Is This The Perfect Wedding Guest Dress?

Sometimes you have to search high and low for the perfect dress, but other times a lightening bolt strikes and you just know you've found 'the one' without even having to try.

When I saw this checked tea dress in the sale at M&S I didn't have to think twice about trying it on as I knew it would make the perfect wedding guest outfit with the addition of a fascinator and some heels.

Figure hugging, yet floaty in all the right places, the crepe material is well cut and gives a high quality finish. Now, I'm only 5'4'' so it is more of a midi dress on me - but I love that because it gives the dress a more vintage feel. Plus, you don't want to have the worry of whether your hemline is too short!

Everyone I know seems to be wedding planning at the moment so I know it'll get some wear on that front, but it would work just as well for a day at the races. With shoulders covered and a modest hemline it would even pass the Royal Ascot test.

M&S Checked Tea Dress, WAS £45 NOW £27

A Day at the Races

Forget about the horses, it is the head wear on display at this year's Royal Ascot that is grabbing all the headlines. You could be forgiven for confusing the elite sporting event for a Mad Hatter's tea party. From the bizarre to the beautiful, quite literally anything is possible when it comes to choosing a hat for Ascot. Hats adorned with birds, giant insects, shoes, a replica of the Titanic and even an iPad are just a few of the crazier creations spotted. No one would have blinked an eyelid if Princess Beatrice had worn her infamous Philip Treacy fascinator here. Beatrice in fact sported one of my favourite looks on display - a retro wide-brimmed hat which screamed sophistication. Opera singer Katherine Jenkins also drew admiring glances in an oversized scarlet hat, which perfectly complimented her figure-hugging red dress.