What to Wear to a Bridal Shower as a Guest

As far as pre-wedding events go, the bridal shower is one of the most special. This is the time when female family members and friends gather around a bride-to-be to celebrate her forthcoming wedding, share advice for marriage, and shower her in gifts that will help her and her soon-to-be spouse prepare for married life. Plus, it’s generally a time when childhood memories are retold and plenty of tears and laughter are shared.

If you’ve been invited to be a guest at someone’s bridal shower, you should feel honored: Your presence is truly important to the woman of the hour and, as such, putting thought and effort into the outfit you wear is key. While you don’t have to splurge on a new outfit, you should select a style that adheres to the shower’s dress code or theme, location, and season of the event, no matter your role in the upcoming wedding.

Ahead, we consulted with style expert Sarah Abbasi, founder of Sahroo, an environmentally-conscious bridal brand that offers hand-crafted, bejeweled heirloom pieces, for the best bridal shower fashion tips for guests (including bridesmaids!). Follow her advice and you’re guaranteed to be one of the best dressed guests in attendance.

What to Wear to a Bridal Shower as a Guest

When choosing your outfit for a bridal shower, your first approach should be to follow standard wedding fashion etiquette rules. “Nothing too risqué, nothing to overshadow the bride in any way, and nothing too formal,” says Abbasi. “Go with fun, comfortable, and whatever makes you feel your best self.” Simply put, no white ensembles, no outfits with extravagant silhouettes, like a ball gown, and no skin-barring getups.

How to Choose a Bridal Shower Guest Outfit

As you start considering outfits to wear as a bridal shower guest, think about the dress code, locale, and season of the event. It’s these three elements that will help dictate your final look and ensure you are appropriately dressed for this special occasion.

Pay Attention to the Dress Code

If there’s a dress code indicated on the bridal shower invitation, be sure to stick to it as a sign of respect. For a casual dress code, Abbasi suggests a sundress, a matching set, or a blouse worn with a skirt or trousers. If it’s a more formal affair, she advises guests to lean into fancy styles, like midi dresses and pantsuits, without going over the top.

That being said, most bridal shower invitations don’t dictate a specific dress code, which can make things a little trickier. If you haven’t been given a dress code to follow, opt for pieces that you would wear to a nice brunch or an elegant social gathering. And since bridal showers are more informal than most other wedding events, don’t be afraid to embrace your personal style. Lastly, if you’re really feeling lost about what to wear, you can also take the bride’s typical sartorial preferences into consideration. “Gauge whether they lean more toward serious or casual with their events,” Abbasi says. “One person’s ‘casual’ might be another person’s ‘slightly dressy’ and it should be fairly obvious given your previous experience of the bride’s tastes. But, if in doubt, text someone else who’s going and compare notes.”

Factor in the Venue and Locale

It’s important to take the bridal shower’s venue and location into consideration when planning your outfit. For instance, if you’re attending an outdoor event, be sure to wear something that you’ll be comfortable in while sitting outside, especially if the weather is skewing hotter or colder. Is the shower being held at a casual locale, like the bride’s childhood home? Lean into that vibe, and don’t wear anything that would make you stand out or detract attention from the woman of honor.

Additionally, your footwear is a primary factor to consider when looking at the shower’s location. “The ranking of how formal the venue is, for me personally, goes like this: backyard, country club, restaurant,” Abbasi notes. “If it’s a backyard, or if it’ll be outside at the country club, always go for flat shoes. Nothing is worse than the sinking feeling of your heels digging into the grass.”

Consider the Weather and Season

As with any outfit you choose to wear, you should consider the weather and season when selecting your ensemble for a bridal shower. “In the winter, you can lean into long dresses, jumpsuits, and nice pants. In the summer, it is safe to lean into shorter midi skirts and dresses,” Abbasi notes.

Not only that, but seasons have the ability to dictate color palettes, which is something to keep in mind for these types of events. As Abbasi puts it, anything in a “strikingly springy or autumnal hue” might be best left to its corresponding season. Ultimately, though, you want to use the season to ensure that you’re not focused on regulating your body temperature throughout the entire celebration.

What to Wear to a Bridal Shower as a Bridesmaid

While bridesmaids are typically asked to wear a unique and special outfit at most weddings, bridal showers don’t require the same dress specifications. Unless the bride has asked for members of the bridal party to wear a particular look, bridesmaids can assume that they are free to sport whatever they like, in accordance with the above fashion etiquette guidelines. However, for those who are unsure of what to wear, it’s always a good idea to ask the bride for style preferences, in order to guarantee that you’re enhancing the bridal shower vision in the best way possible.