A woman has sparked outrage online after her wedding guest outfit was called ‘inappropriate’.
Olivia Burrows Sutherland, a Melbourne-based businesswoman, unintentionally started a heated debate on TikTok when she asked her 73,000 followers for help choosing a top to pair with a tiered maxi skirt.
The 29-year-old social media star, who is the co-founder of multimillion-dollar e-commerce brand My Glow 2, explained she had to change her outfit plans because of the scorching hot weather down under.
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Originally, she was choosing between two long-sleeved dresses but had to switch to the skirt otherwise she’d be roasting in the heat.
Burrows slipped into the AU $525 (£285) rust-coloured skirt she got from the shop Zimmerman and showed what it would look like paired with a black, strapped crop top and a cream-coloured bandeau bra top.
She eventually sided with the cream top but viewers were horrified with the idea of Olivia wearing a bandeau top or a crop top to a wedding.
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One social media user commented: “Skirt is stunning. Tops no. They were disappointing.”
Another TikTok follower wrote: “None! Tops kinda look like undergarments.”
A third person wrote: “I feel like the top is inappropriate for a wedding. Love the skirt.”
A fourth commented: “Tops are bad… sorry. Skirt is stunning."
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A similar comment read: “Skirt is gorgeous, don’t think the tops appropriate for a wedding sorry!”
Olivia responded to the comment above explaining that the heat influenced her wardrobe choice, saying: “I need to keep it super simple so it’s not too OTT and it’s 37 degrees.”
“I didn’t expect the outfit to be so controversial, but I do know when it comes to weddings and wedding guest attire, everyone has an opinion,” Olivia shared with Australian news website news.com.au.
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“But I love the overall balance of the summer look.
“Cocktail attire permits skin to be showing and as the volume and length of the skirt is extremely modest.
“I believe pairing it with a plain crop top, with my hair styled down providing extra coverage, maintains the appropriate balance and silhouette suitable for a wedding that has a ‘cocktail dress code’ in 37 degree heat.”
She continued: “I understand that this is not a traditional wedding guest look, however, fashion has evolved, and two-piece sets have become popular options for guests to wear to events.
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“I actually chose to wear this look as I thought the matching top was too much for a wedding guest and I would rather pare back the look than be too formal at somebody else’s wedding.
“If there was a ‘black tie’ or ‘formal’ dress code, I would have of course worn a different top.”
Wedding guest attire is a very controversial topic on social media after another TikTok influencer was criticised for wearing a green dress that appeared 'white' to some viewers which goes against general wedding etiquette.
It's generally considered rude for anyone other than the bride to wear white on the big day.
Lauren Candy modelled the sage green-coloured ASOS DESIGN Bridesmaid cami embellished midi dress which she named ‘quite possibly the most beautiful wedding guest dress ever’.
But her followers were seriously unimpressed.
“I *know* it’s sage green, but it’s baaaassssicalllyyyy white,” one follower wrote.
Topics: Wedding
Gregory Robinson