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.

I don’t know who could wear this without looking like they were in a sack.

https://www.shibumistyle.com/
Not a million miles away from you i dont think.

@ihaveafavouritecat Lana dress in green back in an 8 Olive Green Floral Mesh Lana Midi Dress

I love the burgundy draped dress that @EleanorMc67 posted, that has some structure without looking too 'trussed up'. I also loved the Florere 'sleeves too long' dress, when you pushed the sleeves up it looked so much better.

I'm someone who looks much better in sleeves that are a bit above the wrist and trouser that are ankle length. Full length of either just doesn't look right on me.

Some other suggestions (sorry if repeated, I did read all of OP's posts). Based on your preferences I think Ghost and Self-Portrait might be good.

Madison Green Satin Midi Dress | Ghost.co.uk

SILK95FIVE Rocco Eve Luxe Dress in Chesterfield Green | Collen & Clare

Bronze Tailored Knit Midi Dress | self-portrait

Navy Metallic Boucle Taffeta Midi Dress – self-portrait

Navy Boucle Tailored Midi Dress – self-portrait

Gold Sequin Boucle Midi Dress | self-portrait

Self-Portrait is top of your budget, but if you went for something more budget for dress 2 you might be okay, e.g. Maya Floral velvet devore v neck midaxi dress in olive | ASOS

.

Hi! I have been lurking around here and have become far too invested!

I found these two via chat got and your new list of ideas! The strappy one would cope with some kind of jacket maybe? I know you feel you need your arms covered.

Good Luck! You will look fabulous.

https://www.axparis.com/products/green-floral-jacquard-square-neck-a-line-midi-dress-1?oppref=gAAAAABqxQMZgA3UUNEQV3vcaCFMwQawfTD2CFY6WEojGIQqOIA_b4C8n6tVn9mQHkr1PTlDINPoZoaIKq-4JHJOE1SZDTNcPJBxCJKUw5-LZMz16870zoow&olref=gAAAAABqxQMZQp3AYobsyJkzasvGKAyobhpdvgGyWJ4MOHFpD2t_09NmGEJ86Eapp_1hlpwcivg-e5A6zeID9TrgoKjuOaVYaTEbsgWJyIdMF4-jVMo-M7G-_oebVq3nCsrxdjR27fMxGx6z-MFHT_ZvbHpaXl-I0ww

www.monsoon.co.uk/mona-angel-sleeve-maxi-dress-green-20001600078.html

Lovely website @UtilityPlayer Enjoyed reading about the concept behind it too. You were brave making your own MoG outfit. I can sew, but I’m not sure I’d have the confidence to make my own for this occasion. Fab that you went for it!

Hi @Shrewsburywithanoo If you want that dress, it’s from a shop in Frome called Deadly Is The Female… Deadly is the Female dress
the shawl/wrap was sold separately . My friend suggested I could use the wrap to make sleeves… It was the first time I’d ever been the shop, the owner designs and makes a lot of the clothes herself… very distinctive… quite ‘Marmite’ I guess!

That was a really helpful summary you boiled things down to. Did you see the sort of earthy red/burgundy Zara dress that EleanorMc67 posted a page or two back? I feel that was really neat, structured, slim fitting and had short sleeves. It looked lovely.

From your descriptions, I am thinking that perhaps you could wear the pink/burgundy dress (neat top, pleated skirt) from your first shopping spree for the registry office, then the olive green dress, which is coming back, to the rest of the event. The burgundy dress is fine, inoffensive, perfectly nice, and definitely put it on and forget it. And the neckline flatters you.
But I am really hoping that you love the olive green dress after alterations and wear it for the whole thing.

Is this the dress that some of you are referring me back to, shared by @EleanorMc67? Sorry I do look at all the links you share, but impossible to respond to every message. All very much appreciated though ☺️ I do quite like the look of this. Lovely warm colour and love all the ‘neat’ pleating! I wonder if it might be very long, and I don’t know if that kind of fabric can be shortened? Lpleated pink dress Think other necklines like ‘V’ or ‘slash’ might suit me better… ?

Let me share what got delivered today! 😻

Can't wait to see!
I also like the Ortiz pink pleated dress. It can be shortened. Again, it might be a lot of fabric over the body, as it is all pleats, everywhere.
On the neckline, round (but high) or slash are your best necklines. Avoid v-necks, scoops, or anything low. You are a small pear shape so need a bit of broadening at your shoulders to balance, and a round, slash, or boat neck does this.

No you are just exhausted from trying to find two nice outfits. I’d maybe try to get one that might help, did you try the green or black oasis ones I suggested It’s £100 so would leave a decent figure for the other dress.

Today, the Me+Em silk/velvet jumpsuit was delivered… me+Em jumpsuit
what do we think - I think I love it - certainly feels fab quality, has a bit of a cool edge/bit different, will need taking up 4+ inches and will be without question, the most expensive item of clothing I’ve ever bought if I go for it 🙀 It meets my criteria for put it on and don’t have to think about it…

Mmmm... I do like it. And it is a ton better than the first lot or than many of the suggestions.
I would say that it looks a bit big (and not just too long). Notice how it makes your breasts look a bit low. But, with tailoring to lift the shoulders so the waist sat just a tiny bit higher than it is now, so there wasn't the excess fabric over your bust, plus with hemming, of course, it would work well.
Are you wearing a really good bra? That would lift you too. (What bra size? Have you been remeasured since your weight loss? Someone who is a size 10 will probably have a bra band size that is a 30 or a 32, yet many of have been wearing that 34b for YEARS. The way bra suppliers used to measure - for example, M&S, put everyone in too large a band and too small a cup).
The color is a little flat for you, and reads a little flat on camera. Try the other olive dress when it arrives and compare.
But I like it a lot.

Thank you. I can't find a decent picture of me in it, but it is the Lea dress by Sew Over It, which is a great pattern. Not difficult, but lots of skirt panel seams & I had built up my sewing confidence for a few months before attempting it, otherwise I was in the same boat as you are now!

Ah, so that's what it looks like without being covered up by the shawl! I did wonder ... Not my thing, not appropriate for either day, too girly, too naked, too retro (unless that's what someone is after).

But I still think that those sorts of colours are good if you're a soft autumn.

This one? Yes I thought it looked promising, especially if the OP went over-budget on one outfit - though haven't seen it in the flesh. It's recycled polyester - satin I think? Though not super shiny in the pics.

I often dislike a long zip at the back of a dress, as it's where puckering will sometimes show in a cheaper garment (this is £29.99!). But this has a concealed side zip, which is good.

I think it's worth a try, as it could also be tweaked by a seamstress to fit perfectly, which makes things look much more expensive. (It's not a petite, so will probably need adjusted anyway.)

I agree with pretty much all of that.

I do like it ... but I don't know if it's a £395-plus-another-£100-for-alterations kind of liking??

It is definitely better than almost everything else you've tried on. The Florere dress might also be really nice when altered (you've ordered all three colours, is that right?). But you seem to be veering away from it - too Stevie Nicks??!!

Is there a reason why you didn't try on/order the very first brown Reiss dress in the green petite-sized version?

@Ruthietuthie is right that it needs lifted at the shoulder as well as chopped at the bottom - it sits too low & I had noticed previously that I'm pretty sure you need a new bra that pulls your boobs up! Don't go to M&S to get measured though ...

Do you think a size down would fit? It does look a little dull in the photos too - but maybe not in evening light?

I also noticed on the website that it seems very low-cut in that it comes below the breasts? Can't tell if it's also that low on you - would that need altered too?

I like that shop the clothes are all retro, I think I have been in there before. But I’d not wear that particular dress to a wedding.

If you want neat and not fussy OP I would go for a sleeved a line dress in your case in green, gold or red. Just try one on doesn’t matter which shop to see how it feels, then look for an appropriate dress that is Aline if you feel ok.

i don’t do extra floaty material as I like to know where my clothes are. So day to day I’m in jeans T-shirt jacket or cardigan or a tunic/not floaty dress over leggings or jeggings. So I’m used to the material not moving everywhere, you might be the same. So the easiest dresses for me to wear are a line as the top is fitted so I know I’m covered and not have to worry and the skirt is going to float off somewhere.

Oh and also OP it won’t be popular but if I needed a second outfit as you do I would wear tight smart trousers and a fitted top for all of the above reasons. I don’t do jumpsuits as I find they never ever fit properly.

if it was an emergency and I was running out of time I would go for completely plain trousers and camisole with another top layer. Maybe a kimono. Like that but I’d got for a brighter kimono.

It’s not going to be popular in style and beauty but I’ve got a disability so I need to know where my layers of clothes are to walk. I also don’t like the standard MOB or MOG dresses so not my sort of thing.

onehundredstars.co.uk/collections/kimonos-one-hundred-stars/products/stork-black-crepe-kimono

It is perfect. Job done.

I rather love it! I have a few me&em pieces and wore a dress to my daughter’s graduation and I felt it was perfect and comfortable. You have to feel like you like it and that confidence will carry it off. I think it’s worth trying to do a gentle fake tan? Go to a spray tan place soon and see how you feel with it, just a gentle glow will make this a bit more
pop I think?