Taylor Swift's Inappropriate Wedding Guest Outfit Won't Be Forgotten

As a parent might say to their child, rules are made for a reason. Now, there may be a lot of rules when it comes to fashion, but they seem especially stringent surrounding weddings, and understandably so. Most couples put a lot of time, effort, and money into their big days, and they don't want anything to distract from it. And that's where the rule about not wearing white to a wedding comes from: It can look like the guest in white is trying to compete with the bride. There should be one person in white on a wedding day (unless the dress code for guests is white), and that is the bride. Not even celebrities are immune to the rules, which is why Taylor Swift was called out for her questionably inappropriate wedding-guest outfit that won't be forgotten easily.

Music producer Jack Antonoff and Swift have been collaborators and close friends since 2012, so it made sense that she would attend his 2023 wedding to actor Margaret Qualley.  What made less sense was her outfit. For the event, Swift wore a pale-blue Erdem dress with ruffles. In the sunlight, the lace-detailed dress looked very light, bordering on white, which, as mentioned above, is not an appropriate choice for a wedding guest. In the court of public opinion, there was mixed feedback on how appropriate her outfit was. As one Instagrammer commented, "It's a good wedding guest dress imo." But another disagreed: "While it may technically be blue it's way too light to be worn to a wedding."

This definitely isn't the first time a celeb has worn an inappropriate outfit to a wedding. And it also isn't the only incident when Taylor Swift has raised eyebrows with her guest attire. For one of her backup dancer's weddings, in 2016, the "Shake It Off" singer wore a close-to-white shift dress to the ceremony. Eight years later, for supermodel Karen Elson's wedding, held in New York City in September 2024, Swift attended the nuptials with beau Travis Kelce. She wore a beautiful cream dress with a floral pattern by Zimmerman. She even carried something blue by way of a Vivienne Westwood purse. Surely, when budget isn't an issue and there are countless dress and accessory options at her fingertips, there would be something that wasn't quite so bridal?

T-Swift is always going to stand out as a wedding guest; she's Taylor Swift. But in the future, she probably needs to put more thought into what she wears so it isn't even verging on questionable. Unless she was specifically requested to wear white to these events, the outfits will be held against her.

When we look through Taylor Swift's stunning style transformation, we can see that she's worn some wedding-guest appropriate outfits in the past, that she could easily revisit for future weddings she attends. For example, a pastel purple would suit the singer and occasion equally well. Or a dress in an aquamarine shade would make her blue eyes pop and also serve as a solid (and non-controversial!) option that wouldn't be mistaken for white.

And let's not limit her options to frocks. There are some fantastic summer wedding guest outfit ideas that are not just dresses. The "Love Story" singer in a two-piece outfit, like a fitted pencil skirt and slightly cropped top that coordinates? Yes please. A glamorous jumpsuit? RSVP yes to that. The point is, there are plenty of options for Miss Americana that won't leave onlookers questioning whether she's trying to steal the spotlight (as if she needed to).