WEDDING DRESSING: LOOK 1

Dagny dress, Thread Tales Co. scarf, Vintage shoes, Vintage bag from Vestiaire Collective and Ethical Collection earrings 

Whilst wedding festivities seem to blow up in September, it's worth talking about wedding outfits ASAP as the season begins. Summer wedding dressing can be tricky — often the summer dresses in my wardrobe are too casual for a wedding and anything too "fashion" or overly loud seems inappropriate and overdressed, especially for a church, town hall or registry office. It's worth sticking to something more classic that still celebrates your individuality, while also being a staple in your wardrobe for years to come.

At the Copenhagen Fashion Summit last month, Lily Cole brought up a topic very close to my heart. She pointed out that celebrities have often been criticised for wearing the same dress twice and asked why, in an age when we have too many clothes on our planet, we are not encouraging people to wear their things more than once.

This is something I couldn't agree with more — and yet look at what happens when the Duchess of Cambridge "recycles" outfits. At Meghan and Harry's wedding she wore an Alexander McQueen coat that she had worn twice before — I think that's brilliant! We should be encouraging creativity, reusing, lending, borrowing etc. If you agree but you'll be attending a few weddings this season that feature the same clan of friends and want to make a mark at each with a new look then do chat to friends about borrowing or swapping. Then you can also take your own outfit for the evening if you like so that you can dance the night away knowing you're not going to ruin your friends' things. Otherwise, you can wear the same investment piece and accessorise differently — a bright scarf, a statement bag, a change of hair (from an up-do to a down-do, adding flowers, etc.) new makeup — channel a new persona for the day!

With this in mind, I have put together some wedding outfits that I think are perfect not only for a wedding, but for any summer event. These dresses cover all bases and are just as appropriate with flat sandals for a dinner out on holiday as they are with heels for a big event. Likewise, they can be changed up completely with different accessories, different makeup and different hair. Switching a few things up really can work wonders.

DAGNY

Dagny started from a seemingly simple quest to find a stylish, yet sustainably made dress. Founder and creative director Christina Castle searched for a dress that was as fashionable as it was sustainable, and came up empty-handed. That's why all of the fabrics sourced for Dagny must meet high standards of sustainability, quality and testing. The brand tries to use surplus fabric whenever possible, saving these rolls from landfills. These are purchased from defunct mills or other brands who have too much stock. When they cannot find exactly what they want from surplus fabrics, Dagny sources the most responsible and industry-vetted fabrics to create their collections. Each garment is designed with longevity and functionality in mind, and expertly crafted with luxury finishes and seams to ensure it stands the test of time. Dagny works with an ethical, women-owned and operated factory in Romania to produce its garments. The progressive factory boasts many highly regarded industry certifications for labour, social and ecological practices, and is also a member of the Ethical Fashion Forum.

THREAD TALES CO.

Founder of Thread Tales Co. Katherine Mauder's mother came across a beautiful material made from the stems of lotus flowers whilst working in the Myanmar jungle — this fabric is now the brand's signature. Thread Tales Co. are one of very few brands that use lotus and are also privileged to be able to specify only the highest grades available, usually reserved for high order monks and royalty. Produced naturally and without chemicals, the lotus fabric is one of the most sustainable materials in the world.

VESTIAIRE COLLECTIVE

Since 2009, Vestiaire Collective has grown from a French company to a global one with an ever-present Parisian DNA. International Vestiaire is now comprised of  6 million fashion-savvy members in over 50 countries in Europe, the United States and – soon – Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore. Vestiaire Collective has a carefully curated catalogue of 600,000 desirable items, which once sold are expertly checked for 100% quality and authenticity. 30,000 new items are submitted by the community of sellers every week, which enables buyers to hunt amongst over 3,200 coveted and must-have fashion pieces a day, ensuring that Vestiaire Collective is the go-to site for an excitingly unique shopping experience.

ETHICAL COLLECTION

Giovanna Eastwood founded Ethical Collection in 2015, encouraged by the work of her mother's charity in Brazil. The charity taught young women to craft and sell bags made of recycled material and Giovanna witnessed the impact that the work had on these women and their communities. The pride they took in their art and the environmental benefits of recycled material gave her inspiration and incentive to dedicate her skills to ethical fashion. Enthusiastic about her friend Giovanna's style and purpose, Annina Youngblood joined Ethical Collection in late 2016. What started out as two friends sharing ideas about sustainable fashion led to a flourishing, fruitful collaboration. Together, they give us the choice of style with a story.