Help me find a perfect Step-Mother of the Groom outfit

[Wineisalwaysagoodidea]

The wedding will be held this coming winter. I am struggling to find something that is elegant but not frumpy - I am mid 40's (and would describe myself as quite stylish). Size 10. 5'9", dark haired. Absolutely want to avoid looking like I am trying to upstage his mother. HELP! Please...

All depends on how much you want to spend - and whether new or pre-owned or rented.

Not sure trying to place yourself sartorially south of the MOG is terribly practical! I mean, off the top of my head I could suggest, or you might prefer, something from, say,

La Double J
Zimmermann
Lisou
MaxMara
Teurn Studios

but if she insists on Coast (no disrespect intended) there’s not much you can do …

Do you want a MoG outfit? Surely you just need a wedding guest outfit, maybe a nicer one than you'd normally wear?

No one ever needs an outfit with a specific label as a wedding guest. They just need something lovely to wear, that they’ll feel their best in.

Was this directed at me? I mean duh, but my question to OP meant was she wanting an outfit sold as a MoG outfit, or just a nice outfit to wear to a a wedding, where she is a guest (hence 'wedding guest outfit').

@innerdesign - you're spot on. I definitely don't want a formal type MoG outfit, but equally, it's not the wedding of say, a work colleague, so I do want to make the appropriate effort, and I am close to my StepSon/ married to his Dad a long time, so I will be in the family pics etc. Just feel like I am drawing a blank.
@MuddlerInLaw - thanks for the suggestions, some I hadn't thought of. Will check them out. I am quite a few years younger, so don't want to turn up looking like a Barbie/ tried too hard.

Do you have a budget in mind?

I was stepmother to the groom. I wore a long black dress and cream/champagne/dark grey Zandra Rhodes signature print chiffon jacket. MofG wore a silk dress with matching cropped jacket. Never occurred to me that I'd 'upstage' his mother.

Budget?

And maybe brands you like?

Colours you prefer?

Basically give us a clue op! 😂

Zimmermann red taffeta

Zimmermann brown spotty chiffonZimmermann pink linen

Winter, @Nigellasstickytoffeepudding ?

Wolf and Badger is quite good for special but not staid, some examples

It would help if I added the pictures

Or this is rather lovely. But a bit more formal

It's a wedding. If it's winter put a jacket on top.

Budget is around £1000. I am open to any colours except with it being winter then I think pastel shades should be avoided and jewel colours would be more appropriate.

@Nigellasstickytoffeepudding I promise I wasn't trying to be vague, open to any suggestions really but agree that knowing the budget would help :)

@mondaytosunday it maybe didn't occur to you as maybe the MoG on your side is a nice human, the one on my side - not so much! A drama queen who likes everything to be about her.

@Defiantlynot41 loving the W&B wool swing dress - away to check out their website. Thanks

It’s not very Winter but I love this:
https://www.reiss.com/style/su183995/k80125#k80125

https://www.beulahlondon.com/collections/dresses/products/burgundy-collar-ahana

I really like this for a winter wedding very similar to the Wolf & Badger one.

@Superstoria I love it too but the front opening is the bit that would leave me open to her scathing criticism towards anyone who would give her airtime!

What kind of wedding is it, OP? Is it traditional/church/hats/wedding-formal or more modern/black-tie-adjacent formal?

Do you prefer something sleeveless that you can add another layer on top of or would you prefer a more wintry long-sleeved dress? (I prefer the former all year round - I feel weirdly claustrophobic in high neck and long sleeves!)

@Wineisalwaysagoodidea if you like that kind of tailored look, check out The Fold, although you might want to wait until the autumn colours drop as many of the dresses and jackets although gorgeous are a bit summery in feel.

Bless you OP, you've had some truly mental/random suggestions but your brief is far too vague - give us some clues - what kind of wedding is it? Is it at Westminster Abbey or Walsall Registry office? What do you like wearing, colours, shapes, brands? Do you love your tits and want to conceal your ankles? What about accessories?

You're a tall, slim woman with a big budget. This shouldn't be hard.

If your desperately not wanting to upstage the MOG then what is she wearing or likely to wear and as other pp have asked, what type of wedding is it? Is her budget £1000 or more?

So far you have described yourself as size 10, dark haired, 5' 9" a few years younger than the MOG, who you have described as a drama queen, who is scathingly critical, if anyone would listen to her. You are already dismissive of her so who is going to accuse you of upstaging her?

It appears any disapproval appears to be two way.

saloniworld.com/products/winona-dress-in-copper-paisley

Well if I were a tall, slim, stylish and younger than the actual mother of the groom in possession of a budget of £1,000 which I want to spend on a dress which won't upstage the ex wife, I might go for something from say Eponine or this Dutch site ?

Eponine
Pauw

or (this really quite unassuming) silk organza coat. The dress underneath could always be dyed.

A Tentative Atelier

I'm never usually in the "how much??? camp , but that's a helluva budget to not upstage a woman the OP clearly loathes.