For some people, wearing a big white dress on their wedding day feels as essential as the rings. For others, it does not. When Dua Lipa wore a Schiaparelli couture white skirt suit to marry actor Callum Turner in London last month, she joined a long line of women who have chosen a suit over a traditional gown. Among them is Bianca Jagger, who caused a stir in 1971 when she married Mick Jagger in an Yves Saint Laurent Le Smoking jacket and bias-cut skirt.
It is somewhat strange that the choice remains considered unusual, given that the concept of the traditional wedding dress still holds immense sway. So who else has opted for a suit? And were they inspired by Jagger or simply cutting their own cloth? We asked readers for their wedding-day suit stories.
Tilly Burn, 31, Moreton-in-Marsh
Tilly Burn works in local government. She had been toying with the idea of wearing a suit for a while, attracted by its reusability. 'I realised that if I had a wedding dress it would hang forgotten in my wardrobe,' she says. 'I wanted something comfortable and, rather than just looking beautiful, I wanted to feel cool.' She found inspiration in Bianca Jagger's iconic photo. 'A woman wearing a suit looks so powerful!' Burn tried on many suits, from expensive Vivienne Westwood to cheaper options. She settled on a Me+Em suit, with trousers tailored perfectly by Anwen Greenaway. Married nearly three years ago at the Manor House hotel, she has worn the suit at least 15 times since, including for a John Lennon costume.
Judith Winters, 55, North Yorkshire
Judith Winters, an archaeological editor, married in 1997 at Sheffield register office. As indie postgraduate students, they chose a humanist wedding. 'It was definitely our statement of: We are going to do this our way,' she says. She never dreamed of a white dress but wanted to dress up. At Harvey Nichols in Leeds, she chose a pale blue Nicole Farhi trouser suit. 'I felt amazing in it. The trousers were really comfortable and meant I could boogie on the dance floor and pick up small children.' The suit is still in her wardrobe, waiting to be passed on to a niece.
Justine Knowles, 57, Birmingham
Justine Knowles, an osteopath, married in 2003 at Birmingham register office. Having lived together for five years, they wanted an unconventional wedding. 'A big white pouffy dress is just not really me,' she says. Inspired by Bianca Jagger, she chose a white trouser suit from Principles for just over £100. Her husband wore a royal blue and red pinstripe Ozwald Boateng suit. 'I also didn't want to end up with something in my wardrobe that I would never wear again,' she says. She has worn the suit on other occasions since.
Sarah Morley, 59, near Bath
Sarah Morley, a graphic designer, married Chris at the Roman baths in Bath in September 2011. She never considered herself a 'dress' person and admired Diane Keaton, Bianca Jagger, and Katharine Hepburn. However, women's suits lacked an edge. When her husband had a fitting for his Savile Row suit with tailor Richard Anderson, she realised a man's suit fitted to her was the answer. 'Underneath I wore it with a traditional men's formal backless evening waistcoat ... but with no shirt. It felt fantastic,' she says.
Judith Mendes, 61, Jamaica
Judith Mendes, a marine biologist, made a practical decision to wear a suit. She married in 1992 at the coastguard base in Port Royal, Jamaica, where she met her ex-husband. The venue required walking up and down a narrow gangway and over obstacles on deck. 'Obviously a big pouffy dress was just not going to work,' she says. She found a suit off the rack with a shawl collar made of lace and sequins that sparkled in the sunlight. 'I really felt very beautiful in it.'
Helga Saint Pierre, 71, Halifax, Canada
Helga Saint Pierre, a retired teacher, married in the 1970s as a student with little money. They planned a simple secular celebration with university friends, a homemade meal, and cake. She wore a dove-grey suit bought off the rack, paired with a small lily of the valley antique brooch given by her husband. 'All in all, there was no spectacle and very little cost: $100 in 1976,' she says.
Maxine O'Neill, 61, Harrow
Maxine O'Neill, a location coordinator, married in 1993. Both she and her husband worked in the record industry and did not want traditional suits or meringue-style wedding dresses. Her mother-in-law, Belle, made her a cream silk suit, and she made a hat from a feather boa. They married in Newry, Northern Ireland. She no longer has the suit, as it was accidentally sent to charity, but she still has the hat.
