Acler Wedding Guest Dresses: The Luxury Handbags Edit

Acler makes a specific kind of wedding-guest dress: shape-led, quiet on the surface, and comfortable enough to still look right at the end of the night. Here is how to pick one, arranged by the line on the invitation.

Black tie

Floor length, and let the construction carry it. The Sageston Gown in Ivory is the most worked piece in the range at USD 1,070, and the Sageston Gown in Iris gives the same shape in a colour that is easier at someone else’s wedding.

For a lower spend, the Tarnacre Gown in Crimson at USD 280 is the best value gown Acler currently has at Luxury Shoes .

One caution on ivory: unless the couple has said otherwise, do not wear it to a wedding. Save the Ivory gowns for black-tie dinners and galas.

Cocktail and evening receptions

Midi length is the safest register, and Acler is strong here. The Whitnell Midi Dress in Navy and the Whitnell Midi Dress in Burgundy are the workhorses at USD 270, both in colours that photograph well without competing with the bridal party.

If you want a little more colour, the Pennarly Midi Dress in Berry Pink reads warm in daylight and holds up under evening light.

Garden and daytime weddings

Maxi length in a lighter colour, and nothing that will sink into grass. The Fleeden Maxi Dress in Dove at USD 350 is the quiet choice, and the Salle Maxi Dress in Iris brings the gold hardware detail Acler is known for.

For print, the Yarrow Maxi Dress in Opal Abstract is abstract rather than floral, which tends to age better in photographs.

Mother of the bride

Coverage without looking matronly is the actual brief, and it is one Acler handles well because the shapes are structured rather than fussy. Look to the long-sleeve maxis: the Hawick Maxi Dress in Black and the Richdore Maxi Dress in Blue Plum Forrest both give sleeve and length while keeping a clean line.

If you would rather wear separates

A top and skirt reads less predictable than a dress and is far more re-wearable afterwards. Start with the Maidford Top in Pearl at USD 150, and the Wyson Top in Ivory, and pair with a maxi skirt from the designer skirts edit.

Three rules for buying it right

• Avoid white, ivory and cream unless the couple has explicitly invited it. This rules out several of Acler’s best pieces for weddings specifically, and it is still the right call.
• Size for the bodice. Acler cuts close through the bust and waist and lets the skirt fall. If you are between sizes, take the larger and have the waist adjusted. The size guide has the AU to UK and US conversion.
• Let the dress do one thing. Where there is hardware at the shoulder, leave the neck bare. Where there is a print, keep shoes and bag in a single quiet tone.

Browse the full Acler collection at Luxury Shoes and the wider designer dresses edit. New to the label? Read what is Acler, and compare it against the other Australian houses in brands like Acler.