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.

Ah and you weren't keen on black were you? And maybe detailing would complicate the look.

i know, how silly of me to think that he might be as happy as you lot have been, that I had just found the perfect jewellery to go with my outfit for my son’s wedding! 🤦🏼‍♀️🤣
Glad you all seem to have unanimously approved my choice too. Thank you all.

The gold jewelry is truly gorgeous. The organic shape and generous size of the cuff particularly works. What a perfect holiday find.
Would you get wear out of a wool coat, the length of the dress, which would go with various things over the years? The fake fur was lovely, but it might not get that much use after the wedding. I have a couple of MaxMara coats, that I've worn and worn for all sorts of events, from parties to interviews to funerals. Something like that, maybe?

Just checked and it’s out of stock in my size, both online and in store. I’ve registered to be notified if it comes back in. Looks so nice, fab reviews and a great price point. No wonder it’s sold out so fast.

Thank you @RuthietuthieI’m glad you like it. Yes I love the cuff too, it’s like molten metal, again very me, I’ll get lots of wear out of it .
You’re probably right that l need a good quality long coat at some point soon, especially now I’ve reached a weight that I’m happy to stay at. If it’s pouring with rain the week of the wedding I’ll probably wish I’d sorted it sooner, instead of buying a furry jacket!

A soft gold at Carvela, shoes 35% off and handbag 40% off + extra 10% for signing up. Shoes have padded soles for all day comfort.
https://www.carvela.com/women/bags/crossbody-bags/stargaze-clutch-gold-synthetic-carvela-0291861979
https://www.carvela.com/women/shoes/heels/kitten-heels/shinier-court-gold-fabric-other-carvela-6009461069

Would your cream fake fur not work with the olive green jumpsuit? And gold/bronze accessories? I had saved quite a few (of the less furry/shaggy variety, as I think any fur needs to be short-piled & neat-looking otherwise it might overwhelm you & look a bit too OTT?). Also saved other options for the jumpsuit - but I'll finish with the ones for the teal dress first!

I personally think it's best to have some kind of jacket for each event, though I don't think you'd necessarily be photographed in it. Think that tends only to be the case for those MotB/G outfits where the dress & jacket come as a two-piece & people keep the jacket on - & you're not going down that (rather staid & conventional) route!!

The Boden jacket was a wild card. And yes it's a rather nice jacket - but at that price, you would have to love it & know that you'd wear it again lots, plus it would have to work perfectly.

Ok, some more suggestions for the dress. To me, the dress - with its full skirt & bishop sleeves - has a slight 70s boho-but-elegant-not-scruffy vibe to it (Stevie Nicks before the addiction to drugs, fringing & lace!). Any jacket needs to come past the waistline, so cropped wouldn't work. And as you like brocade & jacquard, & you were thinking of a jacket that had teal & another colour in it, I found a few options that may work.

This jacket is from a bit of a kitsch online shop, & I've no idea what their products are like - but ignore where it's from for now!!

Reviews of it are good (bar saying to go up a size). And look what Pamela P says!!

A beautiful jacket, bought to wear over a dark teal-blue dress at a forthcoming wedding. The fabric’s pattern and the detailing are lovely (eg piping, buttons and toning lining) and size S fits me (10/12) perfectly around the bust, hips and sleeve length. It was delivered in a sturdy box, well packed to avoid any damage.

https://www.museumselection.co.uk/clothing/peacock-brocade-jacket16149/?SKU=16149L&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22920200792&gclid=CjwKCAjw88HWBhA3EiwAo2Zd6D8jRsVM29UowkMH5tHwHa-PKdQXqlzH_fyVjgkMyydduWx8SpagXxoCGvUQAvD_BwE

Both of these pairs of shoes are rather fab, & both work in different ways, IMO. I love a bit of pattern/colour mixing, & really like the colours of the Tory Burch shoes with the rest of the outfit! But I also really like the Russell & Bromley gold slingbacks. They're a soft enough gold to tone with your jewellery.

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/9823929160-tory-burch-blue-beige-gold-floral-brocade-round-toe-slip-on-block-heel-pump-8

https://www.vinted.co.uk/items/9795323530-russell-and-bromley-gold-mesh-heeled-slingback-shoes-size-6-39

Bag-wise, if you're going for a gold one, I'd just make sure it was a similar pale gold as your jewellery, & the shoes. "Almost matching" is, apparently, in now ... if that matters!

It's hard to find leather ones that aren't very expensive, but these two from River Island & Next are both quite a pale gold, & I like how the woven bag echoes the mesh of the gold slingbacks. Though at £66 & £48 respectively, they're still not that cheap.

https://www.riverisland.com/p/gold-leather-ruched-woven-clutch-bag-942169

https://www.next.co.uk/style/sv137500/g27595

This is an old Whistles clutch bag with a chain, which is a large-ish envelope bag - I have this from years ago & it's a great evening bag. It's crackle leather in quite a pale soft gold - & will have cost quite a bit more than the RI or Next ones new.

www.vinted.co.uk/items/8047632732-whistles-gold-bag

It was me who suggested the M&S faux fur, although I still haven’t seen it in person. I prefer it to the more ‘busy’ and colourful ones being suggested because imo those will dominate and detract from the dress/jumpsuit. I definitely think it’s worth a look at that price and as it’s a real shop so could be returned.

Well, strictly speaking anything worn over either the dress or jumpsuit will partly cover them up. I don't see that as "detracting" from either (if they're nice jackets that look as if they've been chosen as part of the outfit, rather than an anorak pulled off the coat rack that morning!).

I think it's just a matter of taste as to what the OP would prefer - & a jacket will only be worn for short periods at the start & end of each day/ceremony. And when the OP takes off said jacket, then she can do the big reveal!!

I do think, if the OP wants a fake fur, that it would be better with the jumpsuit rather than the dress - as the jumpsuit has a glamorous 30s look to it. And I think creams/beiges/light browns are better than anything too dark. That, though, is because I don't like greens & dark browns together. The colour combination reminds me of 1) trees, 2) Robin Hood & his Merry Men & 3) chocolate-covered lime sweets .... All things I like very much (& we could do with a bit more wealth re-apportioning these days!), but Robin is not a style icon to me ... I realise this is a dislike that is probably very particular to me - but we all have our quirks & foibles!!

Agree that dark is best avoided.

M&S also have this one in cream https://www.marksandspencer.com/faux-fur-leopard-print-funnel-neck-cropped-jacket/p/clp61267695?color=BEIGE#intid=pid_pg1pip44g2r1c2%7Cprodflag_srp_ts_CBS_1
Again, not seen in the flesh but I like the neck detail.

Ooh @RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie more gorgeousness! I love the look of this 😍 …To go with the jumpsuit to the reg office, is that what you’re suggesting? Great price too! Thank you.

Tbh, if I found a faux that I liked, I’d probably wear it with both the dress and the jumpsuit. You’d be taking it off for photographs anyway, and it’s one less decision to make!

I think you can wear the same jacket with both OP.

Or you could get it in cream to wear with the jumpsuit and in leopard to wear with the dress.

🤪

Thanks but no thanks on the leopard option!

This is just a random image I found on Pinterest I think, but aren’t these colours fab together? @EleanorMc67 ‘s teal/bronze combination… gorgeous.

I do love teal & bronze together ... And a cream fake fur would be good with both, if the OP only wants to get one new jacket.

Aww I love a bit of leopard! 😂

I think that is probably a safe decision as Mother of the Groom. Some people have negative attitudes to leopard, so it's probably one to save for an occasion more your own!

Love the colours in this shirt, I think it shows how well tan works with the teal too, so one to think about with boots, bag or camel long coat after the big day.

Frankly, that would make me more likely to wear it.