Signature Wardrobe Unveiling Outfit

Signature Wardrobe Unveiling Outfit
Unveiling the Swan Hill Burke and Wills monument c. 1920 – 1929. via State Library Victoria

Unveilings are generally solemn afternoon ceremonies that reveal a statue or monument for the first time. Some cultures and religions conduct them on the first anniversary of death when the gravestone is either set or revealed. Therefore, your Signature Wardrobe Unveiling Outfit should be an appropriately respectful semi-formal or formal outfit.

Climate/Location/Activities

You will most likely be outdoors so you may need protection from the elements.

You will be standing, or if you are lucky sitting, perhaps lowering your head for a minute of silence. There might be some cheek kissing and hand shaking as well.

Presence

Statues and monuments usually commemorate significant events or people. Their unveiling often comes with too many speeches, and sometimes cups of tea or coffee afterwards. Your unveiling outfit should be comfortable and respectful. You convey respect by covering your body with higher necklines, longer sleeves and lower hems.

Unless the person/event is well-known for a more colourful life, your outfit should be in your dark formal spectrum of colours. If you wear something less sombre, be aware that you may face criticism for not appearing appropriately respectful. If you have a dress uniform, honours, or symbols of office you should wear them.

Clothes

As this is a formal and respectful occasion, skip the jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers and wear your “good” clothes.

Modern people interpret dresses as formal attire, so they are an excellent choice, particularly in a longer, more conservative length. And they would ideally be a little plain in simple shapes, lack distinctive patterns (like large polka dots), textures (boucle), and fabrication details (ruching). The more opaque the better. (Which coincidentally makes them very useful for almost any occasion).

Dresses are also easy to dress up or down, and can be cool in summer as well as warm in winter with the right accessories.

Underclothes

Definitely, wear a good supportive bra in a dark colour. Make sure the straps are well-adjusted and sit comfortably so they don’t fall down and you don’t have to fiddle with them.

Shoes

I’m sorry to say that the formality requires heels, though low ones for comfort.

Accessories

Dark tights, small dark bag, and a hat. Jewellery should be relatively discreet – at the pearl rather than the diamond end of the spectrum.

Some unveilings celebrate sportspeople, in which case, you could accessorise with team colours; perhaps a scarf, tie, or lapel pin.

Grooming

Discrete makeup, clean, neat and under control hair (that doesn’t interfere with your hat).

Wrap Up

Your semi-formal unveiling outfit is something that you probably won’t wear often. Something like a plain forgettable wool-blend work dress of reasonable quality will do very well for this purpose, and you could probably wear your work shoes and accessories as well.

If you don’t already own something like this and are unlikely to wear it often, consider hiring a dress rather than buying one. If you do buy something, spend as little as you can unless your weight and body shape are stable enough that you can wear it for several years.


 

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