Here is a recent letter and plea for help:
I am on a very tight budget due to job situation and my daughter is marrying next June, so happy but realize that I must be wise in spending on me.
In my closet I have is the pretty simple silk long A line skirt that has only been worn one time (see attached picture) it has a jacket to match but I really am looking for a different look, I am thinking of having the jacket tailored more (it is too boxy) and wearing it with something else like a for a bridal tea or dressing evening out. Unless you have a different idea for me, the wedding will be during the evening and the temps will be warm in Alabama.
Here is a little about me: I am 52, 5’3” full busted, broad shoulders, short waist, not extra heavy, but pudgy. My hair style is wispy short with salt and pepper throughout. Really like sparkly things, chunky jewelry, scarves & wraps. People seem to compliment me when I wear winter colors. I do not want the normal mother of the bride look, it dates a person I think; I want to look happy and radiant for this most special occasion.
Help me think of what I could do to look good for my girl and feel comfortable for the evening.
Thank you,
Karen H.
Montgomery, AL
Can you take apart this matched outfit?
Hi Karen,
We understand you wanting to update this dress, however we have another idea for you.
We really like the outfit and the color works perfectly with your cool skin and hair.
The skirt looks great so we think you should still wear the matching jacket but have it tailored so that it fits you nicely. (Someone on our facebook page, suggested you might change out the buttons! )
This outfit is classy with out being fussy and as long as the jacket fits well you will look gorgeous. Also, the “v’” neckline of this jacket will probably be more flattering on you than the simple scoop necked top. ( Also since the jacket has a collar with your short hair will flatter you in photos!)
You can add a wonderful chunky statement necklace to it, like you mentioned; if you can find one that is more in a “v” shape it will look best.
You may also want to have the skirt shorted to right below the knee and still wear the matching jacket, nude hose and some gorgeous pumps (peep toe or regular).
When you try to mix and match “matched” sets, it can be very tricky to pull off.
In the photo below, trying to pair the elegant skirt it with a casual top just doesn’t look right. (Your sweet puppies look concerned too!)
If you are stapped for cash check out this new site: Recycled Brides. They have gently used MOB dresses!
It is very hard to make a "new" updated outfit with a classic skirt like this.
Anyone else out there have other ideas? Feel free to comment below!
Cheers,
The Glam Gals
Need help with your upcoming event,
Check out our e-book, Tweak Your Chic,
How to Dress the Mother of the Bride.
Dressing the Mother of the Bride-Tips for Deciding what Color to Wear
The most frequently asked question by a Mother of the Bride is “What color should I wear?” Choosing the right color is stressful and scary. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration such as the time of year, the formality of the event, how the color photographs, the color of the bridesmaids dresses and the color of the wedding flowers, not to mention what looks good on you. How can you be certain that you are choosing the right color?
Here are 5 tips for deciding what color to wear when you are Mother of the Bride:
Monotone
One option is to wear a mother of the bride dress in the same general color family as the bridesmaids. This is a classy way to coordinate, but still be a little different. For example, if the bridesmaids are in lavender, the Mother of the Bride is in eggplant.
Contrast
Another idea is to choose a Mother of the Bride dress in a color that is directly opposite on the color wheel to the bridesmaids’ dresses. You’ll definitely stand out, but the bridesmaids will still look great next to you in pictures. For example, the bridesmaids might be in orange and the Mother of the Bride in blue.
Our Ebook will help you celberate the big day in Style!
Tonal
You could also wear a color in the same color palette as the bridesmaids’ dresses. For a seasonally themed wedding, this can nicely pick up different aspects of the season, and look very classy. Bridesmaids may be in pastel blue and mom can be in soft, butter yellow.
Pattern
Wear a patterned Mother of the Bride dress with a color in it that echoes the bridal colors. This adds some personality to the bridal party and pictures. For instance, if the bridesmaids wear pink, the mother of the bride can be in pink and green watercolor wash.
Neutral
When in doubt, neutrals go with everything! Just be careful to get a more saturated color so it doesn’t wash you out. For example, if the bridesmaids are in chartreuse with magenta sashes and fuchsia bouquets, the Mother of the Bride can still wear a dark, silvery gray.
Of course, you can always take the bride with you for a second opinion! She will certainly have a vision in mind as to how she wants her day to look, and will probably be the best person to go to for advice. With this in mind, picking out a color to go with the bridal party will be a cinch. Now what about the style? We have many more tips to make sure you look fabulous and appropriate at your daughter or son’s wedding.
If you have more questions and want to make sure you are making the right choice, Check out our new eBook, Tweak Your Chic: Mother of the Bride .
Our Ebook will help you celebrate the big day in Style!
If your daughter or son is getting married and you’re not sure how to make the transition from sneakers to stilettos, then here are 10 Dos and Dont’s for choosing the perfect pair of Mother of the Bride shoes.
1. Don’t buy dyeable shoes Perfectly matching the color of your shoes to your mother of the bride gown is very passé. Plus, when your feet sweat, your feet will turn color.
2. Do break your shoes in before the wedding Vacuum in them. Walk up stairs in them. Otherwise you’ll be walking around the reception with big blisters.
3. Don’t change into rubber or plastic flip flops during the reception, or even worse, go barefoot Is the dance floor a dormitory shower, or the boardwalk? Change into a lower heeled formal shoe if you must, but respect the formality of the event.
4. Don’t choose mother of the bride shoes with boxy or squared toes These heavy, clunky looking styles do nothing to elongate your leg, and are best left for more casual outfits. Fine occasions call for fine shoes.
5. Don’t buy shoes that are not your size! Too many women fall in love with a shoe that’s a half size too big and end up stepping out of it, or they buy a size too small hoping they’ll be able ignore the pain. You can’t. If you really can’t get the store to locate it in the correct size, move on!
6. Don’t wear a heel you may slip out of, or fall off A mule or a 5” stiletto heel will give you rolled ankles and swollen feet if you are not used to wearing them. Let’s make sure the limo, not the ambulance, is what transports you from the ceremony to reception!
7. Don’t opt for price over quality when buying Mother of the Bride shoes Expensive, well-made shoes are worth the investment. Scrimp on less important things. (We won’t tell anyone those earrings are faux-pearl!)
8. Do pick up a copy of our ebook Tweak Your Chic- Mother of the Bride and Look Fabulous after 40 at the Wedding!
bright colors are in
Gone are the stodgy old ideas about how a Mother of the Bride should dress. Here are the top trends in Mother of the Bride Dresses that give us hope!
1)Bright Colors
It used to be that Mother of the Bride dresses only came in four colors: blah, boring, beige, and blech. Pastels and navy blue are only part of the selection nowadays! Finally, the industry is starting to show a spectrum of different colors, from spring greens to royal purples. Whether you love bold jewel tones or lean towards rich earth tones, there will be something out there for you. Since more saturated colors are better for aging, pale skin tones, liven up your look by choosing a color with some pizzazz!
2) Bolero Jackets
You may be sick of those boring Mother of the Bride jacket dresses, but the good news is there’s finally a fresh new take on them! Designers have addressed the
Bolero jackets have style
need for a removable jacket to cover the arms that is also very fashionable. The bolero jacket, with different sleeve lengths, is in. It’s elegant and practical. Take it off when you’re hot, and you will still have a great dress underneath. Wear it to cover up during the ceremony – no one will guess you’re trying to cover those wobbly chicken wings under your arms!
3) Tiered Dresses and Skirts
Tiered skirts are showing up in stores this season and are especially appropriate for formal wear for the over-40 set. They’re modern and feminine and can be very flattering if they are not too frilly. Try one before you buy, and make sure it suits your body. With all that extra material, this Mother of the Bride style is not for everyone!
4) New Lengths
Say goodbye to floor length when it come to Mother of the Bride Dresses. Plenty of different hemlines are popping up, mainly due to the huge variety of different wedding styles and venues these days. We’re seeing plenty of cocktail-length, knee-length, and handkerchief hems, as well as hi-lo dress lengths. (High in the front, long in the back). At the knee, or slightly above the knee is as high as you want to go. Remember: All these new hemlines give you one more reason to wear some fabulous, head-turning shoes!
5) “Green”Fabrics ( no, we don’t mean color!)
Environmentally responsible weddings are all the rage. Couples are using recycled materials for invitations and donating to charity instead of offering plastic, land-fill bound favors to their guests. The “green” theme even reaches all the way down to wedding attire. You may have to explore specialty stores, but organic cotton and silk dresses are growing in popularity. The best part about them is because the dresses are made with natural fibers, they are more comfortable and breathable. When you’re outside at an August wedding, you’ll appreciate why this is so necessary!
For more great tips on How to dress as mother of the bride or groom check out our ebook Tweak Your Chic- Mother of the Bride
Look beautiful for the family wedding photos!
As wedding ceremonies and receptions become more highly personalized, doesn’t it make sense that your Mother of the Bride gown should be more personalized too? Why not make it a true reflection of you? Let your personality shine through with these 5 ways to be a Stylish Mother of the Bride:
1) Find a Signature piece of Jewelry A great way to put your own personal stamp on your mother of the bride gown is to add a little glam with jewelry. If you have a favorite piece, or an antique with some family heritage, make that a focal point of your outfit. Unique jewelry will add glamour and meaning to what you’re wearing. Note: We said ONE piece! Don’t “guild the lily” by layering on the accessories! You’ll detract from your dress, and your natural beauty!
2) Add Pattern and Texture A big trend in mother of the bride gowns is to use pattern somewhere in the outfit. For an informal wedding, a mother of the bride could wear a linen skirt suit with a patterned scarf. Trés chic! For a more formal affair, you could try a wearing a vintage lace shawl over your mother of the bride gown. This will add some depth and interest to your outfit, and cover up your arms at the ceremony in a fashionable way!
3) Focus on your feet What mother of the bride gown is complete without a fabulous pair of shoes? We can’t overemphasize the importance of comfort when you’ll be on your feet all day and dancing all night. However, comfy can be stylish. Choose a shoe that inspires you, that you feel stylish in, and that feels good on your feet. Heels are always preferable to flats for style and sophistication, and avoid heavy clunky shoes no matter how “in” they are. A safe bet is always a neutral shoe or a metallic. Stay away from white or black Mother of the Bride shoes as they look too heavy. The one exception to that rule is wearing black shoes with a black dress.
4) Wear Make-up This seems obvious, but there are many women who normally don’t wear make-up, even on their child’s wedding day. The result: They end up looking washed out in photos. To look like a stylish Mother of the Bride you really do need some make-up so you’ll shine those photos. Hire a professional if you are uncomfortable applying make-up yourself and test drive your look a couple of times prior to the wedding so you don’t feel artificial on the big day. A professional make-up artist knows how to walk the fine line between overdone and underdone.
5) Choose an Interesting Purse Another great way to express who you are is via your handbag. Choose something that says you, but still suits the formality of the affair. Instead of matching your purse to your shoes, have them blend instead. This could mean choosing a bag with the same tone beads as the metallic on your shoe, or carrying one with a coordinating print. Even if your outfit is a neutral shade, you can really pop it with a brightly colored clutch! Just keep in mind formality – the smaller and glitzier the bag, the more formal it will appear. Follow these tips for Looking like a stylish Mother of the Bride and you’ll wow your family and friends. Don’t be surprised if you overhear them say “Oooh, I love her outfit. It’s just so her!”
There are so many ways to spice up your wedding day outfit. Find out more by checking out our newest eBook, Tweak Your Chic: Mother of the Bride.
If you’re the mother of the bride or groom you’ve probably been bombarded with advice from friends, family and “experts” about what you should wear for your important role on the on the big day. Don’t believe everything you hear! Misconceptions, about how a mom is supposed to dress on their child’s wedding day abound!
MYTH # 1 – I Shouldn’t Wear Black
False – Years ago if you wore black to a wedding, everyone automatically assumed it was a sign of rebellion, and that you wanted everyone to know you disapproved of the match. While some older, more traditional types may still cling to this belief, most people are over it. Black is elegant and chic, not to mention slimming, and with so many attractive and classy black dresses out there, it’s silly to dismiss an otherwise flattering dress based on color alone. If black suits you, it can be a good option for a mother of the bride gown.
Just be make sure that it is going to be a semi formal wedding or formal function. Black can be too heavy and serious for a casual wedding. Also, most importantly, make sure the bride agrees that black is O.K. before taking this route! It’s her day and she has the final word.
Other options for an elegant look are dark navy,charcoal grey and chocolate brown too!
Here are 3 age appropriate looks from Nordstroms that would look lovely at a semi-formal or formal wedding:
This style would flatter most body types.
This dress is flattering and will hide any arm issues!
This dress is versatile since you can wear it with the jacket our without the jacket.
We get so many questions about this topic and because every wedding and body is unique we have put together a tip and photo packed, e-book for you called, Tweak Your Chic: Mother of the Bride.
You can download this e-book now and get instant access to all your questions!
This e-book will give you a step by step system to make sure you are making the right choices about your dress and accessories so you can feel special and confident on that special day!
What do you wear when you are the Mother of the Bride or Groom and the wedding is early afternoon, but the reception is not until the evening?
Is a dressy suit more appropriate or an evening gown?
The answer in this situation is, either is acceptable.
 Barb's Mother of the Groom outfit for the ceremony |
Some choose to play it both ways, like my friend Barbara. Barb’s son Andrew got married a few weeks ago and she decided she would wear one outfit to the ceremony and another to the party.
Here’s Barb at 1:00 in the afternoon at the church in a black skirt and stunning fuschia jacket. She’s a summer and the color was spectacular on her. |
 Barb at the reception |
After the ceremony and during the photo taking she changed into this dramatic black number (which she had made) and wore it to the 5:00 P.M. reception held at a posh supper club. |
| What did I wear? I went for two outfits too. I wore my favorite cream colored summer suit by Ross Mayer to the church. To the reception I wore this espresso sparkly teardrop dressy by Milly that made me feel like dancing. It’s available at Nordstrom.
In this very casual dress world we live in, isn’t it nice to have the chance to go to a wedding so you can play dress-up sometimes? |
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For more great ideas on what to wear as Mother of the Bride or Groom check out our ebook Tweak Your Chic-Mother of the Bride!
What a relief to see that those old misconceptions about how a mother of the bride – or mature woman attending a special event – should look, are finally changing. America’s biggest bridal retailer, David’s Bridal, is forging the way for moms and wedding-goers to look hipper, younger and cooler!
Here are some trends we have seen in the bridal industry in the past few seasons that give us hope!
1) Color
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It used to be that Mother of the Bride dresses only came in four colors: blah, boring, beige, and blech. Pastels and navy blue are only part of the selection nowadays! Finally, the industry is starting to show a spectrum of different colors, from spring greens to rich purples.
Whether you love bold jewel tones or rich earth tones, there should be something out there for you. Since more saturated colors are better for aging skin tones, liven up your look, and go for something with pizazz! |
2) Bolero Jackets
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We’re sick of those boring, frumpy jacket dresses too, but with the rising popularity of bolero jackets, there’s finally a fresh new take on them! Designers finally addressed the need for a removable, arm-covering piece that is also fashionable.
It’s a perfect combination of style (with different sleeve lengths, they can be very sharp), practicality (take it off when you’re hot, and you will still have a great dress underneath), and modesty (wear it to cover up during the ceremony – no one will guess you’re trying to cover those wobbly chicken wings under your arms!). |
3) Variety of lengths
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Say goodbye to floor length! We’re seeing plenty of different hemlines popping up, maybe due to the variety of different wedding styles and venues. We’re seeing plenty of cocktail-length, knee-length, handkerchief hems and hi-lo (high in the front, long in the back).
Just stay away from anything above the knee – that’s way too short. All these new hemlines give you one more reason to wear some killer shoes! |
We love that David’s has come up with stylish, more age-appropriate ways to appeal to the new generation of boomers! To get more tips about how to dress for your son or daughter’s wedding, check out our eBook Tweak Your Chic: Mother of the Bride!
