Dresses for Moms?

Re: Dresses for Moms?

• sarahk915

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  My mother was in the same boat, as far as looking for a dress.  Here are a couple pictures of what she ended up with...
  
  
  
  

  

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• Summer2011Bride member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  My mom was in the same boat. She, too, was petite and didn't want anything sleeveless or that looked "old" as she put it. She ended up getting one from a bridal salon (where I got my dress) that came in petitie sizes and still needed alterations (chances are, you will). I thought she looked beautiful:
  
  
  
  
  And for a full-length shot:
  
  
  
  Try to help her not get discouraged. There ARE nice dresses out there; it just takes searching. Have her look at dept. stores in the evening gown sections; it doesn't HAVE to be marketed as a MOB dress or come from a bridal store.
  

  
  
  
  
  

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• MairePoppy mod

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  When I buy my MOB dress, it will most likely not be at a bridal shop. From what I have seen, most of the dresses are either frumpy or over the top. There are several dresses on Nordstrom's website that love. Macy's is usually pretty well stocked with formal/cocktail dresses around holiday time, so this is a good time to shop around the department stores.

                     

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• Maggie0829 member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  My suggestion, do not by your dress at a bridal salon.  They tend to have the typical mother of the bride "old" looking dresses.  Try looking in nice department stores for an evening gown.  They would have a larger selection of different styles to choose from.

  
  

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• Girlie1030 member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  I ditto the others to not look at bridal stores for your dress.  My mom was not thrilled with any of the options she found there. 

  
  

  I agree with Retread that your daughter shouldn't be dictating what the mothers wear so if you're more comfortabel in a shorter dress, I say that's what you wear. 

  

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• MobKaz member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  I felt the same way as you and found a lot of options through Nordstroms as well.  This designer in particular, Tadashi Shoji, has many contemporary yet "quiet" dresses for the more mature shopper.  I found several that I liked and settled on a navy dress with subtle beading. The dress I tried on had a nude undersheath with navy beading, and that seemed to make the beading "scream" from my perspective.  The associate at Nordstroms remembered that a navy on navy version of the dress existed, and ordered the dress on line for me. 
  
  I would encourage you to speak honestly with your daughter about your attire.  I honeslty don't even own a dress.  My daughter knew that I was looking for something in a pant and most probably in black. She knew shopping, particularly for formalwear, was completely beyond my comfort zone, and was fine with me wearing whatever I felt comfortable in.   I was surprised to find a dress in navy that I could tolerate.  A gown would NEVER have been an option for me.
  
  You don't indicate the wedding date, but once the holidays roll around, there will be a multitude of "cover-ups" in the stores to accent holiday attire.  Even if you found a capped sleeve, you would be able to find any number of shawls, pashmina's or jackets to compliment most any dress.

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• gailpete member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  I had the same concens that you have,along with needing a plus size.  I did end up ordering my dress at a bridal salon.  If you look online at some of the MOB dress lines you'll find there actually are some nice dresses out there.  I bought a sleeveless dress and then ordered some matching fabric from the designer.  The seamstress at the salon added sleeves to the dress that looked like they were always intended to be there.

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• lbarr088

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  As PP have said, don't go to a bridal shop.  I was looking for ideas for my mother and I found most to be tacky, frumpy, and way over-embellished.  You might have luck and some but I wouldn't waste my  time.  My hair dresser told me she found an awesome dress for her daughter's wedding at Lord and Taylor.  I would try any of the department stores, you'll probably have way better luck!

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• HerNameIsNik

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_moms-maids_dresses-moms-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:357Discussion:b1cdf7a8-5e01-4536-b014-97f17efd7368Post:abc03e40-7bc7-419b-9844-c01eea0f5df6">Re: Dresses for Moms?</a>:
  [QUOTE]I felt the same way as you and found a lot of options through Nordstroms as well.  [/QUOTE]
  
  OP - My mother is nearly the exact same size as you with the same type of taste and had a very difficult time finding a dress for my wedding at first. She just kept looking and did find a lovely dress at Nordstrom's that was just right. It has 3/4 length sleeves (winter wedding) and is long but has some contemporary detail and is not matronly at all. Nordstrom's was one of the few stores that she had several such options to choose from.
  
  Groom's mother is also similarly sized and was quite concerned when she thought she ought to be buying a dress at David's Bridal etc. but when I assured her it could be from anywhere she found a perfectly lovely one at Dillard's.
  
  So everyone's right, sometimes the bridal salons don't have very appealing "mother" dresses.

  

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• sehoffmann member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  What about color for the Mothers' dresses?  Is their some sort of protocol for this?  Both my mother and the MOG have asked what color they should be looking for.  Is it usually just anything that looks nice with the wedding color palette?  My bridesmaids are wearing pewter and I plan on having pale pink and white flowers, if that helps.

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• MobKaz member

  

  October 2011 edited December 2011

  In Response to Re: Dresses for Moms?:
  What about color for the Mothers' dresses?  Is their some sort of protocol for this?  Both my mother and the MOG have asked what color they should be looking for.  Is it usually just anything that looks nice with the wedding color palette?  My bridesmaids are wearing pewter and I plan on having pale pink and white flowers, if that helps.
  Posted by sehoffmann
  
  The only consensus regarding color palette is that no one should wear white.  Even the color black has become accepted in many regions and amongst many cultures/heritages.
  
  I am of the personal opinion that the MOB/MOG can select any color of their choosing.  There is really no need to coordinate colors with the wedding party because in reality, the parents are in very few photos with the entire wedding party. For my daughters wedding, the MOG wore black.  I had planned on wearing black as well but found a dress in navy that I preferred.  My daughters colors were black, white, and pink. The pictutes look great.  Color for anyone outside the immediate wedding party should be a non issue.
  

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