The hen do is one of the most occasion-specific and most stylistically variable events in UK women's social calendars. Hen dos range from brunch at a local restaurant to a full weekend away in Ibiza; from afternoon tea and spa days to bottomless brunch and cocktail bars; from intimate gatherings of five to group events of thirty. The outfit requirements are correspondingly varied. This guide covers the main hen do formats and the specific outfit approaches for each — for the bride, the MoH, the bridesmaids, and the wider guest group.
What Should the Bride-to-Be Wear?
The UK hen do bride-to-be convention has evolved significantly: the mandatory tiara, sash, and veil from the 2000s and 2010s have given way to more varied and more individual approaches. The current most popular bride-to-be hen do aesthetic:
The all-white or ivory approach: A quality white or ivory dress or quality white quality co-ord that reads as bridal without being an actual bridal gown. A quality white mini dress for a night out; a quality white quality linen dress for a brunch or daytime event; a quality ivory quality satin two-piece for a more dressed-up occasion. The bride stands out within her group clearly without over-theming.
The matching-the-group approach: The bride in a white or light version of whatever colour the group has coordinated in — the group in dusty rose, the bride in white; the group in black, the bride in ivory. This reads as modern, photogenic, and deliberately coordinated rather than randomly assembled.
What to Wear as a MoH or Bridesmaid
The MoH and bridesmaids often coordinate with each other or with the bride in some way. The most practical coordination approaches: a specified colour (everyone in dusty pink, or everyone in black) that can be worn in each person's preferred style; a specified colour and specific dress length (everyone in navy midi dress) with individual interpretation within that constraint; or a quality matching co-ord set where the group buys the same piece.
Outfits for the Different Hen Do Formats
Daytime brunch or lunch: Quality floral midi or quality quality sundress with quality flat sandals or quality loafers, quality pastel accessories. Smart-casual festive without being evening-register.
Spa or afternoon tea: Quality comfortable-but-chic outfit — a quality quality knit and quality wide-leg trouser, or a quality relaxed midi dress — that works for relaxed activity and for sitting comfortably. Avoid anything too structured or uncomfortable for multiple hours of sitting.
Cocktail bar or restaurant evening: Quality midi dress in a bold or rich colour with quality heeled shoes; a quality quality co-ord or quality quality trouser and quality top combination with quality heeled sandals. The bridge between smart-casual and evening-formal.
Nightclub or dancing: Quality mini dress with quality heeled shoes and quality small bag; quality quality satin or quality sequin co-ord. Highest energy and most overtly evening-register.
Discover Fashionfitz's occasion dresses for every hen do format, and browse women's tops for quality co-ord-ready pieces and statement tops.
Frequently Asked Question: Hen Do Outfits UK Women
What colour should guests avoid wearing to a UK hen do?
White and ivory are typically reserved for the bride-to-be at a hen do — exactly as at the wedding itself. If the group has coordinated in a specific colour, wearing a very different colour makes group photography look uncoordinated rather than individual. Beyond these two considerations, hen do outfit colour choice is entirely open: the occasion is a celebration where guests are actively encouraged to make an effort and wear something they feel good in rather than to defer to a conservative colour choice.
