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.

Not a fascinator! They cheapen any outfit. Nasty things.

Karen Millen have loads of dresses (a lot from other brands). Some of the other ones you have worn have swamped you because they were so busy. I think also you should size down for a few of them.

More from KM but think mostly Coast.

Hi all, sorry, been diverted by home life but will resume updates soon! 🙃

Thank you @Calliopespa! It feels so good to be a Creature in the care of Team S+ B for a while ☺️

This was interesting. PP suggested asking Chat GPT for hair colour to suit soft autumn- and it gave me this! It’s not far from what I have now and yet it looks so good! Is this what some of you were trying to describe to me?

Yes I suggested it ! And yes that’s what I meant about warmer and darker lowlights, not thicker and more yellow highlights.

https://clubllondon.com/products/kelis-brown-polka-dot-high-neck-maxi-dress-with-draped-detailing-cl138444021?variant=57058575286645&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUvil5leHRuA2FlbQEwAHBkb2YFZmRpZBZQ-pwg2_7721B-sP3g-yTLTmn-0VZ0YWRpZAGrPR1e6T5zc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHl02J_SimPzZJI649VUPSpkrupIUMSR8lXdLbjgRrn0FCSEpqpHtU7G60Q_T_aem_2ZpIjy53R1ZidHYRSzQecQ&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&campaign_id=120217101358130211&ad_id=120217101427390211&utm_id=120217101358130211&utm_content=120217101427390211&utm_term=120217101358110211&utm_campaign=120217101358130211&media_type=image
i just saw this and thought if your thread although Lana dress does look lovely!

Stupid image reviewer..

https://www.karenmillen.com/product/coast-bandage-long-sleeve-dress-with-pleated-skirt_bcc11712?colour=navy
https://www.karenmillen.com/product/coast-cutout-detail-long-sleeve-midi-dress-gold-trim_bcc13741?colour=pink
https://www.karenmillen.com/product/coast-long-sleeve-lace-belted-satin-skirt-midi-dress_bcc13709?colour=teal
https://www.karenmillen.com/product/coast-short-sleeve-crepe-midi-dress-with-lace-pleated-skirt_bcc13138?colour=sage

I was going to recommend the Liberty Peacock dress - it's stunning. An acquaintance wore it for her registry office wedding a year or so ago. The first couple of Karen Millen dresses are nice as well - the deep red and powder blue ones.

I so understand this I bought so many for my DDs wedding and none felt right! I can reassure you that once at the wedding you will realise that no one is bothered about what you wear, I bought a green fit and flair dress and jacket for £50 in the end! Her mother-in-law bought a frock from M&S for £40! It was a lovely day! I’m going to wear the green again for another wedding. I like Debenhams for occasion dresses

Thanks @NeverTalksToStrangers2. Yes I stayed up way too late last night, digging into links PP had shared. I saw a lot of nice things on the Karen Millen site, at least one of which you’ve shared here. I’m at risk of doing the same as you @Crispynoodleand ordering way too many things… but I’m quite enjoying the exploration process! Currently have two on order from Boden, one from Next, one from somewhere else/can’t remember, and the one I bought today from Nobody’s Child… along with three bought online and returned, and the two just returned yesterday to John Lewis 😵‍💫 Just about still have things under control.

@ihaveafavouritecat , yes to the ChatGPT hair. Notice how the color is slightly darker and the highlights are warmer and finer, less blonde and chunky. I like the version ChatGPT suggested, but you could go even more relaxed with the cut, with more texture, which is created by hidden layers or razor cuts so the ends look light and fluid instead of completely flat and neatly turned under. Avoid the "neat" hair look (too Lego figure, as I mentioned) for a more tousled look. And with a side part and long, side-swept fringe.

heres the Nobody’s Child Lana dress… what do we think?

It's a no from me. Too gloomy. A bit Mortica Adams with the lace. I do like the length on you, however. The green silky where the sleeves would need shortening, to also reduce the volume, knocks this one out of the park, for me.

BUT, it is MUCH better than the first set of options. A WORLD better. And you have a lovely figure.

You look lovely in it OP, but it is too funereal for a wedding (though you could save it for a funeral; no harm in being practical!)

I know the colour won't suit everyone, but I like this! It's elegant & on those it does suit, I really like this colour!

Well, the fabric in the majority of the options so far is fossil-fuel-byproduct-tastic, so another one doesn't make much difference! It's very frustrating that synthetics are used so overwhelmingly though.

I like the dress though - it's more contemporary-looking than most of the options posted.

Oh what a shame! I so wanted this to work!

You look as if you're wearing a size too big though? The colour looks flatter than on the website. It could work a size down, with the hem raised & heels on?

Did you just have one try at analysing your colour palette via ChatGPT, OP? As I think some of the colours you've been trying on are a bit too flat & dull for you. I am a soft autumn (strawberry blonde, warm-toned skin, blue-grey-green eyes), but I border on warm spring.

Quite a slight shift in colour tone can make a huge difference as to whether I really like a colour on me or not. For instance, I look good in anything from emerald through to khakis & olives - but if they have too much brown or yellow in them they're horrid on me.

I do wonder if you could verge on warmer spring shades too - I think that's why the coral/gold outfit at the very start looked good on you colour-wise. Some of the burgundies & greens you've been trying on lack warmth - & I think you need warmth. Dark red, or a muted emerald that's not too bright/has a hint of sludge to temper it, would be better I think?

I didn’t like the Nobody’s Child one on the website, and don’t like it on you either, sorry. It seems to swamp you and the colour/lace//shape don’t work together very well.

I still think the brown one in the original pics, either in a different colour or in the brown but warmed up with shoes/bag better than everything else.

There’s a danger of trying so many things on that you lose sight of what you actually like or not.

Yes, this is lovely. Might be difficult to find a jacket for it though?

Hi OP, back to say I agree with @Calliopespa , the green dress you loved would be amazing - maybe try a size smaller? It also has that Victoria Beckham vibe I suggested to you. Your hair color is fab.

I would recommend that instead of a jacket or coat you wear a short fake fur jacket or shrug. That way, your dress is still the star. At a family wedding last year in December, most women wore a version of a fake fur jacket with a silk or beaded dress. It also goes with everything so you won’t need a different one for your evening outfit.

Just a thought - I wonder if a lace pencil skirt might work for the registry office, perhaps with a faux fur jacket as suggested below? It has the advantage that it could easily be work again with a cashmere jumper. Also easier to get the fit right.