Then one day, walking down Bond Street, I nipped into Dior – as you do. There it was: the Bar Jacket I’d always wanted, although not in navy as I’d imagined, but in a stunning, glow-uppy pink. As I live in separates, I could wear the jacket endlessly, with jeans, navy, black or cream trousers… But how to wear it for the wedding? The pink pleated skirts in the store were too bulky on me. And what to wear beneath the jacket in case it was so warm I ended up taking it off (it was, I did)? Layers are helpful. If you go for a dress, make sure there’s a jacket that works over it before you buy.
Dior said it could make me a lace skirt and chiffon blouse that it would dye to match the jacket. A single colour top-to-bottom would look better in pictures on my 5ft 4in frame. And like the jacket, I could wear them after. Finding a designer you can let get on with everything, knowing you’ll end up with an outfit that makes you feel like yourself, but the film-star version, is the dream – and worth the considerable investment.
Shoes? My wedding ones 36 years ago came from Jimmy, who worked out of a prefab in east London. The brand he co-founded has grown since then: my daughter and I both got ours from the Bond Street Jimmy Choo boutique. Crucially, they are comfortable.