A model was heavily criticized after sharing the dress she chose for her best friend’s wedding in Italy, which many considered inappropriate for the occasion.

Isabelle Mathers posted a video of herself modeling the outfit in Ravello, a town situated above the Amalfi Coast. 

Despite the IMG model clarifying that she wore the ensemble for the wedding’s welcome dinner, the dress—an over-the-shoulder, see-through white gown with a cut in the stomach—still received the thumbs-down from many people.

One social media user wrote, “I know you mentioned this is the pre-dinner wedding dress, but it still looks strange. The dress is so inappropriate already, it looks too beachy, plus the underwear screams ‘look at me,’ and it looks almost white in some lighting.”

Model Isabelle Mathers sparked controversy after wearing a white gown to her best friend’s wedding in Italy

Image credits: isabellemathersx

Naturally, an unwritten rule in wedding etiquette is that guests should never wear white. If someone else wears that color, it can be perceived as an attempt to outshine the bride. For some, this includes white-ish shades, such as cream, tan, or nude.

“Did you just outdress the bride-to-be? It looks like you’re the one going to get married, not your friend,” said another critic, while a third one added, “The belly cut-out for a wedding? Just doesn’t seem appropriate, IMO.”

Responding to the negative opinions about her outfit, Isabelle wrote, “The bride is my best friend…You don’t think I discussed every single one of my outfits with her?”

People criticized Isabelle’s look despite the Australian model clarifying that she wore the gown for the ceremony’s welcome dinner

Image credits: isabellemathersx

According to Britannica, the tradition of brides wearing white for their big day traces back to Queen Victoria’s 1840 wedding to Prince Albert. The queen opted for that color to show off the detailed Honiton lace produced by the British lace industry, which was floundering at the time. 

Less than a decade after Victoria married her cousin, the Godey’s Lady’s Book, an American women’s magazine from the 19th century, wrote: “Custom has decided, from the earliest ages, that white is the most fitting hue, whatever may be the material. It is an emblem of the purity and innocence of girlhood and the unsullied heart she now yields to the chosen one.”

That purity and innocence are now reserved for the bride alone, with colors that resemble white being frowned upon for guests at western weddings.

The off-the-shoulder dress, which looks white in photos, had a cut-out at the stomach and a high thigh slit

Image credits: isabellemathersx

Image credits: isabellemathersx

Plus, showing too much skin may seem out of place. As a rule of thumb, Glam magazine recommends no more than one cut-out for your wedding look, but that will depend on the formality of the ceremony.

“[Your outfit] can have one sexy element like a plunging neckline, short hemline, cut-out, low back, or a body con fit, but no more than one,” The Knot Assistant Editor Simone Hill told Bustle. For some, Isabelle’s cut-out at the stomach and high thigh slit were a faux pas.

“The bride is my best friend…You don’t think I discussed every single one of my outfits with her?” Isabelle wrote in response to the criticism

Image credits: isabellemathersx

Others defended the model, complimenting her gown and arguing that the bride had given her approval

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A post shared by Isabelle Mathers (@isabellemathersx)

However, others complimented the Aussie model’s look, “The dress, the hair, just everything. You look absolutely gorgeous!” a fan commented.

“Sincerely, I don’t understand how much criticism… Everybody is absolutely free to dress with whatever they want, they’re friends, and I’m sure she was happy to see her with such a beautiful dress,” said another person.

Another supportive Instagram user added, “Does it really matter, y’all? She already went to the wedding/rehearsals, she stated clearly that the bride helped her choose this, what more do you want? Theres absolutely [n]0 reasoning behind half these comments…”

Unbothered by the criticism, Isabelle has since shared pictures of herself soaking up the sun in Sicily and exploring the island’s charming streets.

People on social media were divided over the white dress

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