To be fuming that Mother of The Bride shop uses models clearly too young to be a Mother of the Bride..

[MariaAngustias]

Just really fed up of the sexism and ageism of these shops - there is a local shop, Molly Browns, a few dresses I would consider as MOB next year but they are modelled by women in their 30's - unless they were toddlers when they gave birth this is bloody ridiculous. First of all - what is wrong with women in their 40's, 50's and 60's modelling clothes aimed for at women in their 40's, 50's and 60's and secondly - some of the clothes look good on these women and I would look a right plonker in them. It is a widespread practice and just bloody ridiculous. I know in the great scheme of things this seems insignificant but just fed up of being in my late 50's and feeling invisible.

Do you mean they are worn by younger women online? You say it’s a local shop so am a bit confused why you would be looking at a website?

I know what you mean though- I always find it ridiculous in things like the Sunday Times magazine the ads for dressing gowns and elasticated -waist slacks modelled by women in their twenties.

Perhaps there are not many professional models around in the right age bracket?

Have you never seen the ads in magazines for clothing aimed at older ladies - loose mu mu dresses, elastic waist trousers that are usually beige, comfy shoes with Velcro, loose fitting blouses....
Always modelled by women who are younger. It's been like that for years !!

Havering got to admit whenever there is a heatwave I find myself considering those loose mu mu dresses.....

Ha ha, I am the opposite, when it’s cold I hanker after the tartan slipper boots with sheepskin linings .

Clearly aimed at ‘second trophy wife of father of the bride’ market?

I feel your pain!

There's a shop in Manchester that is MoB outfits. They have a website and its the same issue that the models are clearly quite a bit younger than the women who will actually be buying these dresses. www.nigelraymentboutique.co.uk/collections/mother-of-the-bride-groom-dresses

Just had a look at that link. That's hilarious 😆.. they're in their 20s I reckon !

[quote Councilworker]There's a shop in Manchester that is MoB outfits. They have a website and its the same issue that the models are clearly quite a bit younger than the women who will actually be buying these dresses. www.nigelraymentboutique.co.uk/collections/mother-of-the-bride-groom-dresses[/quote]
Whoa, those are more expensive than most wedding dresses! And those tiny nipped-in waists-even if they dresses do come up to a size 14 or 16 they are never going to look nice on the average middle aged body shake. But then any MOB who is going to spend 500 to 700 has probably also had the cash for liposuction and a personal trainer though I suppose...

It's not just MOTB outfits, though.

It's anything that's most likely to be used by older people: stair lifts, denture fixitives, cruises for couples that don't cater for the 18-30 demographic...

Ageism is still rife.

I noticed this when I was getting married - my lovely mum was 63 but all the women in photos for these outfits were probably in their 30s, 40s at a push. It's annoying, but this is how advertising for most stuff goes. She did find something nice in the end but needless to say it looked a bit different on her!

ilikechickenpie it kind of works though from an advertising point of view for all those useful gadgets for the elderly. I bet I would find it hard to find a 30 something who hasn't thought "ooh that's a clever gadget I could do with one of those"

Ilovemaisie

I know my DH has longed for a hand-grabber thing for decades!

And when, my DCs were little, they loved visiting Auntie X purely because of the stair lift.

I also appreciate that younger people do have occasion to need such things, sadly, which is why I said "most likely to be used" rather than "exclusively".

And I know a MOTB could be under 30.

I also know that 30-year-old me looked better than 45-year-old me, so I'm probably just jealous

@Ilikechickenpie

It's not just MOTB outfits, though.

It's anything that's most likely to be used by older people: stair lifts, denture fixitives, cruises for couples that don't cater for the 18-30 demographic...

Ageism is still rife.

Walk in baths seem to be an exception!

Walk in baths seem to be an exception!

Ooh, I don't know - just did a quick Google image search.

Respect to Dora Bryan though; she's looking jolly chipper!

@HaveringWavering it is a local shop but they also have a website which I was browsing for inspiration -www.mollybrowns.co.uk/

www.mollybrowns.co.uk/

So shop somewhere else.

No one has to buy a wedding outfit from any particular kind of shop. Just choose something from a normal, fashionable clothes shop that sells things that can be worn by all ages.

I have been a MOB twice. Can't say I really looked at the models. I just looked at the dresses and decided what might suit me, and what definitely wouldn't. Can't beat a day out with your daughters picking a dress.
For the poster that said, if you can afford £500 for a dress then you can afford liposuction. . I paid slightly over that for one of my dresses, but I had 18mths notice of one of my daughters weddings so had time to save up. The other, I had only a few months notice so bought in a department store and still looked lovely ( I hope)

Yanbu. It's weird isn't it.

Fuming...?
Really?

[quote Councilworker]There's a shop in Manchester that is MoB outfits. They have a website and its the same issue that the models are clearly quite a bit younger than the women who will actually be buying these dresses. www.nigelraymentboutique.co.uk/collections/mother-of-the-bride-groom-dresses[/quote]
Those models are late teens/ or in their early 20s!

I hear you OP. As late 40's I know what you mean. We have money! Fucking market at us!

Quite a few of those "mother of the bride/groom" dresses from the link @Councilworker posted above also look suspiciously similar to wedding dresses!

www.nigelraymentboutique.co.uk/collections/mother-of-the-bride-groom-dresses/products/irresistible-ir2008-s

www.nigelraymentboutique.co.uk/collections/mother-of-the-bride-groom-dresses/products/ronald-joyce-veni-infantino-991644

Jesus those pics are awful. They look nothing like MOB dresses and everything like fancy guest outfits.

There are plenty of attractive 'older' women, why can't they make the effort to hire them?

It definitely is ridiculous that 90% of clothes retailers use models which have a very specific look and body type which doesn't help their customer base visualise what the clothes would look like on them

But in the case of that website, it looks like the photos probably come from the designers/fashion lines and are general formal/race day/posh wedding guest type dresses and modeled accordingly, just being targeted to 'mother of the bride' by that particular store.

I totally agree with you but those outfits are all so horrid and expensive that I'm not sure it matters. Goat have very nice dresses without all the tweaked waists and horrid fabrics.