to think that 16 is old enough to wear a strapless dress?

[brummiemummie]

MIL thinks not.

She's visiting atm for a long weekend and we were talking earlier about DD's school Leavers' Ball. I've just shown her some photos; she saw DD's dress and suddenly became very sniffy. "Oh," she said, "I didn't know you allowed DD to wear strapless dresses".

Most of her friends in the same photo were wearing strapless gowns, some a lot more revealing than DD's. But MIL appears to think it was "inappropriate at her age" .

DD was planning on wearing a (different) strapless dress to DNiece's wedding next month, but now I feel like she shouldn't be because of what MIL thinks. Am I being unreasonable in thinking MIL is an out-of-touch old cow and letting her wear it anyway? Or is it genuinely not age-appropriate??

BM x

I think for a leavers ball yes it's fine so long as modesty prevails re boob size and appropriateness for size n shape yada yada

For a wedding ummm maybe with a bolero or cropped cardie, don't want to upstage the bride now!

YANBU your mil is though.

It is the fashion tell her.

A strapless dress is fine for a 16 year old.
There is nothing wrong in wearing a straples dress for a wedding.

Nice dress . Good price too!

Personally I think what is more important is whether your DD looks 'tarty' in it or not. If it fits well, covers her decently and flatters her, then why not?? If it doesn't fit and shows acres of precariously wobbling flesh then that's not a good look regardless of age.

Surely what is important is to try and encourage your DD to choose clothes that suit her without feeling she must wear whatever fashion dictates is 'in' right now.

If in a church I would wear a cardie or wrap out of respect (and also because churches tend to be quite cold).

Can't see why your MIL's opinions should be so important- does she expect to be able to tell you what to wear as well?

yanbu re a long strapless evening dress for a prom

but IMO that is too revealing for a daytime wedding

I think strapless dresses should not show too much leg, otherwise it's bare flesh overload

(however old the wearer is, I meant to say)

It´s me I´m sure,but I just don´t really like strapless at all.
I thinkit makes most look broad shouldered.

That's lovely and totally age-appropriate. (Slightly short if anything ). And if she has hair which is shoulder-length or longer, what difference does it make if it's strapless or not? Her hair would cover any straps, or lack thereof.

I agree that strapless doesn't suit everyone. And again I say : Stand Up Straight and Put your Shoulders Back

I don't like strapless dresses, think they're unflattering (back and armpit fat often splurging over), especially with actual wedding dresses, the amount of brides who all look the same is zzzz. Teenagers are the only ones who can really get away with them.

However, what exactly has it got to do with your MIL what her young adult grandaughter wears? She sounds like a complete control freak tbh and I would duly ignore her.

Thanks girls, MIL is a bit of an old-fashioned control freak but I agree it shouldn't matter what she thinks. I just had visions of her marching up to DD and telling her to put something more demure on in front of all the guests .

MIL does have a very strange view of what her relationship should be with her grandchildren. She practically brought SIL's kids up herself (SIL and BIL were working v long hours) so I think she thinks of herself as a kind of third parent with all of them and considers it her right to tell us where she thinks we are going wrong .

She looks lovely in it and is going to wear a cardie for the ceremony so I really can't see what problems MIL could find with it. I'm sure she'll find something to complain about though, she usually does .

OMG, your MIL would have heart failure if she could see what I used to wear when I was 16...........wonderbras, mini skirts, skyscraper heels, fitted satin shirts - you name it.
All my friends did too - I think our parents were secretly , but they never said anything or stopped us !

BTW - none of these items were worn to weddings !

I would ignore MIL, it looks fine to me.

I would say that if you are old enough to leave school, then you are old enough to wear a strapless dress.

At the end of the day, if the bride and groom won´t care/mind, then it´s not your MIL´s concern,IMO.

That dress will be fine on your dd! Silly old mil!

I have to admit though I really hate strapless dresses particularly wedding dresses. I just think they're the opposite of what (imo) a bride should look like i.e. classy, romantic and timeless.

It seems like in all the wedding photos I see now the bride has arms like baked hams and rolls of flab hanging over the back and then spends half the reception hoiking the dress up to try and keep her boobs in. Also if you're in any way big of nork they make you look like you've just got one massive matronly one!

There are so many different types of beautiful wedding dresses. It just baffles me that british brides seem to have picked the most unflattering style as the national norm!

BunnyL

big of nork

herbietea - long dresses for evening are a different kettle of fish
make sure your norks are well supported and shaped and your armpits and upper arms are toned and you will be fine

i dont get why people are against strapless wedding dresses, i wore one to my wedding. i got married abroad, am not fat and do not have broad shoulders .

I think strapless dresses are very unflattering for most people! You really need perfectly proportioned and toned arms, shoulders, bust and back to carry off strapless whereas all sorts of other necklines flatter a multitude of imperfections. Personally I love halternecks - so glamorous!

brummie
strapless is fine whatever her boob size if anything I would let her wear slighly more revealing dresses as I was large boobed and by the time I hit 18 could only wear frumpy t shirts as the bra just are not made supportive enough in larger sizes. Let her wear it while she can in case her boobs get bigger.