Just a random thought that pops up whenever I'm having a wander around wedding stuff, and thinking about 'the day', is why on earth mother of the bride/groom outfits are, more often than not, quite hideous!? No offence intended, but both my mother and the fella's mum wouldn't dare even try on some of choices we've seen. Why do designers think that the more mature lady would want to wear shiny material in colours that just about suit the svelt, tanned models wearing them - or copious amounts of lace!? And breathe.....
there, it's off my chest now - thoughts welcome! haha
CommentAuthormadhen
My mother would run up to you and hug you till you couldn't breathe if she read that post! She always says that, and they ALWAYS show the outfits modelled on women who must've had kids when they were about eight in order to be mother of the bride. There's no way she's going to wear anything like what you see in most places!
CommentAuthorCupCake
I agree! I guess it all depends on how much wonga you can afford to splash out on the outfit?
My mum & Hubbys mum both got soething they would wear again, and they were comfortable in ...... whats the point in buying a £500 outfit for it to sit in the wardrobe for the next 10 years in the plastic, only to end up in a charity shop!
You can get some lovely stuff on the high street now days, you don't have to look like a frumpy old moo just because your child is getting married lol
Became Mrs Lyons 30th July 2011 x
CommentAuthoricklejaney
A lot of the mother outfits i've seen i'd be absolutely mortified if my mother turned up wearing any of them! Most of them look like something Hollywood likes to put on the young gold-digger stepmother in films!! x
Looking forward to becoming Mrs MacKay on 30th May 2013!! :)
CommentAuthormadhen
So glad other people agree :) Yeah Mum knows what she likes so I think she'll keep an eye on the designer sales and get something really worth having. She's a difficult shape in some ways, and all the typical outfits are just completely wrong on her, but she definitely knows what she looks good in so I have total faith in her choice!
totally agree here! my mum (who is 57)has ordered a selection of dresses from m and s and isme to try! most expensive was £60 i think she said, but she suffers from rhumatoid arthhritus so cant wander from shop to shop trying things on, so from the comfort of home and not rushing she can feel comfy with her choice!!! there are lots of lovely outfits out there for mum of the bride so hope they all fine them!!
CommentAuthormadhen
Think as long as they steer clear of the official "Mother of the Bride" collections they'll be grand!
CommentAuthorcally
My mum is having hers made from the same lady that has made my bridesmaid dresses (they are Chinese made). We have e-mailed them a pic along with here measurements and if its anything like the girls dresses they will be fab x
It's great to say i get married this year September 1st 2012
CommentAuthormadhen
Ooh what type of style is it then? Full-length?
CommentAuthorgdu
I completely agree, MOB outfits seem to only come in neon colours or have large amounts of frills - very bizzare!
CommentAuthorMrs Cartwright
My mum got her dress from new look. It was the right colours for our theme(red/black) and wasn't too expensive
CommentAuthorMrs Davro
I've seen loads that look like they would be better suited to my gran or great gran. Normally I would trust my mum to pick her own outfit as she knows what looks good on her (and her and my step mum are going to be in battle to be the best dressed and the thinnest) but as she hates h2b I'll have to vet her outfit.
CommentAuthormadhen
Oh no! Do you think she'll get something crazy just to annoy you both??
CommentAuthorMrs Davro
It's either a full mourning outfit. Or her wonder woman costume or noddy. Thinking about it I reckon noddy and big ears.
CommentAuthormadhen
?!?!?
The mind boggles!!
CommentAuthorMrs Davro
We love fancy dress in our family the more obscure the better. Me and my ex turned up at my aunts 60s theme party as 118 guys. Eyeliner does not make a good moustache. Doesn't come off easy.
CommentAuthormadhen
I'll bear that in mind!! ;)
CommentAuthorlaulyloon
Another thought to add is that some ladies do not want to wear a dress, whether it be long or short. My mum would not look like my mum in a dress but can we find an occassion wear trouser suit anywhere!? MOB collections just do not do them. She is looking for something with very wide leg trousers (she loves palazzo pants) and a tailored jacket with no collar or lapels (sorry cant spell that word) but we cannot find any sort of suit that matches that description. She still wants to look like MOB and not just any guest and we are finding it so hard! These designers as soooooo trouser suitist!!
CommentAuthormym72
My mum went to Jacque Vert. In fact she looked at their department in Debenhams and didn't see anything she really liked - then we visited a retail outlet close to us (Junction 32 at Castleford) and they had an outlet shop there. She found the perfect suit in turquoise which suited her great (and quite a bit cheaper because it was 'last years' style - as if it matters lol).
CommentAuthorJill
My mum's got a 'mother of the bride' outfit lol it's from the shop I'm getting my dress from but to be fair it's not typical mother of the bride. It's all ruching, fits our colours and she just looks amazing in it. She wasnt for spending so much but we went shopping for her and my grans on the same day, and when she tried it on I felt how I imagine mob feels looking at her daughter in her wedding dress... I was all teary, nodding and saying 'yeah, that's the one', she looked and felt absolutely beautiful in it. Here's a pic of said outfit...
Dress - mother of the bride.jpg
29th September 2012
Cant wait to be Mrs D!
CommentAuthorOfficially Mrs M
my nan just bought a dress from debs that she liked and went to a posh wedding shop and just got the jacket, we then went back for the handbag which was down from £60 to £15 so she was reallly happy, she already has shoes so doesn't need to worry about them so its all good. my mum has gone for the traditional mother of the bride outift and to be honest i think she looks older but i cant tell her that cos she is really chuffed with it
8th September 2012 I married my best friend
1st September 2014 our little family grew by one
Women are made to be loved, not understood. - Oscar Wilde
CommentAuthormillz090
I took my mum to Debehams for an apointment with a personal shopper for my brothers wedding. I have posted a discussion on it before. It was fabulous as mum didnt want to spend a small fortune on an outfit but they dressed her for her shape and the right colours and it is all free (apart from buying the clothes).
Finally marrying the love of my life !!
10th August 2013 - 9 years to the day we met !
CommentAuthor
I have no idea what my mother could wear. She never wears skirts or heels, I don't think she's worn a hat that isn't a practical one in her life and she never carries dainty handbags. Anything shiny or silk dupion will look simply ridiculous on her.
Any recommendations? Shops like Jacques Vert are ruled out :-(
I was thinking a nice summer trouser suit from Hobbs? We're getting married in May next year. Might train her to walk in kitten heels!!
CommentAuthorKate4
edited
My mum got a really lovely dress and jacket from LK Bennett from Cheshire Oaks outlet. It was still more expensive than she'd usually pay for an outfit (she's not a spender!), but it's really classy, good quality and she feels like a mob! It was from last year's collection so she's happy nobody else will be wearing anything similar. They had lovely trouser suits in there too. Think Cheshire Oaks is part of the MacArthur Glen retail chain. Might be worth a look for nice outfits a bit cheaper than in stores.
My mil got her dress from Coast with a jacket from Wallis. They're both going for fascinators rather than hats.
CommentAuthorSian''OCD''Holkham
My mum and h2bs mum are both having problems with what to wear their both in their 40's and look very young too so everything is quite frumpy that we have seen so far x
My mums having a fascinator too - she tried on a couple of hats but she looked like boy george with them on so she's going for the fascinator which she's much happier with - still formal but not so stiff x
29th September 2012
Cant wait to be Mrs D!
CommentAuthormadhen
Laulyloon my mum's the same, she'll probably be wearing long wide-leg trousers and jacket over the top. I know she's on the look-out already so if she finds anything good I'll let you know!
CommentAuthorMrsSaraParry!
i went shopping with my mum for her outfit the other week, she looks beautiful! She bought a shift dress with a matching bolero, handbag, hat and shoes and she looks fabulous :o) She got it from Jaques Vert as she wanted to treat herself so it ended up costing a small fortune! xx
CommentAuthorMrs Davro
Those after trousers I know they sell them in sainsburys.
CommentAuthorlaulyloon
I have seen a lovely trouser suit online that you have to have made probably from China or something though. I have nothing against this idea but my mum would be totally nervous about paying for something she prob couldnt return without seeing it first. I just cant find anything like it online in this country and wouldnt even know where to start looking in the shops. I'll try to put a pic in my photo albums and if anyone has any ideas for my poor ol mum then they would be gratefully received x
CommentAuthormym72
Jacques Vert have some good outfits with matching hats and fascinators - but I think it's mainly for the older mother of the bride (my mum is nearly 72). As she is only 5'2" as well, dresses don't really suit her that much, that's why she bought a suit (skirt, top and jacket). At least she can wear it again as well, and it's interchangeable. She isn't a spender that much either - in fact it's the first time I've ever seen her spend triple figures on an outfit lol.
CommentAuthorlaulyloon
My mother wont even wear a skirt, top and jacket which I can completely understand as its just not her but this leaves us with not a lot to choose from and we are really struggling. I just want her to be comfy. I dont want her to lose that mother of the bride look, I dont want her to just look like any other guest but at the same time the trouser suit combinations that are out there seem only to look very normal, average, perfectly nice but not what we want for the day. Its so hard :o( She has got a black jacket from Viyella (not sure if I've spelt that right) with ivory embroidery all over it with the intention of poss wearing a pair of black phase eight palazzo pants with it but we are not sure about the black thing! Is it okay/allowed, the jacket is very striking due to the ivory embroidery but its still a lot more black than ivory. What does everyone think?
CommentAuthorJill
Of course it's ok hun. See pic above - my mums having a black dress, she can then wear it again. My h2b and co are wearing black tartan... have whatever you wish x
29th September 2012
Cant wait to be Mrs D!
CommentAuthorlaulyloon
I just want her to be happy and comfortable, she isnt a typical MOB in that she wants the usual type of outift and we are just finding it frustrating that places selling MOB outifts dont seem to cater for ladies that want to wear trousers and floaty wide legged ones at that :o(
CommentAuthorbridalmiss
Haha my mum hates shopping full stop so has dug out a dress she ordered ages ago from QVC from her wardrobe, along with a bolero cardigan which looks rather smart - she said if I'm lucky she may even splurge on a hat or a fascinator, possibly new shoes but she reckons if she polishes up some old ones she can get away with it!
CommentAuthordevilspartner
my mum wants to come to the wedding in her jeans and trainers trying to talk her into getting a trousers suit lol
CommentAuthorMrsSaraParry!
mym I would have agreed with you about jacques vert 6 months ago, but when we went my mum managed to find something quite youthful and, dare I say it, almost trendy! never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself :o) It appears they're now beginning to cater for the younger MOB, mine is 52 and most definitely doesn't look dowdy in her outfit xxx
trying to talk her into getting a trousers suit lol
