This week we continue our feature of MOB fashions for Summer and Fall.

Check out Part 1 for Winter and Spring fashions for MOBs. For even more MOB stories, please check out our previous feature, ‘Mob Stories: Mother of the Bride,’ which includes tips, etiquette, and dresses.

Summer

The Mother of the Bride doesn’t have to dress in the most conservative matronly outfit she can find. The important thing is to not come across like you are trying to upstage the bride.

You can still look flashy without stealing your daughter/daughter-in-law’s thunder.

This dress from lechicboutique.co.uk is a great example of an attractive and elegant outfit for the mother of the bride. Let your accessories follow the current trends – wear several gold bracelets and drop diamond earrings, but choose yellow gold for a timeless elegance that brings out the tone of the yellow dress. The perfect choice if the bride is carrying a bouquet of pale yellow roses, like the one below from hollychappleflowers.

Fall

A deep vibrant blue like this dress from TheRoseDress.com is a great c0lor for a Fall wedding (and actually would be an excellent choice for a Summer wedding, too, with different accessories!). Let the wedding colors inspire your accessories. For example, if the bridesmaids are wearing dresses in a deep gem tone (perfect for Fall), treat yourself to a matching gem! Moms deserve to be spoiled for all their hard work, right? Shoes are a very important part of your outfit, so don’t forget to buy some new, ultra-luxurious shoes for the occasion, like the silver satin wrap shoes below, available at weddingaccessories.net.

Subscribe to My Big Fat Engagement Feed

We all have some part of us we don’t like, and I don’t think any woman feels more compelled to diet, than the crazy lengths she might go to in the days leading up to her wedding day.

Just remember what you looked like when he slipped that engagement ring on your finger – he loved you the way you were then, so you shouldn’t have to make any drastic changes now!

While it’s always the right time to make healthier lifestyle choices, it is NEVER appropriate to diet dangerously. You don’t want to make yourself sick – you want to look happy and HEALTHY on your wedding day!

Prepare yourself for a long, peaceful married life by getting good at focussing on the positive.

What is your best feature?

Your goal should be to highlight the best things about yourself and draw attention away from your least favorite…

When the Hourglass Is Half Full…

If you are blessed with the curvy part of the bottom half of an hourglass but you’re missing the top, then a full skirt may be your best bet. Select a skirt that falls loosely around your waist – a princess dress with a fitted or strapless top will accentuate your slimmer shoulders, torso, and waist.

This “Shania” southern belle style gown by Bridalonlinestore.com is a great example of simple on top and busy on the bottom – just what you want if your real better half is from the waist up!

bridalonlinestore.com

Here is another great option for this style – the detail along the neckline attracts attention and the a-line cut of the skirt skims the hips and flatters… this one is from lightinthebox.com and available for less than $150.00. Check out the back of the dress too – very pretty!

When the Hourglass is Half Empty

If you have very wide shoulders, you might consider a one-shoulder dress, which will help to balance you out.

Freedom to Bare Arms

Here are some ideas to wrap your arms around when your less favorite body part is your arms. Consider a longer elbow-length veil that will flow around your arms. Other options are a bolero jacket or a wrap, but I don’t favor wearing these during the actual ceremony. For full-time coverage, consider some sleeves. 3/4 length or even cap sleeves might do the trick, depending on your area of concnern.

The dress below by Zaftique is called “Celestial Diva” and costs up to $142.00 – wonderful!

www.zaftique.com

Prints Charming

An all-over print can camouflage curves.

Get a Leg Up

If you don’t want to show off your legs, consider a floor-sweeping gown. Another option: sex up your shoes and ankles and cover the rest!

This dress is by one of my favorite wedding gown designers, Alfred Angelo – reasonably-priced and really elegant at the same time – you can buy the dress below at houseofbrides.com.

houseofbrides.com

Short on Ideas?

If you also don’t like lack of height, consider these ways to lengthen your look: wear an up-do (avoid hair past your shoulders) and wear high heels (stating the obvious, but just in case!).

Waist Not Want Not

You can draw attention away from a full waist by raising, lowering, or eliminating the waistline.

This chiffon halter style gown also has eye catching neck detail at onlygowns.com.

onlygowns.com

The gown with sleeves pictured earlier is also a great example of this type of style.

Subscribe to My Big Fat Engagement Feed