queries from readers and friends trying to figure out what to wear as a guest. I want to help, but I’m usually just as stumped. It’s hard!

First of all, there’s the expense. I often think about this story I reported for The Cut back in 2022 about how much people were spending as guests. Insane! A few women I interviewed mentioned that they were sending dresses back and forth between friends to cut costs.

Lily Sullivan

perfected this method with her incredible Google Spreadsheet, which I wrote about last year. Not everyone can be so organized, though, and sometimes you just want to flex in something new, which is fine. But how do you find a look that will simultaneously meet the vague yet specific dress code, make your ex(es) jealous, and not overshadow the bride without sinking you further into credit card debt??

Here’s where I would go shopping in New York, along with a few online sites I’d scroll through. Ultimately, I think you should get what you want, make some expensive memories, and Always Be Browsing. I already know what I’m wearing to a wedding I haven’t been invited to yet because they haven’t even proposed.