Taylor Swift Might Have Made This Controversial Wedding Guest Dress Mistake Over the Weekend

Wedding bells were in store for Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce this weekend, though it wasn't theirs that were ringing. While rumors continue to swirl about the celebrity couple’s own engagement status, the duo arrived in New York to celebrate the nuptials of model Karen Elson and Electric Lady Studios owner Lee Foster. However, the pop star’s look for the evening—a cream-colored dress with a floral pattern—quickly generated a major question: Did the singer commit a wedding fashion faux pas by wearing a shade of white to the big day? 

Arriving at Electric Lady Studios hand-in-hand with Kelce, Swift wore a cream-colored floral linen Zimmerman dress. The midi-style frock also included side cutouts and a scalloped neckline. The songwriter paired the dress with a number of accessories, including a blue Vivienne Westwood bag and Christian Louboutin heeled sandals. She also added lots of familiar jewels to her Saturday look, including a vintage Cartier necklace. But it was the singer’s dress—and the fact that it was a mostly cream look with a floral pattern—that generated the most conversation; whether or not this type of look counts as white (and, therefore, disrespectful to the bride) or not has been a wedding guest fashion dilemma for years. “There are unconfirmed remarks that the bride requested female guests wear cream,” Sarah Chapelle, known as @taylorswiftstyled on Instagram, wrote on the platform. “As someone who loves to aggressively plan and prefers to err on the side of caution, I elect to stay away from a dress this light - even with a floral print - when dressing for a wedding. Though Taylor’s dress is actually much warmer toned in retail photos. It falls closer to a pale orange. Ultimately, if this was indeed [the] bride’s orders - I think she aced the assignment.”

While it remains unclear on what the dress code for the nuptials was, Swift wasn’t the only one to step out in a light-colored ensemble. Lana Del Ray, appearing at the event with rumored boyfriend Jeremy Dufrene, opted for a pale blue halter-style dress paired with mesh ballet flats. And Elson’s daughter and only bridesmaid, Scarlett White, wore an ivory-colored slip dress. (The teenager’s dress, like her mother’s, was Valentino.) 

Other famous friends at the nuptials gravitated toward more traditional color schemes, including Kelce. The tight end opted for an all-black ensemble with slicked-back hair. Keeping to familiar wedding looks, singer Rosalía donned a long black dress with a high slit, and model Karlie Kloss wore a burgundy gown with a pair of dark slingbacks. Celebrity couple Grace Gummer and Mark Runson adhered to a more traditional-yet-stylish dress code. The actress kept things sleek with a black suit and a pair of red heels, while the producer wore a dark blue pinstripe suit.  

And the bride’s own look was nothing short of memorable. Sharing a photo of her custom gown on Instagram, Elson modeled the embroidered tiered gown. “I can’t help thinking no word will ever be able to capture the depth of my gratitude,” she wrote in her caption. “Alessandro created a wedding dress beyond my wildest dreams. Never have I felt more beautiful or more myself. I love you and thank you Alessandro, the entire Maison Valentino team and Leith Clark for pulling all the elements together.”