Don't Forget the Mothers

We all have a mom, and hopefully are all able to have her help during the wedding planning process. So when it comes to what she will wear let's make it count.

The Mother of the Bride/Groom (MOB) dress has a reputation of being bland, fussy and sometimes downright ugly. This strikes me as vastly unfair to the woman who bore us for nine months and then put up with loved us ever since.

The main problems I see with MOB dresses is that they aren't flattering or an extension of the mother's style. I can just imagine everyone being so busy with other elements of the wedding that the MOB dress gets pushed till the very last minute, probably the MOB's own doing, and a dress is picked without much discernment.

I am not saying the mother should be agonizing over which dress she's going to be wearing - that would be odd, but I do think the dress she wears on her child's big day should make her look good and feel happy.

Here are a few examples of where MOB dresses go well...and when they go not so well.

1: I have two issues with this dress. First, it's white! No one but the bride should wear white to the wedding. And second, it makes the model look like a shapeless blob, and who wants that?

2: I like the second dress because it's a pretty color and is flattering around the waist. The straps provide enough support to ward off "wardrobe malfunctions" and the model looks classy and put together.

1: These dresses scream "Office wear!" to me. The colors are bland and the shiny fabric is questionable.

2: I especially like the neckline on this dress - I think it could work for many different styles and body types. I would prefer it in a lighter color, but the silhouette and detailing are pretty without being over the top.

A wedding is not only about the bride and groom, but also about all the people who brought the love birds to the big day: siblings, friends, aunts, uncles, grandparents and parents. As mom stands beaming, and probably crying, during the ceremony, let's make sure her outward appearance matches her inner joy.