Dear Etiquetteer:
I am a woman with a fashion quandary, having just been invited to a wedding with a "protest chic" dress code. Obviously I want to wear something appropriate, but not something that feels like a costume. Any advice?
Dear Invited:
You see why Etiquetteer gets so put out by these Novelty Dress Codes. "Protest Chic" offers absolutely no guidance on what to wear! Of course it would help to know what time of day the wedding is to be held, the type of venue, or anything else, which Etiquetteer assumes was included in the invitation. These factors could mean all the difference between a Che Guevara T-shirt and a Che Guevara lapel button.
What's really needed is what Ignatius J. Reilly referred to as a few "deft and tasteful suggestions." Since Che Guevara is one of the most recognizable revolutionaries of all, you might end up choosing a beret in black or red. That said, it's the Black Panthers that brought chic to protest with their black berets, black leather jackets and fascinating sunglasses. If only it were Perfectly Proper to wear black to a wedding . . . thought Etiquetteer, wistfully . . .
The simplest thing, really, is to dress appropriately to the time of day and add some vintage and/or current protest buttons to your ensemble. Were Etiquetteer invited to this wedding, you might see Etiquetteer appear dressed in the height of Perfect Propriety and declare it was in protest of the dress code.
Please, no weaponry! This is the wrong time to accessorize with guns, knives, grenades, or other types of weapons or ammunition, real or faux. Of course the Must-Have Protest Accessory this year is the Pink Pussyhat from the Women's March. Etiquetteer has to wonder if the Bride is going to wear one with a bit of tulle clipped to its points . . . and, oh yes, whatever you do, don't upstage the Bride! So that means no white pantsuits.
Readers, have you received invitations with Novelty Dress Codes? Please do send them to Etiquetteer for a future column!