How I styled the same dress for multiple weddings

Something old, nothing new— borrowed, handmade, or maybe blue!

This is Part II of the One Dress, Five Weddings Challenge. Read this post first:

Internet advice often makes secondhand shopping sound cheaper, easier, better. While that may be true for some folks, I learned that finding what you want (clean, stylish, and available in your size), takes time and luck.

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💒 Pittsburgh Church Wedding

At first, I gravitated towards the left side of my mood board, and thought I’d wear my big Mondo Mondo earrings. But then I wondered: is it a bit gaudy or on the nose for an Italian church wedding?

Readers preferred the left side styling

I opted for delicate silver Numbering earrings, red suede pumps, and my clear Rabanne bag… which I ended up not taking the day of, because it was rainy.

Look how my shoes and dress perfectly matched the pew seats and carpet!

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🌴 New Orleans Botanical Garden Wedding

Gulp. This was out of my comfort zone to be wearing so many colors to a wedding!

Starting off, I looked at what accessories I had in my closet in orange, turquoise, and green.

Morange lipstick, but pink SPF gloss over it to temper the brightness

What I had:

• My turquoise heels and purse are a brighter blue than the shade, but the Sanzo Wada combination is for inspo, not a rule. This is a budget challenge after all!

• Nour’s suit is green, so it’s kind of my accessory

• Tiny Devaha earrings

What I made:

• I beaded two bracelets with vintage glass beads in the colorway to “marry” the four colors. If I did it again, I’d just have green and orange beads, since there was very little green/orange in the overall look.

The one that got away:

• I really, really wanted the orange Lambertson Truex ponyhair clutch, but $115 was $15 over the budget. While I was on the fence, someone snagged it on additional sale for $97!! So devastating. The heart only knows what it wants once it’s no longer available 🥺

I worried a lot about looking like a colorful clown, but it’s not so bad!

It was a vibrant party in a botanical garden, with the Second Line parade, glitter station, and Mardi Gras beads for all! If I could do it again, maybe I would go all out with earrings and/or a necklace.

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🌅 Lebanese Beachfront Sunset Wedding

A few weeks before the wedding in Lebanon, I learned that some of the bride’s family would be dressed more conservatively— so, I pivoted to a looser gown that doesn’t show my entire back.

I felt bummed at failing the challenge, but comfort is key! I tried my best to apply similar color principles to this green dress.

What I had: A lavender silk purse from Home of Hai (a birthday gift from 2022!) and gold Nodaleto heels

What I bought: Mondo Mondo ring found on The Real Real, purchased with a $100 credit from consigning in May.

Something new: For my birthday, my three sisters-in-law got me these gorgeous earrings, which say love (حب) but also look like the Arabic letter J: (ج)!

I wanted the gold heels to be the yellow in the combo, but together it felt like a lot of shine. I ended up slipping into matte pink heels. Not in the color scheme, but sometimes you gotta trust your gut.

Overall I’m still pleased, since I wouldn’t have thought to add lavender to a dark green for a formal outfit.

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🌅 Lebanese Engagement Party

Though I didn’t wear it to the wedding, the next day I wore this outfit to an engagement party, which felt like a mini wedding with speeches, sparklers, and a 3-tiered cake cutting!

L’oreal glotion is the secret to disappearing my farmer’s tan

What I had: Comfy and chunky Nodaleto gold heels. I wanted something more delicate, but did not find pre-loved heels for under $100.

What I borrowed: vintage gold earrings and bracelet from my mother-in-law ✨

What I regret: I wish I just bought a blue necklace, or made one with beads. I was holding off until the end because I thought a second-hand lapis lazuli piece would materialize.

I mean… wouldn’t it complete the look?!

Summer weddings in the Mediterranean are never easy. As gorgeous as it is, the sun at 6pm feels as hot as noon. I was gifted this mineral sunscreen by the brand and was pleasantly surprised! No white cast, it looks tinted but blends clear on the face. Great when you’re in the direct sun and sweating profusely: a 2-in-1 for sunscreen and foundation, hardier than my everyday chemical sunscreen.

At this point you might be like GIRL, STEAM THE DARN DRESS!

I regret to inform you that I steamed her to perfection every time 😤 but the fact that it was a sample (and made from viscose, rather than silk or polyester) made it prone to wrinkling any time I was seated.

So… I won’t be wearing her to the remaining weddings this year. Besides, one of the weddings now has a Black Tie Preferred dress code.

Here’s an outfit we had already put together though:

Cherry red and lemon yellow was an unexpected combo and my favorite of all the looks.

What I made: Necklace strung with red crystal beads and vintage yellow clay beads.

What I bought: Vintage red eel skin purse with detachable strap

Although I knew the dimensions when ordering and thought it was perfect, once I tried it on with the dress it looked… ludicrously capacious? Like it could fit a romance novel.

Could be fine for someone taller, but I decided to go with a wooden bead Henrik Vibsov clutch instead. (Not pastel yellow, but close?) Actually longer than the red purse, but I suspect it works because 1.) it doesn’t look like you can put legal documents in there, or 2.) it’s not as shiny as the red eelskin?

Final Reflections

I had so much fun playing around with color! The constraint of buying nothing new was challenging, though scrolling for second-hand accessories provided the diversion and dopamine I crave from shopping.

I also learned that asking to borrow swirly gold earrings is one thing. “Do you have a green or orange purse? A lapis lazuli blue necklace?” is another 😅

How do you engage your styling muscles without just buying more things?!

Oh, and if you wanna borrow a red eelskin purse, you know who to text❣️