How to Choose a Flattering Mother of the Bride Dress
Flattering gowns accentuate the positive through color and cut. After the bride to be has selected her dress and colors for her attendants, it’s time to figure out how to choose a flattering mother of the bride dress.
Start Early
As soon as the bride chooses her dress and decides what she will ask her attendants to wear, start shopping for a mother of the bride dress. A good timeline that allows for ordering the right size and tailoring it when it arrives is four to six months ahead of the event. Get a swatch of the dominant color the bride has chosen for her wedding party. This will help you select something that looks good on you but won’t clash with the bridesmaids or other attendants. It’s easy to find evening dresses online. Online shopping allows you to browse a wide variety of dresses and start to identify styles and colors you like.
Narrow Down Your Choices
The formality of the planned event, what time of day it takes place, and the venue will help you narrow your choices by length and style. A ceremony in a conservative house of worship calls for covering up a bit more than an outdoor affair or an event held in a hotel. The dress must work both for when you are escorted down the aisle and while dancing at the reception after the ceremony. Online shopping makes it easy to filter your selections by length, color, and cut.
Dress as Your Best Self
After nurturing a daughter from infancy to her wedding day, you have reached a stage in life where you know what styles and colors work on you. You understand your assets and the changes the passage of time has brought to your physical self. Go with it! If time has been less than kind to your arms, mother of the bride dresses offer many different sleeve styles, capes, and jackets to provide coverage. If things have broadened at the hip, but your waistline has held its own, a fit and flare style looks wonderful. Offset large hips with a boat neck, collar, or bodice that shows a bit of cleavage, or wider shoulders that offset the hips. Conceal a bit of tummy with an empire waist or drape styling across the middle.
Choosing a flattering mother of the bride dress isn’t all about disguise—it’s about emphasizing your best features. Lovely legs deserve to peek from under a hi-low hem, a cocktail, or tea-length gown, or for formal evening affairs, even a modest side slit. Décolleté in moderation draws the eye up, and belts or sashes emphasize the waist. And don’t be afraid of embellishments—lace, ruching, or a little beading can add an extra touch of elegance and visual interest to your dress.