The spiraling costs of attending formal events over summer have been revealed, with women spending hundreds of pounds to look good at weddings, parties and race days.
More than half of women will buy a brand new outfit for every wedding they attend as a guest this season, which seems like such a waste when you can revamp a look with just a few key accessories.
What this means though, as 33% of women will attend up to three weddings in 2014 and the cost of a new dress, shoes and accessories for each occasion can top £250 each time – you’re looking at £750 on just the outfits for three days outs.
Coupled with this, 81% of women attending Royal Ascot will splurge £150 on similarly formal outfits that adhere to the events’ strict dress code which requires skirts of knee-length, straps wider than one inch, and a hat or headpiece to be worn at all times. A third of women reveal they will pay a further £40 for grooming including a spray tan, blow dry and false eyelashes to stand out from the crowd.
It’s an expensive time to be a woman during summer by the sounds of it.
Almost half of women surveyed consider it a fashion ‘faux pas’ to be seen in the same outfit twice, and social media is increasing the odds of outfits being posted online for the world to see. This age bracket confess that photos shared on sites such as Facebook and Instagram are a “big cause of the pressure” to debut a new look at every wedding. Interestingly, 67% of those aged 70 and over also cited social media photo evidence as a factor in purchasing new outfits. It also seems that the age-old fear of turning up in the same outfit as another guest still resonates – with 50% of 20-29 year olds admitting they would be embarrassed if this happened to them.
Fiona Lambert, Vice President of George and George Home said: “Everyone knows that formal occasions are a great opportunity to dress to impress – but it needn’t mean spending a small fortune to look good. Women want to have fun with fashion and our shoppers make a real effort to find the perfect outfit. With ‘Wedding Season’ and Royal Ascot just around the corner, George is on hand to provide an array of beautifully on-trend dresses, separates and accessories starting at just £5.”
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