For years, purple was the colour many wedding guests quietly avoided. White belongs to the bride, black can feel funereal, and in Italy purple has long carried a whiff of bad luck. This season, though, the mood has shifted. Vanity Fair Italia argues that violet in all its shades is now one of the smartest choices for a wedding invitation, and the runways back that up.
From unlucky shade to runway favourite
The Italian superstition comes from the theatre. In past centuries, public performances were often restricted during religious periods such as Lent, when the Church used purple vestments, so actors and musicians lost work. Purple became, for stage folk, the colour of empty pockets. Yet for most of history it meant the very opposite: a rare and costly dye that signalled power, wealth and royalty.
Designers seem to have remembered that grander side. According to the fashion data platform Tagwalk, as reported by Vogue France, violet appeared 54% more often across the autumn/winter 2026–27 collections, turning up at Gucci, Celine, Balenciaga, Balmain, Mugler and many more, and it is already carrying on into the spring/summer 2027 shows. Royal fans have noticed too: the Princess of Wales recently wore an amethyst, pearl and diamond necklace that had not been seen for years.
A shade for every kind of wedding
The beauty of purple is its range, from soft lilac and lavender to wisteria, amethyst, plum and aubergine, which in the right light reads almost like a new black. Vanity Fair Italia suggests matching the shade to the setting:
- Country weddings: airy lavender or wisteria, perhaps a chiffon midi, with gold jewellery and a small woven bag.
- City ceremonies: a clean-lined amethyst dress or a tailored suit, a fresh alternative to navy or burgundy, finished with chocolate-brown heels or metallic accessories.
- Evening receptions: deep plum or aubergine in crêpe, silk or light velvet, with statement earrings and a simple clutch.
- Autumn weddings: greyed-off mauve, which sits beautifully with taupe, bronze and dark brown.
Whichever tone you choose, the jewellery is where purple really sings. Amethyst earrings echo the dress without competing with it, an amethyst pendant adds a quiet regal note to a plain neckline, and an amethyst ring or a matching amethyst jewellery set keeps everything tied together. For a daytime country wedding, a compact crossbody bag leaves your hands free for the confetti.
As Vanity Fair Italia puts it, if the dress is beautiful, the only real bad luck would be leaving it in the wardrobe.
Sources: Vanity Fair Italia; Vogue France (Tagwalk data).
