Wedding dress codes are notoriously difficult to decipher, but one guest recently went viral when she wore an ultra-casual denim jumpsuit to a ceremony on her husband’s advice.
The US-based TikTok user shared a video of wedding guests in a variety of outfits – but mainly suits, with lots of floral dresses with ruffles that matched the autumn foliage perfectly.
“POV: Your husband tells you the wedding dress code is casual and everyone will be wearing jeans/cargo pants,” the content creator captioned her video, showing off her trendy denim jumpsuit.
Commenters were stunned by the relaxed ensemble, saying, “Even if my husband said casual, my first thought wouldn’t be a jeans outfit,” and “Honey, that’s not a casual WEDDING.”
To find out if denim is ever appropriate for a wedding, FEMAIL consulted Beaumont’s etiquette expert Myka Meier about deciphering dress codes.
“POV: Your husband tells you the wedding dress code is casual and everyone will be wearing jeans/cargo pants,” the content creator captioned her now-viral video
In the viral video, the TikTok creator wore a zip-up denim jumpsuit, boots and a brown bag, while her husband wore gray pants, brown boots and a button-up shirt.
Some wedding-goers wore velvet blazers, and there was one man in jeans and a button-down – but there were no cargo pants in sight.
The video received more than 48,000 likes and a thousand comments, with many women saying they would never trust their husbands to properly convey the dress code at a wedding.
“A wedding is NEVER casual,” one commenter declared.
“Never trust the man when it comes to the dress code!” was a popular sentiment.
‘I’d rather be overdressed than underdressed. And if someone says ‘casual’ at a wedding, I’m going to at least go with business casual,” one viewer agreed.
“Okay, but even a casual wedding calls for a sundress at the very least.” Maxi skirt and blouse?? Anything but a denim jumpsuit.”
“Wedding casual rarely means everyday casual,” another person explained. ‘I’m just dressing too much at the moment because I never trust my husband. Weddings, parties, it doesn’t matter. I’ll probably wear a dress.’
According to etiquette expert Myka Meier: ‘A wedding is often one of the most important days of a person’s life, and it is important to dress appropriately for the occasion’
Commenters were baffled by the casual denim jumpsuit, saying: ‘Even if my husband said casual, my first thought wouldn’t be a denim outfit’ and ‘Honey, that’s not WEDDING casual’
Some people shared their own horror stories about following their husband’s fashion advice, with one woman saying: ‘My boyfriend once told me this about his company Christmas party. There were people in tuxedos.”
“It’s still pretty casual, but I don’t know if my choice would ever be a full denim jumpsuit unless it was a themed party in Nashville, I’m afraid,” one TikTok watcher announced.
“He said jeans and not JUST jeans,” one commenter joked, while another person said they would “go away” if they were in her shoes – or in this case, boots.
However, some people supported her jumpsuit, with one person calling her outfit “cutely off” and another defending her, writing: “I mean it still looks pretty casual!” I see others in jeans and no one else really looks that dressed to me.”
So, is it ever appropriate to put on jeans to watch someone walk down the aisle?
Etiquette expert from New York City Myka Meier told DailyMail.com: ‘A wedding is often one of the most important days of a person’s life, and it’s important to dress to reflect the occasion.’
“The term ‘casual’ when it comes to weddings would still be more formal than what you would wear to a casual lunch, avoiding pieces that are considered too informal such as denim, athleisure and shorts,” says Myka, which often discusses wedding do’s and don’ts, advised.
“You want to dress to show respect for the couple, and that’s the most important thing,” Myka explained.
While a formal denim dress might suffice, unless a wedding has a theme, it’s probably best not to wear a full denim ensemble.
And unless your partner is a fashionista, you’ll most likely want to research the wedding dress code yourself.