Summer Trends in Mother of the Bride Dresses

Meghan Markle’s mom, Dora Ragland, was probably this year’s most scrutinized mother of the bride. Second only to Meghan’s dress itself, everyone wanted to know what her mother would wear, and Ms. Ragland struck the perfect tone. In keeping with British tradition, she wore a dress and jacket fit for royalty and accessorized with a fascinator, but she retained her individual flair with that nose ring and dreadlocked hair.

Chances are you won’t have as many eyes on you as Dora Ragland did at her daughter’s wedding. With that being said, you should still take a page from Ms. Ragland’s book by conforming to the theme of the day while maintaining your personal style. This guide will, hopefully, help you zone in on what to keep in mind as you decide what to wear.

General Tips on Dressing for Your Daughter’s Wedding

As the mother of the bride, you will want to look glamorous and beautiful while remaining conscious that today is about complementing your daughter as she takes center stage. These tips will help set you on the right path as you decide what to wear and what to avoid:

1. Speak to the Bride: The first thing to do as you think about your wedding outfit is consult your daughter. Several of her choices will dictate or limit what you can wear. From the venue and theme she chooses to the color scheme she is working with, you will want to complement her choices. If the bride has chosen to have a formal, traditional style wedding, for example, it would not be appropriate for you to opt for casual, unorthodox clothes. On the other hand, her laid back beach wedding may not be the place to showcase a floor-sweeping formal evening gown. That would be the time for you to wear a non-traditional mother of the bride outfit.

2. Dress for Your Size and Shape: As the mother of the bride, it’s important that you know your body and what flatters you, what features to enhance, and which to camouflage. Several online resources will help you figure out which styles work best for you. A few general principles are:

* If your tummy is a problem area, stay away from clingy styles and fabrics and look for wrap-style dresses, empire line and low-slung waists.

* If your worry is a lack of curves, look out for corset-style dresses and blouses, wrap tops, and deep necklines. Stay away from boxy shift dresses and jackets and look instead for fitted styles that will emphasize your waist.

* If you’re self-conscious about your upper arms, avoid cap sleeves or puff sleeves, which tend to stop at, and draw attention to, the most unflattering part of your arms. Instead, choose fluted, floating sleeves, and accessorize with delicate, dainty wrist jewelry.

* Do not neglect the power of appropriate undergarments, which can make a vast difference in how your clothes sit on you, and can make or break your outfit

3. Choose Your Colors with Care: It used to be an unbreakable rule that no guest could ever wear white, black, or red to a wedding. These days, that rule is no longer an automatic given. Still, in case your daughter feels strongly about colors, it would be best to consult her before choosing a white dress for yourself, or any other color likely to raise eyebrows. In the same vein, some wedding experts dictate that you should never wear a similar shade to the bridesmaids, while others believe it’s fine to adopt the same color palette, or one that complements it. Again, let your daughter advise you on this.

4. Hat or no Hat? It used to be a given that the mother of the bride must wear a hat or a fascinator. However, trends in recent years suggest that this is changing, and whether you need one will depend on the formality of the occasion. If your daughter wants her guests to turn up in morning dress, you will need to find a hat to complement your outfit. If she’s chosen a laid-back style, you can probably go without one.

5. Choose Comfort as Well as Style: Thankfully, the sheer variety of mother of the bride dresses out there mean that you never need to sacrifice comfort for style. It will be a long day, so make sure you pick a dress you can comfortably sit down in or bend over in, and be sure that it allows you to move and lift your arms.

6. Special Considerations for Summer: A summer wedding could take place at a multitude of outdoor venues. Popular choices are garden parties, beach weddings, or even destination weddings. Warmer weather will mean you will need fabrics and styles that will be comfortable in the heat. Think about selecting lightweight fabrics in light colors. As mentioned above, some people are choosing to go without hats on weddings, but hot summer weather might make a hat a practical as well as stylish choice.

2018 Summer Mother of the Bride Trends

With all those tips and caveats in mind, trend watchers have identified a few current wedding themes fresh from the world’s major fashion designers. These could help inform your choice.

On-Trend Colors

Pantone’s 2018 color of the year is ultraviolet. If you have free rein in your color selection, this could be a place to start. This violet dress from Daymor would be an excellent choice. With short sleeves and a wrap style, it is flattering to many figure types. Its scooped neckline allows you to hint at décolletage, but the sheer panel keeps things demure. Also from Daymor, this dress comes in violet and several other colors. Its off-the-shoulder sleeves with sparkling straps make it a good choice for summer. Its floor-length, A-line shape will flatter and lengthen your silhouette.

Prints and Florals

According to Marie Claire magazine, prints and florals are on trend now and going into next spring. Wedding Wire predicts the velvet trend, too. Combining the print and floral theme, this dress by Sherri Hill will let you stand out for all the right reasons. With its classic fitted bodice and flared A-line skirt, it will emphasize your waist. This dress by Jovani takes the trend in a completely different direction. With a deep, V neckline front and back, this dress in floral watercolor print cinches in your waist with fine beadwork. The ruching on the chest will be kind to most bosoms, and the floating, floor-length A-line skirt adds a sense of romance and elegance.

Ideally, you need to settle on your mother of the bride dress at least one month before the wedding. With thousands of formal designer dresses, NewYorkDress is a great place to begin your hunt for that perfect outfit. We feature gowns from over 45 designers in a vast range of styles. Reach out to us by phone, email, or internet chat if you have questions about how we can help.