What to wear as mother of the bride for a quirky wedding

[ForPinkCrab]

My daughter is getting married beginning of September . It’s going to be a quirky wedding , she has lots of weird and wonderful friends. Wedding will be colourful and diverse . All on a budget as they are saving for a house but money spent where it needs to be spent on the things that matter . As the mother of the bride , a casual dressing 60 year old , and fairly conservative when it comes to formal outfits I am lost as to what I should wear . I’m usually a River Island, Next type of dresser, If I want something nice I head off to the outlet and grab something from one of the designer shops .
I’ve lost a lot of weight on skinny jabs and am a size 14 which I’m happy at . My shape is large bust 38f , and a bit up and down with no waist so I wouldn’t say my figure is great but loads tell me I look great now and def not to lose any more. Only colours that don’t suit me and I don’t like are Red and Yellow .
my Arms are very flabby from weight loss so looking for a long or 3/4 sleeve and I have a horrible scar on my knee so looking at midi or maxi dress .
pleats aren’t great on me, make me look huge.
If it was one of my other children I would be going down one of the traditional mother of the bride looks, Veni , Jon Charles etc as that is what I’d be comfortable in as I’m quite a glam mum but this is not going to be that type of wedding . Help please girlies! Want to spend around £200, could squeeze more if I need to .

I love that Perrie Floral Print Frill Maxi Dress Green.

Oh, PPs who said you're probably wearing the wrong bra size are almost certainly right. I'd recommend getting measured at a proper independent bra/lingerie shop if you have one near you - I just don't think, IMO, that staff in stores like M&S tend to have the training combined with experience that's needed to ensure the right fit.

Thanks for all the feedback . Sorry not had time to check in before now . In answer to the question about my bust size . I’ve always had to go a size bigger up top and generally don’t wear a lot of dresses as they are always too tight around the top but I’ve found if the cut is right I can fit into a 14 . I’m a touch under 5ft 6 and blonde . Always been a called glam. I worked with cosmetics when I was younger so you won’t find me without my face on . I’ve got more lax as I’ve got older and don’t dress up like I used to but I’d like to at least a bit like I’ve made an effort as MOB . When I meant quirky, it’s just not going to be the normal traditional wedding and it’s going to be in Brighton which isn’t too far from us .
I have to be careful where I’m going with this for fear of offending as I’m always putting my foot in it , but let’s just say a lot of them are very alternative , her bridesmaids are wearing non traditional , bright colourful sequinned dresses , not all the same but ones that suit their personalities , her best friend who I’ve known since she was a little girl is a bridesmaid but as she is gay is not wearing a dress , she’s wearing a suit with a glitter waistcoat , believe me the whole wedding will be amazing . I just want to look like I’ve made an effort as MOB ,
I’ve seen some nice dresses on needle and thread , I’m all for floaty sleeves, ruffles etc . I tend to stay away from gothy, hell bunny , 1950s type dresses, not my style at all . I’ve seen a few dresses on Rixo I quite like the idea of. I’m thinking I still want to stay within my comfort zone but want something nice a colourful . These are they type of dresses I have been looking at just to give an idea .

I second Disturbia for an alternative dress , they have some beautiful different dresses on there which will fit the bill

I love these but the sleeves might be too short

-https://www.reiss.com/style/su943973/g54891
-https://www.reiss.com/style/sv046152/v69467

With pics 😊

Funnily enough, my sister just ordered this style of dress from Rixo & sent it back. She's probably a similar height & shape as the OP & I can't quite explain why, but it just looked odd on! Something to do with the position of the band under her (F cup) bust. It fitted fine but made her look ill-proportioned.

Coincidentally, I'd been just about to post the blue version, but reconsidered when I re-read that the OP wanted long/three-quarters sleeves!

I'll post it here anyway, as my thoughts still apply. @ForPinkCrab , I was thinking that you're probably in your comfort zone with being very matching/coordinated with your dress & accessories for weddings?

It's more modern, however, to wear contrasting/clashing/totally mismatched accessories - which I think might feel odd to you? You could still feel like you, though, but a bit quirkier, by keeping your accessories matching in colour but not in pattern?

This is probably not the kind of dress you're after - but as an example of what I mean, it's blue & white floral. So, stick with blue & white for your footwear, but change to, say, gingham? (I'm making the assumption that you would want to wear heels not flats!!)

Something like this with a jacket/bolero??

https://www.boohoo.com/product/coast-floral-jacquard-midi-wedding-guest-dress_bcc09338

There are plenty veni designs that fit the criteria in my eyes while being true to your comfort. Green is nice in 992731, or there's 992701,
Jon charles 66412B too. I'd be thinking outside the box in terms of fascinator and shoes and bag and jewelry for the quirk factor or something in the colour or print that feels a bit risque

Agree with @Shatandfattered .
Adding a couple more Veni dresses that may fit the bill.

More examples of mixing patterns in dress & accessories. Polka dots, as they're everywhere right now.

I love the first Rixo one in your picture @ForPinkCrab, the textured pink one

I don't think that MOB outfits like the Veni dresses posted above could really be considered quirky or risqué (that's if the latter is something to be aimed for by the OP?!). Whether I like them or not isn't the point - they're very formal & stiff-looking, conventionally (if quite dramatically) accessorised, & OTT in relation to a broader trend towards less formality & fewer accessories in weddings over the past few years.

Also, Brighton is a really lively wee city with a very particular vibe, which will I'm sure be why her daughter has chosen it. It's liberal, bohemian & progressive, known for its LGBTQ+ culture, arts & music scene, & its tolerant atmosphere. (It's also, Google tells me, the unofficial LGBTQ+ capital of the UK, as well as being known as the UK's "hippest city"!)

So I'm assuming that the OP already knows those outfits will be the wrong vibe for her daughter's wedding, hence her saying that she has already dismissed those retailers - & posting here for other ideas?

This! Boden for MOB outfit ?

If there’s going to be a lot of sequins and glitter I’d probably try to match that vibe.

Maybe look at All Saints?

A skirt and top could work

The brand Damsal in a Dress does gorgeous sequin shift dresses, lots also have sleeves

I would love to know what pp have in mind from Disturbia because I cannot see a single dress on their website which would suit what OP has asked for, even in the 'occasion' section.

Rixo or Needle and Thread both sound like excellent starting points, OP. I think a fabulous dress in a bright colour would be just the ticket.

Why does the op have to change her style? I’d wear what I like - everyone else is! Just go with a dress that makes you happy @ForPinkCrab. Don’t change because it won’t be YOU. Everyone else is doing what they want and so can you! The long dresses look great as just posted and don’t go off scale quirky! You will look back and think you were wearing fancy dress or were at a cos play event. Be yourself - your dd will value this. I love Liberty and Farm Rio but if you like Veni, why not? Look fabulous but be you.

My dd is getting married later this year and it’s the opposite of informal. Some brides do like formal and smart. This will be a black tie wedding and the bridesmaid is wearing a Solace dress. Shock horror on here but black tie is almost easier than day dressing!

I agree with this. There will probably be a real mix of styles at the event ... I've been hanging around with similar "alternative" types my whole life, and honestly they're not a very judgemental or sniffy crowd when it comes to clothes and stuff like that. It's all about being yourself.

No one would expect a MOB to dress like a single twentysomething from Brighton, would they? No one will think less of you for wearing what you would naturally wear and feel good in!

Oh wow these are FABULOUS! Never heard of this brand before. Off to take a look….

I went to a wedding in Brighton a few years ago. The bride wore black and she had rainbow hair! I wore a bright pink trouser suit. ‘Twas fabulous!

that is lovely!!