Huishan Zhang in White and Ivory: 24 Pieces for a Registry Office, a Rehearsal Dinner and the Second Look

Huishan Zhang does not have a bridal line. It does cut a great deal of white and ivory, and those pieces get bought for the days around a wedding rather than for the wedding itself: the registry office, the rehearsal dinner, the second look at the reception, the morning after. This is that list.

Sleeve lengths below are noted where we verified them from the piece’s own photograph.

Floor length, for a ceremony

If you are having a civil ceremony, and if the ceremony is small, a floor-length ivory piece from a ready-to-wear collection is frequently the better decision than a bridal gown. It costs less, it arrives in weeks rather than months, and you will wear it again, which a bridal gown is specifically designed to prevent.

• Brianna Full Length Dress in Ivory Duchesse, $5,320. Long sleeves.
• Adelaide Gown in White Embellished Crepe, $2,340.
• Lea Gown in Ivory Satin, $2,040. Cape sleeves.
• Etta Gown in Ivory Satin, $1,740. Cape sleeves.

Registry office and civil ceremony

Midi length, in a fabric with body. Faille, jacquard, tweed and scuba are all opaque under a flash, which matters more here than anywhere: a registry office is small, brightly lit and photographed at close range.

• Madeline Midi Dress in White Faille, $4,950. Long sleeves.
• Madeline Midi Dress in White Faille, Without Beading, $3,830. Long sleeves.
• Genevieve Midi Dress in White Tweed, $3,830.
• Poppy Dress in White Crepe, $3,080. Long sleeves.
• Rosina Dress in White Jacquard, $2,340.
• Vivi Dress in White Faille, $1,510. Long sleeves.
• Mabel Dress in White Crepe, $1,590.
• Bridget Dress in White Scuba, $1,590.

Rehearsal dinner and the days around it

Cotton, linen and embroidered denim. Clearly considered, clearly not the wedding dress, and comfortable enough to sit through a long dinner with both families.

• Isotta Dress in White Cotton, $2,900. Cape sleeves.
• Eileen Midi Dress in White Linen, $2,340.
• Pat Dress in White Cotton, $1,690. Long sleeves.
• Kasia Midi Dress in White Embroidered Denim, $2,150.
• Blakely Dress in Champagne Satin Embellished Tulle, $1,590.

Separates and cover-ups

An ivory sequin skirt with an ivory top gives you a ceremony outfit that separates afterwards into two pieces you will actually wear. The duchesse and jacquard jackets are the answer if the ceremony is cold, the venue is a church, and when you want your arms covered for part of the day only.

• Vania Midi Skirt in Ivory Sequin, $2,900.
• Callie Top in Ivory Sequin, $2,900.
• Avery Midi Skirt in White Faille, $2,900.
• Andrew Jacket in Ivory Duchesse, $6,070.
• Reina Coat in Ivory Multi Jacquard, $4,200.
• Alva Jacket in White Taffeta, $1,320.
• Claudio Shirt in White Embroidered Cotton, $1,960.

Getting white right

If you want an actual bridal gown

Go to a bridal house. Jenny Packham has run a bridal business for decades and the fittings, the timeline and the service are built for it. Huishan Zhang is a very good answer for everything around the wedding and it is not pretending to be a bridal label.

Frequently asked questions

Does Huishan Zhang make wedding dresses?

The house does not run a bridal line. It does cut a substantial amount of white and ivory in the main collection, and those pieces are frequently bought for registry office ceremonies, rehearsal dinners, second looks and the days around a wedding. For a traditional bridal gown with the fittings and the service that go with it, a dedicated bridal house such as Jenny Packham is the better route.

Can I get married in a Huishan Zhang dress?

People do, regularly, and for a civil ceremony it is often a better answer than a bridal gown: it costs less, it arrives faster, and you will wear it again. The pieces listed here in ivory duchesse, white faille and white crepe are all cut at a formality that carries a ceremony.

What should I wear to a rehearsal dinner?

Something white, something ivory, clearly not the wedding dress. Cotton, linen and embroidered denim all read as considered without competing with what you are wearing the next day, and they photograph well in the softer, less formal light of a rehearsal dinner.

Is ivory better than white?

Ivory is warmer and flatters more skin tones; true white is crisper and photographs brighter but can look stark in daylight. The practical point is consistency: if your dress is ivory, your shoes, bag and any jacket should be ivory too. White beside ivory reads as a mistake rather than as a choice.

How do I stop a white dress looking transparent in photographs?

Choose a fabric with body. Faille, duchesse, jacquard, tweed and scuba are all opaque under a camera flash. Fine satin, chiffon and unlined crepe are not. This is the single most common white dress failure and it is entirely a fabric decision.

Can a wedding guest wear white?

Only if the invitation asks for it. White, ivory, cream and champagne all read as bridal in photographs even when they clearly do not in the room. If you have been told the dress code is all-white, these pieces are the right list. Otherwise they are not.

Keep reading

• Huishan Zhang vs Jenny Packham
• Long-sleeve occasion dresses, all 32
• The Huishan Zhang fabric guide
• How to care for jacquard, duchesse satin and cashmere
• Shop the full Huishan Zhang collection at Coveti