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.

in what we're wearing right now,
😰

I’ve been to the gym, so I’m in a very fetching pair of Sweaty Betty leggings and a groovy (aka horrible) blue patterned top.

How low was it? I’d consider them as they will go with jeans etc for a night out. Or other dresses /skirts

Yes, I think a few of us would be immediately eliminated from advice-giving!!

I do at least now have my favourite Chanel nail polish applied ... & am about to change out of my dressing gown!!

Ohh you lovely lot! Thank you for continued support and interest, very much appreciated and very much enjoyed. No offence has been taken at any point by the way, and between you you’ve made me laugh a lot too. I’ve needed your help for sure.
I’m away travelling at the moment, and with a touch of serendipity, found myself in a small Greek town, where I’ve just bought a bangle, ring and earrings that I think will go with the teal dress. I showed the guy in the shop a photo of me in the dress - not sure he was all that interested haha. They’re kind of lumps of teal coloured rock set in gold (not real obv), and a really fab cuff thing in a matte gold colour. Whaddya think?! 🤔

OH they are FABULOUS!!!

That cuff was exactly the sort of thing I had been thinking of but didn't want to suggest as I'd seen a Dries van Noten statement cuff as well as a Dries van Noten chunky (really dramatic actually) ring with very similar vibe and was thinking do those instead of a necklace, but both were hideously expensive and I think we have been wicked enough in tempting you.

But they are perfect OP!!!

... and i am laughing at the photo and his lack of interest.😂

At least you have us! 😇

Nice! Chunky, simple - easy to wear separately or together afterwards.

(I have a big brass cuff with a huge dark green stone in it that my mum bought me about twenty years ago. I wear it loads - & people admire it all the time & assume it's 70s vintage. She bought it in John Lewis! Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that simple dramatic pieces are easy to throw on with lots of things!)

Oh but I think you should post them anyway - in the public interest! It's only polite ...!!!

Here’s a picture of them on me 🙃 Hope they’ll work with the dress 🤞

Really lovely - & that soft shade of gold goes well with your skin tone. You see - no need to run things by us, really!!

Hope you're having a lovely time in Greece btw!

Fabulous jewellery @ihaveafavouritecat

The ring is still on the website ("layered brass ring" ) but I am having trouble finding the cuff (and supposed to be finishing something by 5pm!) but there is a similar silver one.

However, the cuff was over £500 and I think Op has done a great job finding those. I love the unstructured feel with the clothing she has chosen, and I especially love that they have a story for her, having been found on holiday and not just ordered online or anything.

But to me a statement cuff or bracelet and statement ring work better as the focus with the necklines she is working with.

Yup, no I totally agree, what she was looking for was not unreasonable, and part of me would love to own those shoes but… I offered £95, thinking we might agree at £100-ish but clearly they’re very special shoes. I’ve had what I feel are somewhat insulting offers on Vinted sometimes, it’s fine. I understand she wants to hold out for a better offer, I’d do the same. For me though, £150 is a lot to spend on something I can’t try on first and can’t return. As @Calliopespaand other PPs have said, I’ve already nudged my budget up quite a bit, (but v happy with my choices), and still shoes, bag and possibly jacket to buy. So need to try and keep my head! Quite difficult though when you guys keep opening my eyes to new realms of gorgeousness! 😻

Your restraint has been admirable OP - I must try & learn from you!!

I should go & attend to my deadline too ... More fun with colours though - a huge spring bulb order for a client 🌷!!

You're right about that special association with buying something on holiday. It's a lovely memory to have.

ALL the costume jewellery is beautiful on the website ... though the prices are far beyond reach for me! Really lovely though.

(But I do at least have one of his lipsticks, in an enamelled case that's just like the big bold enamelled cuffs!)

The jewellery is fantastic, you made great choices there,,,

Oh they're absolutely gorgeous!! I love that you found them in a little Greek town, somehow it makes it more special than ordering them. Serendipitous, as you said.

Thank you @EleanorMc67, belatedly responding to your very helpful colour illustrations here. I can see what you’re saying exactly. None of those colours work on their own with the teal, it would need to be a jacket with two or three tones in it. Assuming I wear the jumpsuit to the reg office event, then I will need a jacket or coat for getting to/from the office, possibly in rain etc. I don’t have a smart winter coat as the ones I had are now far too big. I already have a faux fur jacket but it’s more a cream/ beige colour. I really liked the M+S one a PP shared earlier, I might follow that up. I’m not too concerned though about a perfect match or anything. I suppose I will need a jacket/coat of some kind for the later bigger wedding do. Do you think it will be okay just to be photographed in the teal dress though, ie no jacket? Wish I knew what MOB was wearing, I don’t want to look underdressed and all the men will be in suits of course. But assuming ok to just wear dress for photos, then whatever jacket I go for won’t be seen for long. I wouldn’t see myself wearing it during the reception for example. As it stands and based on things you’ve shared, I like seeing the real linked with the bronze-y shade best, love that. It maybe I’ve blown that out of the water with the gold in my newly purchased jewellery? I think I’m back to gold shoes and bag ? I liked those shoes you shared though, Steve Madden? Bit more interest in the fabric of those. Maybe I can find a bag that ‘speaks’ to those or similar?

Another fab ensemble @EleanorMc67thank you. That jacket, + gorgeous boots bag etc would make a fab outfit… but £300 on the jacket which is a bit ‘out there’ for me such that I couldn’t see myself wearing it on many other occasions, steers me away from it. Maybe there’s something wrong with me that I’m too sensible/frugal/self controlled but there it is. 🤷🏼‍♀️ The jumpsuit is different though - a lot of ££s but v v me and I feel I will find lots of occasions to wear it 😻

I like the look of these shoes @owlpassportthank you 😊

thanks @CalliopespaI feel I’m getting there too, maybe just bag and shoes to sort 🙃
The shoes I tried the teal dress on with, were v old Laura Ashley black velvet kitten heels, with a kind of bracelet of diamanté across the front. Can’t seem to get a photo to load. Very similar to these from Joe Browns, which are fab

Thanks @CalliopespaYes I have a friend who is good at mixing high end brands with cheap and cheerful ones, I rather admire that.

I think try the M and S furry jacket!