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Timeless Mother of the Bride Gowns

While the trend has its roots in commercial wedding fashion, the Mother of the Bride (MOB) gown has become a staple fashion piece in traditional weddings. These gowns first started appearing around the 1940s when department stores like Macy’s began to carry a collection of wedding gowns that most closely resemble modern wedding attire. Prior to this commercial introduction, bridal gowns varied widely based on social class–and white wasn’t even the most common colour.

As far as style goes, navy blue is the most common choice for a dark-coloured gown and a soft champagne colour is the most common choice for a lighter tone. Proper MOB gowns are full-length, formal, and modest. Many styles come with intricately detailed lace tops or two-piece gowns with lace jackets. And for a MOB who wants to remain youthful and avoid any styles that might appear to age her, a modest A-line gown with an off-the-shoulder top can provide just the right amount of modesty.

Popular Styles for Mother of the Bride Gowns

The mother of the bride’s gowns should match the formality of the wedding. For traditional, full-formal affairs, we love the idea of putting mom in a ballgown or a modest off-the-shoulder look. And for the ladies who want a little more flair without upstaging their brides, a non-traditional high-low cut gown with modest details works best.

Ball Gowns

A ballgown is a formal dress that features a fitted torso, low neckline, and full skirt. When a ballgown style is used for a MOB gown, we recommend keeping a close eye on the neckline to keep the style appropriate.

Off-the-Shoulder Gowns

These gowns can feature a variety of cuts, but the most common for a MOB gown is a simple A-line silhouette. Fitted dresses should feature modest detail and just the right amount of drape. The mother of the bride should embrace her femininity but we don’t want to draw the wrong kind of attention with seductive silhouettes. The one thing all of these dresses have in common is an off-the-shoulder neckline which provides just enough interesting detail to set the dress apart.

High-Low Cut Gowns

Asymmetrical hems signal a more modern design trend in formal wear. These gowns can be very appropriate for a mother who wants to feel youthful and fashionable without overshadowing the bride. We especially love a high-low-cut hemline paired with a modest neckline.

Trendy Patterns for the Mother of the Bride

When it comes to formal affairs and patterns, specific floral patterns are really the only thing that works. If you’re dressing a mother of the bride for a spring wedding, then a beautiful floral gown can be just the right amount of a style statement that adds a little pizzazz to the wedding party.

The Best Materials for MOB Gowns

Almost any traditional material for formal gowns is also appropriate for a mother of the bride gown. However, you will likely find much more detail on these gowns compared to other types of formal gowns. Lace, beading, and embroidery all seem to be exceedingly popular for the mother of the bride.

The MOB gown is commonly featured in a variety of neutral shades, relying on embellishments to provide the biggest impact for elegance. Beading, or adding a little glitz by sewing tiny glass beads onto the bodice of a gown is a classic embellishment choice for the mother of the bride.

For accents that offer a little more shine, sequins can be used in a similar manner by sewing them onto the bodice of a gown.

Popular Colors for the Mother of the Bride

As with any formal occasion, the season will play a big part in the colour selection for the whole affair and the MOB gown is no exception. Next to that, the bride’s selection of colours for the wedding will dictate an acceptable colour palette. This leaves the mother with a narrow selection of colour options for her gown.

The most popular colour palettes are:

Pastels
Neutrals
Jewel Tones
Rose Gold & Other Metallics

Pastels

Pastels are almost exclusively worn for spring weddings. In fact, spring provides the perfect opportunity for the mother of the bride to pair a pastel colour palette with a large floral print for something that is just a little different. This works best when the bridesmaids are wearing a pastel colour like lavender.

Neutrals

Neutrals work year-round and are an easy fit into most wedding colour schemes. For winter weddings, choose navy as your neutral and for warmer weather go with a nude colour. One of the most classic MOB gown styles is a nude or champagne-coloured two-piece gown with detailed lacework, embroidery, or beading on the cape.

Jewel Tones

Summertime can be a great excuse to go a little more bold with jewel tones like deep pinks, teals, and bold purple hues. These vibrant jewel-toned colours generally speak for themselves and need very little embellishment.

Rose Gold/Metallics

For fall weddings, ditch the traditional humdrum of deep reds and yellows and go for something metallic instead. Rose gold is one of those metallic hues that are soft, feminine, and elegant. Metallic shades like rose gold pair well with a little shimmer so consider adding detail with a glittered fabric or a little sparkle to your sheer sleeves.

Sleeve Options for the Mother of the Bride

A mother of the bride gown does not require sleeves–but many women, especially as they get older, appreciate a little extra coverage. You’ll find hundreds of styles that offer everything from cap sleeves to full-length sheer sleeves. And, you’ll find plenty of styles that offer no sleeves at all. And, it’s all perfectly okay. When it comes to choosing an appropriate mother of the bride gown, there are many different ways to balance her feminine beauty with age-appropriate modesty that compliments the bride.

Final Thoughts on Mother of the Bride Fashion

The mother of the bride (and often the mother of the groom) are important part of the bridal party. The wedding is often as much about these women giving away their babies as it is for the couple who are coming together in the union of marriage. And, therefore, it is only fitting that these ladies are decorated and celebrated with full formal fashion, wearing something that is a little more than a typical gown.

Author Bio:

Jonah Levine is the Creative Director of NewYorkDress.com. NewYorkDress.com, established in 2008, is the #1 online source for Evening and Prom dresses worldwide. As Creative Director, Jonah works to create the ultimate online and in-store luxury shopping experience with a focus on service and personalization.

Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio, London Shopping Experience

I visited the Pernia’s Pop-Up studio, London to try some outfits, and it is a one-stop-shop for all the wedding and Indian wear shopping.

Shopping is always fun, but nothing is more exciting than Indian bridal shopping. And what makes bridal shopping even more exciting is finding everything one needs from outfits to jewellery in one place. All the Asians settled in the UK will agree with me that shopping for Indian wear is a bit tricky here as there are not a lot of good options. One has to do a lot of research and go from shop to shop to find everything they need. I recently visited the multi-designer Pernia’s Pop-Up studio in London to try some outfits, and I am happy to report that our search is over. It is a one-stop-shop for all the wedding and Indian wear shopping. Checkout more Indian bridal shopping blog here.

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Location

Located in London’s luxury shopping district, Mayfair, Pernia’s Pop-Up studio is home to some of the leading Indian designers. This is Pernia’s first international store and they have a beautiful collection of outfits to choose from. No matter what someone is looking for, there is something for everyone. With gorgeous lehengas, elegant anarkalis, chic indo-western pieces, and stunning accessories, Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio is a traditional wear heaven for all the would-be brides and fashion lovers out there.

Collection & designers at the Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio

The thing that I love the most about the collection is that it’s not just limited to heavier pieces, there are light outfits as well, that is ideal for smaller functions or evening parties. The collection is carefully selected and there is a perfect combination of pretty prints and edgy embroideries.

Some of the designers available at the studio are Payal Singhal, Anita Dongre, Masaba, Abu Sandeep, Kalista, Aisha Rao, Yashodhara, Seema Gujral, Nupur Kanoi, Anushree Reddy, Tarun Tahilani, and more. Women’s clothing is not the only thing they have, there are great options for men as well. So, the grooms get to have some fun too.

Services they offer

Pernia’s has an online store too, but I think being at a physical store is an entirely different experience. One gets to look at the outfits, see what they like the best, and then make an informed decision to buy them. There is a beautiful trial room at the studio, where one can try on the outfits. They have jewellery, footwear, and clutches too, so it’s easy to see what the final look will look like after adding all the accessories. In my opinion, it’s always a good idea to try and buy heavy Indian outfits, as they are an investment and we wouldn’t want to go wrong with those.

They offer fitting services as well and there is also an option to get an outfit customised as per our preference. If we like something and want it in a different size, colour, or style, we can order and if it’s doable, they’ll get it made. I think it’s amazing to have a specially made designer outfit in our wardrobe.

I had a great time at Pernia’s Pop-Up Studio and it lived up to my expectations. I loved the collection and was so mesmerized by the outfits. Whenever I have to shop for Indian wear next, I am going to buy it from them. If you are in London or are looking to buy good, designer Indian clothes in the UK, I would recommend you to check out Pernia’s Pop-Up studio. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.

Indian Wedding Outfit Inspirations

The big fat Indian wedding is a celebration of two souls coming together and also the time to bring on your Fashion A-game! Looking back on some of the outfits I have seen over the last few months, here are some suggestions you can take inspiration from. For this piece, we are covering five outfits from the more commonly loved categories of Indian wear – lehengas and sarees.

Ornate Foliage

This Payal Singal gold and deep green lehenga set comes with an ornate v-neck sleeveless blouse and a deep back that can be fastened at the back, and is adorned with heavy gold floral embroidery. The A-line skirt is made with layers of pale gold net and an overlay of a stripe-like design and embroidery of gold foliage on emerald fabric.

This pattern also runs on the borders of the sheer-lightweight dupatta, which ties the whole look together. The dupatta also has tiny embellishments scattered over the sheer net fabric, to tie the whole look together.

Fresh Mint, Anyone?

Mint may sound like an unusual choice, in a sea of vibrant or dark coloured lehengas, but this one is a show-stopper! With modest, elbow length sleeves and a scoop neck, the ‘choli’ comes alive with embroidery in rich colour and motifs of peacock feathers in gold. This pattern continues on the front-central portion of the skirt, while the rest of the ‘gher’ is dotted with deep colourful Indian motifs on the pale mint background, making it eye-catching, yet, no too loud. It also comes with a sheer dupatta, that is bordered with navy tassels to mimic the colour from the motifs on the bodice of the outfit.

You Can Never go Wrong with Pink!

This fresh pink piece is as much of a standout at an evening event as at a day function. The spaghetti blouse, although like the other also has colourful beading and embroidery details, it stands out because of the ruffle fabric that effortlessly flow. The full princess skirt, has midnight-blue and silver tassels running in symmetric vertical lines right from the waist, and meets up with more vibrant motifs at the hem.

You can also opt to wear this one without a dupatta, that won’t come in the way when you are breaking a leg on the dancefloor. One less thing to worry about! For a bit of fun and contrast, you can complete this look with a rani pink lip.

The Modern Traditional

A hand-painted silk saree is always special and the beautiful contrast of beige and marron is a classic combination. It is perfect for a traditional day time function, but can also be embellished for a more edgy look. Pleat up the ‘pallu’ and fasten a black belt around, for a modern take, which also makes it practical as it secures everything in place, without you having to worry about the fabric shifting too much.

Royalty with a Touch of Glam

This deep purple georgette saree is gorgeous as is and can be worn just like that at any function. Tiered ruffles at the hem and on the ‘pallu’ give it a modern, almost undone, look, and the V-neck halter blouse completes the silhouette. But the piece de resistance is the beaded jacket, in different shades of purple and silver. It is also very practical for more chilly climates or for a touch of more modesty to the look.

So, which one of these do you have your eyes on?

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