A woman has turned to the internet to find out if there is an "unwritten rule" about baby shower dress codes.
It turns out there isn't, according to celebrity fashion stylist Holly Macnaghten, who spoke to Newsweek about a Reddit post that has 14,000 upvotes, at the time of writing.
On June, 23, user Lost-Lobster-1644, 29, explained that her high school friend "Claire," 28, recently celebrated her pregnancy with her loved ones. However, things took a turn for the worse when the original poster (OP) turned up wearing a white and blue floral dress.
"I didn't think anything of it because, as far as I know, white is only inappropriate for bridal events," she wrote. "When I arrived at the shower, Claire's mood seemed to immediately sour and she was really cold towards me."
Later on, the OP was asked to leave. She wrote: "Later, one of my other friends pulled me aside and asked me to leave. She said that Claire was offended by my 'attention seeking behavior' and that it was inappropriate to wear white to Claire's event. I left."
In the comments, she explained her theory, writing: "I've always been the 'bigger' girl in our group (I'm not actually overweight or anything but everyone else is very tall and slender and I'm short with wide hips) so maybe she's feeling bad that she's bigger than I am right now? But she SHOULD be bigger because she's 8 months pregnant! And she looks fantastic!"
According to a survey by the Mental Health Foundation, a U.K.-based charity, pregnancy often leads to women having a more negative perception of their bodies. Over half (54 percent) of women aged 25-34 reported feeling worse about their body image post-pregnancy than they did before. Conversely, only 14 percent of respondents in this age group said they felt more positive about their bodies after pregnancy.
What Did the Expert Say?
Macnaghten, who has previously worked with Baby Driver star Ansel Elgort, explained that a dress like the OP's is usually a "hit."
She told Newsweek: "White is fine in my opinion, but worth checking what the mother-to-be has planned to wear also—much like a bridal party, you don't want to take away attention from her!"
To stay on the safe side, Macnaghten, from London, England, offered the following advice: "Whilst there are no real rules on what to wear, I always think it's best to avoid anything too heavy or dark. Stay away from leather or black, for example, remember it's a sweet and joyful affair, not a girl's night out!
"Anything pastel, floral or gingham is an absolute fool-proof option as a baby-shower guest."
Reddit Reacts
So far, the post has received 2,800 comments and the top one alone has 27,000 upvotes.
It said: "NTA (Not The A******), that's not a thing. Are you sure the color of the dress was the issue? It seems nonsensical."
The woman replied: "I've been told it's about the dress, but I'm starting to think it's a body image thing. I'm not as thin as the rest of the girls in the group. Maybe Claire is upset that she is, FOR VERY GOOD REASON, the 'big' one right now."
"Wearing a white or floral dress isn't a reason to be harassed or asked to leave. It's not attention seeking. Being fat or thin or any body shape isn't a valid reason either. Unless your dress was excessively skimpy, these people were majorly in the wrong. These people are not friends, they are frenemies and you'd be better off without all of the people who attacked you," said a second commenter.
A third user wrote: "NTA. I've never once heard of not wearing white to a baby shower. Depending on the pattern and style, I'm not even sure I would consider a white and blue floral dress an absolute 'no no' for a bridal shower. It sounds like she was feeling insecure and something about how you looked made her feel bad about herself. While that sucks, it's not your fault."
Newsweek reached out to u/Lost-Lobster-1644 for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
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Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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