Fall wedding guest dress for autumn, velvet and knit

A fall wedding guest dress gets tested twice, first at a chilly ceremony outdoors and then on a hot, packed dance floor. So we’ve gathered styles that cover your arms, nearly all with long or three-quarter sleeves, and the bulk of them are velvet in burgundy, emerald, red and dark blue.

A vineyard ceremony at four, dancing at nine

October. Folding chairs on the grass, a breeze coming off the hills, and the vows run long. Our burgundy velvet maxi has long sleeves and a leg slit that only opens when you step, and you won’t need a wrap over it. Dense velvet like that is warm on its own.

Later the tables get pushed back. That’s when a skirt with movement pays off. The emerald velvet dress with a half-circle skirt ends at the knee and flares out on every spin, and its burgundy twin keeps a round neck at the front and puts the interest in a cutout at the back. Wear your hair up for that one.

Best friend’s wedding, and you plan to dance till the DJ quits? Then the red pleated velvet midi is your dress. Shoulders out, three-quarter sleeves, and fine folds that swing with you.

Evening dress code in October

For a formal reception, go long. Emerald and burgundy velvet both come as floor-length gowns that leave the shoulders bare, each with a leg slit, and three-quarter sleeves that cover a bit of arm. They look rich in candlelight and in the late-afternoon sun that October weddings get. The dark blue velvet gown with a boat neck and full sleeves is the one if you’re scared of freezing at an autumn wedding in a drafty hall. Whichever you choose, try it with your heels. The hem shouldn’t touch the floor.

Not a velvet person? An electric blue lurex midi wraps into a V and ties with a belt. Black pumps, silver earrings, a black jacket for the walk to the car.

You’ll find more wine-colored looks for weddings on a separate page, and the guest dresses for every season too.