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.

Is it this bag you meant? It's by One Hundred Stars.

https://share.google/W2dwnCKrYDpaMG6f8

It is lovely - though it is quite large. What I would say though is that clutch bags (like a lot of things!) are deliberately oversized right now. I would get away with it - you might not? Have a look at the sizing info?

Do you work in the fashion industry @EleanorMc67 ? … and if not, how do people even know things like ‘clutch bags are deliberately oversized right now’?! This kind of information just doesn’t feature on my radar - ever!
But you’re right, the beautiful bag is too big!

Nope - I'm a landscape architect & garden designer!! But studied at art college, have friends & clients in the industry, & it's always been a passion.

Fashion magazines were, for decades, probably the main way I kept up-to-date. I subscribed to everything!!! Now it's blogs, Instagram, magazine & fashion websites. And certain brands/shops & their clothes/styling.

This vintage bag adds interest and has colours to tone with your jumpsuit and adds more. You could wear black shoes, metallic or one of the other colours.

Only a bargain in the sense of against the retail cost (looking at the brand online and assuming this one is genuine), rather than a cheap purchase.

@EleanorMc67 has so much more knowledge and style than me and maybe able to add her advice! Happy to be totally wrong about this one and save you some money! 😉

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/9489331594-mary-frances-floral-beaded-jewels-small-clutch-handbag-rare-with-certificate

Just popping on to say I have absolutely loved this thread. Have been on MN for many years (and many name changes) but have to say this is one of my favourite threads ever.

Everyone has been so lovely and supportive to the OP and so much time taken to explore different options. I wouldn’t hesitate to come and ask for much needed fashion advice.

Just to wish you a very fabulous wedding day/celebrations @ihaveafavouritecat am sure you will look fabulous.

LOVE the hair!!

You look magnificent.

I agree OP: the volume in the jumpsuit calls for something a bit blocky, not too fine and pointy, to balance the volume of the trousers.

I love the thought of chunky gold accessories,

How about a Max Mara weekend pasticcino? They can look quite textural depending on the fabric (they often come in velvet or soft fabrics) and I think would suit the textural, unstructured feel of the jumpsuit. They are also nice as they work quite well for both day and evening. Can be a bit of an investment though, depending on the fabric ...

I think you might like the pasticcinos OP. There is a Rabensteiner collab in velvet but I think there is/was also a sage suede if that toned colour-wise? I think mixing suede and velvet works really well and feels sort of sumptuous.

Oh and you can choose your size though that may limit certain fabrics. I'd go for a small for you.

These are lovely, I wish I could wear heels again!

They do great larger bags.

I love vintage clutch bags with little sparkly bits. I lost a few in my last house move along with some great vintage brooches so should get on vinted to replace at some point.

I’ve always worn to special occasions a quite standard dress with a lovely vintage bag, not fashionable in the least.

I love this one, not suitable for the OP but still lovely.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/9341681182-mary-frances-budda-beaded-handbag?referrer=catalog

I actually saved one of those a couple of days ago, but didn't post it because of the cost! This one ... it's SO beautiful ...

I also love this thread , some of the clothes being posted, and some of the bags are so beautiful. I see a lot of threads on here where , well, the clothes aren’t to my taste, often dated, and I’ve seen some real horrors,but some of these clothes are absolutely fabulous. And the ops choices are wonderful

That is beautiful!

ETA yes, I hesitated to mention them because some are costly but the suede ones are about 280 I think, which isn't bad for something that holds its value as a classic.

I did find this version, with a slightly different handle. But still very pricey ...

https://share.google/RZ2L3925HqpPT1Zer

I'd not heard of this brand before so looked it up - founded in 1989 in California & yes, they're collectable. But I am still getting my head around vintage being used to describe anything 80s or 90s - as I was a young woman then!!!

It is pretty & the colours are excellent - plus they're meant to be good quality. I'm sure the OP could haggle a bit, if it fits with her final outfit/accessory choices!

Such a lovely thread, thank you OP.

Thanks @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie This is why I need you guys here to keep me on track 🤦🏼‍♀️

Thank you so much @@FABFRIEND You've articulated exactly what I’ve felt too.. like I’ve been surrounded by a big crowd of supporters who are cheering me on, and who want the best outcome for me. It’s very special, thank you everyone! ☺️

Thanks @Calliopespa It’s really good to know you all approve of my hair, I was super happy with it.
I looked up the MaxMara pasticcino bags. They’re lovely, but tbh I didn’t look for long, I’m not going to spend £300 on a bag, it will scarcely be seen, probably tucked under a table much of the time. I’m sure I can find something similar and much more affordable. The soft squashy shape is very pretty though, thank you. It’s yet another area where I’m pretty clueless, I’d certainly never heard of a pasticcino bag until today…

Ohh thank you @OneNewEagle ☺️
Lucky me to have you all on board wanting to help me out!

I also LOVE the MaxMara pasticcino (and, shamefully, have four...). I absolutely agree that you don't want to spend much on a bag that will make such a brief appearance.
If you are inspired by the soft slouchiness of the various bags suggested (a bag you can squeeze or nonchalantly tuck under your arm) then you won't go wrong.
I was interested by the question you asked of @EleanorMc67, of how she KNOWS this stuff. For me, it comes from being interested, first, in architecture and interior design, and painting. Then, for clothing, I look at brands that I can't afford and see how they are styling things, how they pair colors, what shapes, how much volume.

Okay so I texted my future DDIL today and shared photos of the jumpsuit and teal and green dresses. Didn’t want to give her the final vote exactly but wanted to know if she had a preference:
‘I really love the jumpsuit for either day I think it’s so lovely’
and the dresses?
’really like the blue’ … ‘either of them would be perfect, very chic!’
’I do love the jumpsuit’
… so I don’t think there’s a problem with any of my choices.… She did mention that her mum is home now and shopping for dresses… ‘i will let you know once she has picked anything’
Is there a thing about MOG deferring to MOB on colours or whatever? Tell me, because I don’t want to be the cause of any upset/awkwardness.

As for me OP I’m not really into clothes that much. I chucked half of mine out eighteen months ago now as I was struggling with my mental health. And my budget is low to zero. But I like pretty things and to see what the next trend might be, interiors, and I like helping pick things for other people.

I love art and in a previous career, I’ve had a few all very varied, I used to work in the design sort of style industry (I was a buyer of product) so I’d attend trade fairs. It all merges into one at these things.

Im not up on wedding etiquette but I think the traditional thing is MOB and bridesmaids pick their colours first, vis the bride if that makes Sense. Then MOG so doesn’t clash.

I think that’s the right way around.

I’ve got loads of siblings so there’s been a lot of weddings over the years, but my mum is like Queen Anne and ignores all of the etiquette and just wears what she already owns (only works if you don’t change size like I do).