Love Kimono Midi Dress with Tie Waist, from ASOS ($75)
We’ve been planning on putting together a hip Mother of The Bride roundup (to go with our Hip Flower Girl Roundup) for a few months now. But the problem is, no one on the APW staff is old enough to be a Mother of The Bride (or Groom, as perhaps I one day will be). And while we’re not too bad at dressing twenty and thirty year olds (or hell, tiny children), we have no business dressing grown-ass ladies. So, we came to our senses, and asked the best in the business, Lisa of Privilege, who happens to be a talented mid-life style blogger with a bit of edge. In real life, Lisa is always showing up to juggle my baby in some casually thrown together outfit that I would obviously kill for—T-shirt of an artfully hip children’s book drawing with a leather jacket and perfect jeans, say. Or she’s getting married in an artfully re-constructed wedding dress that can’t even be properly captured on film. In short, if there is anyone your Mama should listen to, it’s Lisa. Actually, we probably should all listen to her. So without further ado, some problem solving, in the form of fashion.
You might ask yourself, why is there even such a category as Mother Of The Bride? Your mom is a smart lady, with some style sense to boot. She can handle this. And then she starts to look. Doesn’t want to wear black, she’s not in mourning. She can’t and really wouldn’t wear white, and red feels a little showy. That axes fifty percent of her options.
Now add a) she feels inappropriate showing her knees b) thinks her cleavage is not the point of your wedding c) admires but may not emulate Michelle Obama’s upper arms. You’re down to nubs and grits. Oh, what’s that you say? Mom doesn’t want to spend more than $250, less is better? She won’t even look at a lace bolero? Righty-oh.
Ever resourceful APW has a few ideas.
(Apologies for the models all being approximately twenty-one. We do what we can. The rest takes imagination.)
SHORT: 1. Lace Flounce Dress by Teri Jon, from Saks Off Fifth ($189) 2. Silk Leaf Print Dress by Marc Cain, from TJMaxx ($129) 3. Pencil Dress with Knot Front and Batwing Sleeves from ASOS ($84) 4. Pleated Shoulder Wrap Dress by Badgley Mischka, from Saks Off Fifth ($209) 5. Tiered Lace Dress by Marina, from Nordstrom ($129) 6. Pretty Scallop Lace Midi Dress from ASOS ($103) 7. Lace Mix Midi Dress from ASOS ($85)
LONG: 1. Sequin Surplice Gown by Badgley Mischka, from Saks Off Fifth ($293) 2. Lace Bodice Gown by Kay Unger, from Saks Fifth Avenue ($259) 3. Cap Sleeve Open Back Evening Gown by JS Collections, from JC Penney ($248) 4. Boat Neck Cap Sleeve Gown by Ralph Lauren, from Bloomingdale’s ($132) 5. One Should Sequined Gown by Kay Unger, from TJMaxx ($149) 6. Three-Quarter Sleeve Satin Skirt by JS Collections, from JC Penney ($159)
Even More Dresses! 1. Alex Evenings Satin Taffeta Dress from Dillards ($170) 2. Ruffled Faux Wrap Jersey Gown by Lauren Ralph Lauren, from Macy’s ($119) 3. Long-Sleeved Sequined Surplice-Neck Gown by Lauren Ralph Lauren, from Macy’s ($160) 4. Beaded Neckline Gown by Laundry By Shelli Segal, from Bloomingdale’s ($109) 5. Long Sleeve Abstract Print Charmeuse Dress, by Rachel Roy, from Neiman Marcus Last Call ($206)
