Q&A: How to Find a Stylish Mother of the Bride Dress
April 13th, 2007
Q: I am getting married, and my mother keeps picking out dresses for herself that are beige and shapeless. How can I get her to see that she can look good in a little colour and a dress with some style to it?
A: Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! The only hard and fast rules about Mother of the Bride dresses (and Mother of the Groom dresses, for that matter) is that they should:
(1) Be a noticeably different color from the bride’s dress, so steer clear of white, cream, and ivory.
(2) Not be too flashy. Too much exposed skin, or overly shiny fabric can upstage the bride.
Beyond that, the sky’s the limit, so your mom doesn’t have to limit herself to shapeless–or even beige–dresses. Here’s three dress suggestions that will help your mom look her best on your wedding day:
JS Collections Off Shoulder Shirred Taffeta Gown | $218 at Nordstrom (Pictured)
Off-the-shoulder neckline for drama and a ruched bodice to minimize a tummy.
Niteline Strapless Bustier Gown with Bolero Jacket | $508 at Nordstrom
A criscrossed pintucked bodice with boning for support, plus a fitted bolero jacket.
Sean Collection Beaded Dress with Jacket | $278 at Nordstrom
V-necked floor length dress with bolero jacket, available in both regular and petite sizes.
Style question? We’ve got answers. E-mail us at tips at omiru dot com, or leave us a comment with your question.
5 Comments Add your own
1. Mimi | April 13th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Maybe it’s a leftover from my Barbie days, but I just love evening gowns. Though I have so few (as in no) events to wear them to. Love the rich burgundy wine one pictured. The other options with the bolero and jackets are beautiful, too. Mom will look like a queen.
2. Trisha | April 13th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
Thanks, Mimi! I know–I love evening gowns too, but the events to wear them to are few and far between.
3. Ria | August 18th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
My wedding was on a beach so all of those suggestions were too formal. Even though I wanted my mom to wear a colour really badly, because I had a rainbow theme, I realized she needed to be happy too. I wore a soft gold wedding dress, so any beige or champagne would have been way too close! My mom ended up wearing dark brown as a compromise. She was happy, and I was happy we didn’t look like twins. Her sleeveless dress had a square neckline and went to just below her knees. Wish I could share a picture! She looked, and felt, really great!
4. Trisha | August 19th, 2007 at 9:07 pm
Glad to hear that everything turned out, Ria! Thanks for the update
5. Debbie | February 24th, 2008 at 7:55 am
My daughters wedding colors are navy blue and champagne with pink flowers. I found a dress that I really like that comes in light blue or pink. Which color would be more appropriate for her wedding?
6. laurie | March 2nd, 2008 at 3:17 pm
as a mother of the bride, what would be appropriate for a laid back wedding on the beach in mass. in sept.?
7. Trisha | March 4th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
Hi Debbie,
Either the light blue or the pink will work with your daughter’s wedding colors. The real question is: which color looks better on you? If your skin has warm undertones, go with the pink. If your skin color has cool undertones, opt for the light blue.
Hope that helps–
Trisha
8. Trisha | March 4th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Hi Laurie,
For a laid back wedding on the beach, you’re going to want a knee-length dress that’s dressy-casual (read: somewhere between casual and formal). Here’s a few dresses to get you started on your search:
First, a couple of traditional (more formal) suggestions:
Adrianna Papell Beaded Shantung Jacket Dress | $238 at Nordstrom
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2953491/
Sean Collection Ruffle Dress & Jacket | $278 at Nordstrom
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2965110/
And for a brighter color:
Super 120s Sleeveless Dress in Bright Azul | $180 at J crew
http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod90821191&catId=cat300191
And if you’re feeling daring, you may even want to try a more unstructured dress:
Diane von Furstenberg Naro Washed Silk Dress | $345 at Saks
http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/main/ProductDetail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524446182851
Hope that helps, Laurie!
Trisha
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