Ask Lisa: ‘My daughter is getting married at the Elvis chapel in Vegas. What do I wear?’

Lisa Armstrong is The Telegraph’s head of fashion. She began her career in fashion at Vogue. She has written four novels, has an honorary doctorate from the University of Arts in London, and was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to fashion.

Each week, she responds to your queries, lending her expertise to help you shop smart. Have a question for her? Submit it below.

It’s that time of year… when friends and children throw your sartorial order into disarray by going and getting married. Cue lots of panicked conversations about what on earth to wear. 

There’s all kinds of choices out there, so try not to succumb to buying something that doesn’t feel very “you” or that you won’t ever wear again (but if you do, reselling is relatively straightforward these days). 

I’ve grouped some of your questions together in a batch this week so that they don’t get held in a logjam. The main thing to remember: enjoy yourselves. If you love what you’re wearing, that’s an excellent start.

Dear Lisa, 

My lovely mum is getting married soon, but is struggling with what to wear. She is 65 years young, about 5ft 2in, and a size 8 – but feels her tummy sticks out and her chest is a bit bony. The wedding will be at the register office with a party afterwards at home, so she doesn’t want anything too grand, but wants to feel her best. We have been scouring the shops and online but nothing seems quite right. 

The wedding is bittersweet as her partner suffers with Motor neurone disease, so it will be happening quite soon! 

– Catherine

Dear Catherine,

You don’t say whether or not your mum wants to wear white the second time around so I’m suggesting some varied options. 

Whatever your mum feels about her tummy, she’s obviously in good shape. Something that enhances that seems a good idea – if you’ve got it, etc. An outfit that accentuates her waist would look lovely and feminine. A peplum jacket would mean she could forget about worrying about her tummy… this sort of thing, from Self Portrait (£380) is rather lovely, and similar to a style the Princess of Wales has worn before. There are colourful variations as well.