Weddings, christenings and the awkward parties
Occasion wear
Dresses and soft tailoring for the day you have been invited to, in colours that will not make you look like the bridesmaid.
You have been invited, the date is on the fridge, and everything in the wardrobe was bought for somebody else's wedding in 2017. Start here.
The occasion rail runs along the back wall: crepe dresses that do not crease in the car, silk that moves, and soft jackets you can eat in. We buy for the woman who wants to look like herself on a good day, not a smaller version of a catalogue. Colours run deep rather than pastel, with blush and champagne for anyone who wants them.
We keep a wedding book behind the counter. Tell us the date and the family name and we will write down what you bought, so that when your sister-in-law comes in a fortnight later she will not walk out with the same dress. We have saved three weddings that way, and the book goes in the bin the day after the wedding.
How it works here
- The wedding book, so no two guests buy the same outfit
- Hats and fascinators on request from a milliner in Crickhowell
- Fitted by Cerys upstairs, usually within ten days
- Evening appointments on Thursdays for anyone who works
- Shoes and bags to match, kept on the same wall
What it costs
Dresses from £165, jackets from £125, a full outfit usually between £240 and £420. Every price is on the shop page, and the size guide tells you what to try first.
Questions about occasion wear
How far ahead should I come in?
Six to eight weeks is comfortable and leaves time for alterations. Inside a fortnight we can still usually help, because Cerys keeps a gap for the desperate.
Can I bring my daughter or my mother with me?
Please do. There is one velvet chair and a kettle. Book a Thursday evening if there are more than three of you and we will find more chairs.
Do you hire?
No. Everything here is to buy, and most of it you will wear again, which is the test we use when we buy it.
Come and try something on.
The kettle is on and the fitting room is free more often than you would think. Thursday evenings are by appointment, for anyone who works.