Here are a few brief tops on buying an outfit for a special occasion – see our What to wear page for our full article, as published in the Western Mail.

1. Most importantly, choose a shape that suits you! It might sound a bit obvious, but I wonder how many of us still don’t do this!

2. Colours – don’t be too rigid with colour matching! The key is to tone in, not to colour match everything too much!

3. Be aware of etiquette – it usually is there for a reason, so that you don’t upset anyone! But again, don’t be too rigid, you have to be able to dress for your personality as well.

4. How formal your outfit is will also depend on your relationship to the bride. Remember that you will be in a lot of the photos on the day, so your outfit has to be something you will be happy to look back on for years to come.

5. Match the outfit to the occasion. A sign of style is wearing the appropriate outfit for the appropriate occasion.

6. Be prepared! Wear the right underwear when you go trying on.

7. Trends – follow fashion trends in general. Don’t assume that mother of the bride has to be frumpy, and look like the queen mother.