Lace Dress "catching" on Things

Painting the embellishment with clear nail polish can help with catching.

Thanks for the tip! I doubt we'll end up with a heavily embellished dress for my mom (I don't think she'd feel comfortable in it) but that would be a great hack if we find a dress that just has an embellished accent that needs some treatment to prevent it from snagging on my dress.

Hi Kari!

Since you are looking for a MOB dress, I would begin by looking in stores where she typically shops and buys clothes. Just because something isn’t labeled as a ‘mother of the bride’ outfit, doesn’t mean that it’s not appropriate for a wedding! What’s really important is that she is confident and comfortable in the outfit.

Is there a specific color that you are trying to stick to?

My mother pretty much lives in hand me down men's fleeces, old blouses, and free t-shirts. I'm not even sure when the last time she went shopping to buy "nice" clothes was. Unfortunately she lives about 4 hours away from us and doesn't really travel, so opportunities to go shopping with her are super limited. I'd be surprised if we ended up with a traditional MOB dress, but I'm trying to research and come up with options now so that I can either 1) find a really good deal on something I think she'd like and send it to her or 2) at least have narrowed things down a lot before we go shopping together to use our time most efficiently.

I totally understand Kari! It's difficult trying to shop for someone who isn't around.

Do you know if your mom is comfortable wearing a dress? There are alternatives, like a beautiful pants suit or jumpsuit, if she isn't a 'dress person'.

Yea she's totally fine with a dress. I think she sort of likes to play dress up but it sometimes stresses her out and on a daily basis she's just more comfortable in very casual clothes.

I got her to send me her measurements and preferences so at least I have a good starting point (1/2-3/4 length sleeves, lightweight comfortable easy care material, tea length, a-line, more fitted on top and less so on the bottom, spring colors nothing too dark, maybe some shoulder pads because she likes square shoulders and literally hasn't worn fashionable clothes since shoulder pads were last in fashion, before this most recent trend). She's not dead set on those things, but that's like her dream recipe. We didn't discuss budget at all though, and I don't want her to spend a lot of money on something she'll only wear once, especially if it doesn't feel like her. I'm totally fine with paying for her dress too, but she doesn't really treat herself ever and something really expensive and blingy would feel extravagant and indulgent to her in a way she probably isn't comfortable with, plus she would hate how heavy a dress with a lot of beading or embellishments feels. As a little girl she'd always tell me that dresses need to "feel" nice and have a fabric that feels good on your skin and good on the hands of the person you are dancing with. She hates scratchy things like sequins. I'd love to find her something she can wear again, that she loves, and that is reasonably priced. I love the idea of a chiffon dress in a flattering color and classic silhouette.

For example I love this dress - it's the right amounts of elegant and conservative, dressy "enough" for a special event, and classy and versatile! Of course I can't find it anywhere though. But this is more or less the aesthetic I think both she and I would really like.

Simple MOB Dress

It's so great that she is so helpful in letting you know the details that she likes and doesn't like! Have you checked out Macy's online store? You can filter the womens clothes by 'Wedding' and these are some really beautiful outfits there.