Mother of the Groom in 8 weeks!

[ihaveafavouritecat]

Please help me! My son is getting married in 8 weeks and I haven’t a clue what to wear. So far I’ve ordered three dresses online (Coast, Lavish Alice and Florere) and have sent them all back. Earlier this week I had a personal stylist appointment at John Lewis, bought 3 items (Hobbs dress, Reiss dress and Phase Eight jumpsuit), but not sure any of them are right. Also ordered a jumpsuit from Me+Em, not yet received. I don’t know if that will be right either, I know it will need shortening about 6 inches!
I’m 5’3, 9st 6, have lost 7 stone over last 3 years. Blue eyes, brown hair/blond highlights. i think the colours that suit me best are greens/golds/sandy but not at all rigid except that pastel colours make me look washed out.
There’s a register office wedding service and then the bigger wedding ‘do’ 3 days later, so I need two outfits! Budget about £400ish for both. I just feel so much of what I’m seeing is so ‘bland’ and ordinary, I want to feel a bit more cool and funky but still smart of course.
Would really appreciate some help or suggestions of makers/brands I’m not aware of… thanks in advance.

Look at Kevan Jon very flattering styles and not overpriced

I love that! I'm not sure it's not a bit summery for OP's occasion, but I do really like it. It looks to have more workmanship in it than I'd expect from Zara.

Our son's wedding was in January. It was difficult to find anything suitable to wear as most of the winter styles had sold out and Spring clothes hadn't come in. I wore a conservative brown suit ( not my usual style), but livened it up with an over the top orange hat....

Yes I’ve got a fluffy bolero sort of style winter jacket I’d wear over it. I need the weddings I’m going to to be in winter and I’d be ok (mine are spring and early autumn). I’m still thinking about ordering it.

I have a degree in fashion and work as a fashion buyer for Boden.
I’m sorry, but, personally, I don’t think any of these do you justice.
Reiss dress - dowdy colour for a wedding, let alone for MOG
Red Hobbs dress - top part is too casual for a wedding
Phase Eight jumpsuit - A jumpsuit isn’t right for MOG in my opinion, too casual
Vinted outfit - rather dated looking, a bit 80s/90s
The multicoloured dress - looks a bit ‘charity shop chic’

Of all the photos, a v neck looks most flattering on you ans it elongates a shorter frame. I think a deep emerald, teal or Royal Blue would best suit your colouring.
Have you had a look at Boden (of course), Karen Mullen, Debenhams, Next and Wallis online?

Photos: blue dress from Debenhams
Green dress from Debenhams
Teal dress by Wallis at Debenhams

And www.boden.com/products/women-textured-fit-flare-dress-teal-ocean-d1834blu?_pos=25&_sid=05e4ed949&_ss=r&_fid=45127a06b

Did you see anything else you liked?

But it’s in December, if I was the OP I would want long sleeves at that time of year. Otherwise it looks more like evening party wear.

@OneNewEagle The oasis dress is fine for spring. I’d swerve a bolero personally. Another dated option. There are much better options.

@ihaveafavouritecat I second nobody's child, lovely dresses and good fabrics, they do have a petite line but it's a bit uninspired so I'd be more inclined to get regular and get it tailored. Some nice ones
https://www.nobodyschild.com/products/lana-midi-dress-2617331001?variant=56204699795841&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Nobodys_Child-UK-PMax-All-DT%2BTA-SE-ePmax-Tier+2&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19541476977&gbraid=0AAAAADQCJIXYcMnFu8KgtIK4TVi9joL6K&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz4LWBhCMARIsAFEG5MqcsZXqr8moSqwZfyMPPA3QkK8m_0BWxXU5xdEf5hs7JjWg-HjN2tkaAs91EALw_wcB

https://www.nobodyschild.com/products/clarissa-midi-dress-2613650005?variant=55844010983809&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Nobodys_Child-UK-PMax-All-DT%2BTA-SE-ePmax-Tier+2&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=19541476977&gbraid=0AAAAADQCJIXYcMnFu8KgtIK4TVi9joL6K&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz4LWBhCMARIsAFEG5MqUFoUxkdq5-CtObFB_89NMdzEhBI8PtTnqV9N18NNFDCoha7bOgMwaAhxLEALw_wcB

Also might be worth looking at Abercrombie or needle and thread (can get some good quality ones on vinted for a good saving)

It’s not exactly that it’s just a lovely coat I own.

yes I’m thinking it might work will depend on what the weather is like. I was going to go short sleeves yellow but would probably end up freezing.

OP, you look lovely!

If helpful to add:

• stick with block colours - they look great on you
• jumpsuit or red for the registry
• different option for the big wedding

do you know what the mother of the bride and bridesmaids are wearing colour wise so you can complement one another? Are there any boutiques near where you live where you could try on a selection of dresses at? Sorry if I missed answers to both of these

Cawley studio dress is hideous giving me concentration camp vibes.

Agree with this poster and previous. Brown or red. brown could look great with lovely accessories and a hat

I really like green ‘Lana’ dress you’ve shared here, that’s exactly the shade of (sludge) green I like. But pretty well all the sizes have gone already! I could see that looking good with chunky gold jewellery and maybe ?gold shoes and bag? But I’m not sure it’ll become available again. What do you savvy S+B experts do in this situation? Monitor the website daily? Try contacting the shops direct? I’ve already signed up to be notified. Do you think this would be smart enough for the main wedding ‘do’?

@ihaveafavouritecat it is a lovely dress, yes gold would look good, I'd go for some strappy gold heels, gold envelope clutch and some statement earrings. Sign up for monitoring, but also ASOS, m&s and very all stock nobody's child so worth checking their sites too

Edited to add: yes I definitely think smart enough for the main wedding

They all look lovely on you apart from the 2 patterny horrors. I honestly think patterns always look frumpy.

So for your amusement, here’s me this afternoon in Phase Eight, looking variously like I was on a Kyoto promenade… and a resident in a monastery 🤣 I tried two or three other dresses there as well but nothing grabbed me, didn’t even take photos of the others.

As another poster suggested: Jumpsuit for Registry office and red dress for the later celebrations. The new hair style you are hoping for sounds lovely too

Green nobody's child dress is stunning! I hope you manage to get it

Oh man, I’ve convinced myself I need this Nobody’s Child dress, and now I can’t find it anywhere! 😭😩

I tried on that gorgeous Nobody’s Child dress on Thursday.

I am 5’9 and 9 stone 6, so pretty slim, but sadly, I not thin enough for it.

I still want to (find it and) try it! I luff this dress! 😻

@ihaveafavouritecat, as much as you posted the newest Phase-Eight options for a laugh, actually the "Kyoto inspired" one is FAR nicer than any of your other photos. It's an interesting shape and stylish length. (As you don't feel comfortable in it, then that immediately rules it out - but good to look at yourself in something more contemporary, just to try things).
The cape one does look monastic (because of the color? Very Franciscan monk) but the material, which looks cheap and shiny, is what brings it down.

If these sludgy browns are your best colors, then your hair is the wrong color too - too blonde, edging too cool. And your new hairdresser has given you a very stiff, old-fashioned bob. I think you need a new new hairdresser. It seems to me that sometimes, a hairdresser looks at a woman and makes assumptions about her. I have had hairdressers who looked at my white-grey hair and my tired face and given me the hair-cut that they stereotypically imagined a "mature" woman should have. And I've had other (really good hairdressers, like my current one) who doesn't see the "old and tired" and presume I want hair for someone "old and tired," but instead sees a vibrant, stylish person, and gives me hair to match that. I arrive feeling tired and leave feeling vibrant. It's a real gift, and I don't think your hair-dresser has it.

Well done on losing all the weight. You have a lovely, proportional figure, and I know are struggling with the "now everything looks reasonable and everything fits, I don't know what I actually like" phase.

Thank you @Grasshopperhopping. I don’t know what the MOB is wearing. Bride’s parents live abroad, I haven’t met them, all I have heard is that she’s ’a big fan of Reiss’. Only one bridesmaid, the brides sister, and I gather she is wearing dark/bottle(?) green.

You S+B folk have all been so helpful, I’m gaining so much from hearing from you all. This is like the John Lewis personal stylist service on speed! 🤣

Might you like this?
Would be a lovely color on you. You could shorten it to midi-length.