What is the concept of mother of bride dress?

Question

i was looking to buy a dress and i saw a category called mother of bride dress - are these somekind of special dresses - are we not supposed to wear them if were not mother of the bride?

Answer 1

Hello,

Very interesting question and I will ease your mind on the term "mother of the bride dress".  It is the outfit that the bride's mother would wear to her daughter's wedding.  On the other hand, there is also the term "mother of the groom dress" and that is naturally, the dress that the groom's mother would wear to her son's wedding.

Both terms are synonymous with special occasion dresses, formal dresses, and evening wear.  Therefore, mother of the bride or groom dresses are essentially formal evening attire but worn by the respective mothers to the wedding.

To answer your question, you can surely wear a "mother of the bride dress" if you are not a mother.  I beg to differ.  Not all of these dresses are frumpy or matronly.  This is year 2008 with lots of modern and captivating designs but most are tasteful, classy, and not showing a lot of "skin" as the typical wearer is an older middle aged woman.

Answer 2

anyone can wear them but they are designed to appeal to women who would be the age of a mother of a bride. She's right, some of them are matronly but some of them are quite elegant and sophisticated. I love the ones that come with scarves, there's just something about that long flowing fabric thats so gorgeous. For an outfit that gives you the same amount of coverage but more flowing fabirc and color options,  and a younger feel seach for salwar kameez, Its a garment worn by women mainly in Northern India...very pretty!

http://www.salwar.com/Gallery/AnarkhaliS...

Answer 3

Its to intend you to look nice without being overdone not to overshadow your daughter.

the down side, they can tend to be maitronly and older then some mothers would like.

Find some you like, in any style appropriot and just get your daughters approval.  It doesnt have to be labled "mother"

Answer 4

No it's not that.  They just appear to be dresses that are somewhat matronly (sorry If I offend anyone).  Anyone could buy one for an evening gown - a lot of them have a jacket that go with them, more like a suit.

I'm always shocked at how many of those dresses are white or ivory, however.

Answer 5

There aren't any rules, but mother of the bride (MOB) gowns tend to be appropriate for older women who aren't the center of attention on the big day - less skin, probably in shades of beige or pastel, etc. If you see one you love, you can certainly purchase it for yourself.

And keep in mind that your mother doesn't have to get a special "MOB dress" - there are lots of lovely options at department stores or online that won't come with the MOB label.