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’d need to wear tights to stop my shoes hurting my feet too @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie now that I’m old

Unfortunately I don't think the cream would work. You seem to be drawn to light shoes but I think darker is best. The M&S ones you've ordered are lovely.

These might work with the jumpsuit and are similar-ish to the Embassy boots, although I'm not sure you'd get as much use out of them as a black pair (or maybe that's my bias as I wear a lot of black!). They're quite high too.

https://www.esdemarca.com/en/hispanitas/paris-taupe-leather-ankle-boots-hi265076-3344542.html?

ETA - if you're going with the boots idea I'd advise picking a good pair of boots that you love and will wear lots, and working back to see if it works with the jumpsuit. The main thing for me is that they have a sharp pointed toe to elongate the leg, but other than that you won't really see them.

@ihaveafavouritecat this is a fabulous thread! ❤️ I love the jumpsuit & the teal dress; you are going to look gorgeous.

I am quietly watching as am a MoG next summer, so will be starting my own thread soon, as a shopper I am not! 🤣

PS which cat is your favourite? 🤔😉

I don't hate tights, in fact I'm a big fan of black tights (sheer and opaque) for most occasions. But tights rarely look good or chic at a wedding, particularly on people not used to wearing them. Nude tights also don't keep you warm at all so makes no difference to being outside.

Of course nude tights give a bit more warmth than bare legs.

I disagree. The best way to be warm outside at a winter wedding is to wear a good wool coat over your outfit, that will keep you much warmer than just adding tights, but in general guests aren't outside for long.

I’m not suggesting just adding tights without a coat though. That’s just as crazy as bare legs. My vote remains firmly with a faux fur jacket.

OP will obviously choose what she wants, but it makes no sense whatsoever to say that nude tights won’t be any warmer than bare legs. Nude tights would certainly help avoid goose bumpy blue legs.

This is a lovely thread though and I really cba to argue with you.

Ageee with you,

op, little fake tan works wonders even though not much of your legs are visible and a much better look with that outfit, thin tights will add no warmth worth speaking of,

Haha seems the tights thing is a contentious issue! Well, fwiw I think some nude tights will be going on my legs for the dress, especially if that’s the reg office outfit. I’ll be walking through the streets, quite possibly in pouring rain, between car and reg office and restaurant. It’s not even mid October, and I wore a long sleeve thermal vest yesterday. I feel the cold. I was wearing wrist warmers indoors too in my cold old house. Also, I don’t think my old pale legs should be on view without a bit of coverage. All these gorgeous young things at the wedding with slim tanned bare legs and high heeled strappy sandals is a very different matter. Hmm, seems I’m clear on some things at least! 🤔

Thanks, @MoG2027glad this is helpful for you too… might save you making any of the ( in some cases), shocking choices I was at risk of making. It’s been such a help, support, and education for me!
At the risk of derailing my own thread, my favourite cat is this floofy dude…

Speaking of faux fur, I have absolutely no idea about whether or not it might go with either of your outfits and I’ve only seen it on line, but I keep being drawn to this. https://www.marksandspencer.com/faux-fur-collared-short-jacket/p/clp61227396?color=BROWN#intid=pid_pg1pip48g2r3c1%7Cprodflag_srp_ts_CBS_2

I’ve seen a beautiful silver grey one in a shop recently, but I can’t for the life of me remember where and a search online has proven fruitless.

Omg that’s gorgeous! Wow that’s faux fur and some, isn’t it? 😍
Right, I need to whip into town to return some dodgy purchases! (Next and Mint Velvet). I will have a quick look at shoes and earrings if I get the chance.

Gosh this thread has moved on since I last posted yesterday morning (feels like a week ago!!).

May have found a few options for you on the footwear/jacket/bag/jewellery front, @ihaveafavouritecat - including eBay/Vinted possibilities.

Will post them later, but glad someone else got in there with the favourite cat question! He's gorgeous - but I hope the other cats don't know ...

Do report back, if you see it. I'm tempted by it myself!

Oh I see! That makes a lot of sense actually.

Yes, I was envisaging quite a bit of "weight" in the velvet, (not old-fashioned stiff velvet but still weighty, as well a volume of it, and I agree with you that it doesn't look so lightweight in the photos.

I do know the light, fluid velvet you mean though, and it must be lovely. I can see why you volte faced on liking it as well, as it can be unnerving for something not to be the way you thought when you unwrap it.

I agree that changes everything, especially once you start to move, as the texture becomes really obvious.

I finally agree about suede being a possibility I love suede with velvet!

I also like black tights actually.

Don't think they will work with OP's outfits though which brings in the challenge...

What about trying (brace yourself OP, but it can work) a sheer tight with a metallic or shimmer? I'd go towards diaphanous silver tones if that's how you are accessorising, though you can get nude colours with shimmer too.

They aren't loud and sparkly like Mrs Christmas, but the shimmer just helps bounce the light off so you actually notice them less, and if you do notice they look a bit more lavish than Aunty Marge's hose.

I'm not meaning the sparkly ones children wear!

Yes suede works well it needs to be something soft. Leather is too harsh,

And yes I was expecting something very different, it’s very soft and thin, fluid, sort of billowy and voluminous in the lower half. Not what I was expecting at all . I tried it on again this morning and I absolutely love it, it just was not what i was expecting.

I’m also struggling with jackets as it’s so light weight. A fur jacket maybe the answer, although I am allergic to them, so op hoping you get one and I can have a look.😂

Yes, I was envisaging that sort of waterfall drape, not billowy at all.

I agree I think leather would just kind of land too heavily with it. You want to keep the "stroke me" sumptuous theme going (Don't think too hard about that comment op ... 😂)

We are all here to help when you need us

In winter I wear either trousers or tights. Regardless of fashion.

id wear nude tights under the dress.

Evening Team S+B ☺️ I feel my progress is stalling somewhat, but I can share a few things from a quick nip into town this pm. I only had a couple of hours. Took three items back which eased the load on my credit card a bit. Then I went and tried on a few shoes in Jones, just because it was nearby.
The sparkly silver/steel coloured pair I thought were quite nice? But, even as I’m writing, I’m realising I want to wear gold jewellery, so probably no good for either outfit 🤦🏼‍♀️ I also liked the olive green suede pair and I guess these could work with the jumpsuit and the green dress… but not the teal? What colour can I wear with the teal that’s not black? Would a sandy/honey colour work ? Or a neutral beige suede - what you lot call nude I expect!
And then I saw this quite nice set of jewellery in Zara, which I thought had a bit of a Sophie Harley vibe to it. Didn’t buy it though, I’m not very decisive. Would this work with the jumpsuit? The teal dress?
Then I felt I owed it to you to check out the faux fur jacket in M+S. Scampered down there only to discover that it shuts at 4 on a Sunday and it was closed. 😩 Pity that, I thought it looked rather beautiful too.
Finally I went to a Jewellery shop I’ve only ever looked in the window of. Masses of nice things but it was closing in about 5 mins so could only scan the scene. Discovered that earrings were all in the order of £200+ which wasn’t really what I had in mind…
So I remain in the zone of much unfinished business, albeit with the big stuff pretty much sorted… largely thanks to you lot ! ☺️

You're getting there definitely, OP!

Jewellery & shoes not bad - but gold/bronze definitely better with the olive green velvet jumpsuit & the green dress. TBH, if warm tones suit you better, I'd stick with those with the teal too, I don't think it has to be silver. If it's a muted gold or bronze, ie not super-shiny or sparkly but more of a burnished gleam, I think that looks the most expensive & goes with more things (day as well as evening/event wear too, so you'd get more wear out of them.

That isn't always evident in photos though - some things can be lit to make them brighter/shinier but in the flesh are less obvious.

Have you decided on the teal or green dress yet? As I think that will really help you sort out accessories? I would agree that you don't need to wait for the MotB - you got there first!!!!

Well I am loving the M&S faux fur, it looks beautiful.

Also enjoying the cat picture @ihaveafavouritecat - he is adorable. 😻

Oh good! It's lovely on you, so I'm glad you've decided to keep it!