Mother of the bride dresses - where to buy?

I can relate to your mom. My first note to you is that she is likely NOT behaving like this to be difficult. Easier said than done, but the best thing you can do it be patient and supportive. I really struggle with body image, and sometimes shopping for ANYTHING is a struggle. When I am feeling really bad, I just order A LOT of stuff online and then return what doesn't work. Amazon Prime Wardrobe is fantastic. You can order up to 8 items and you have a 7-day try on period without being charged. Maybe you can take the reigns, order some stuff, and have a dress date somewhere your mom is comfortable. Worst case scenario, you send everything back. The good news is that you didn't waste a day running around town to every store!

My mom found her dress at Lord and Taylor and it was under $300! Department stores are the way to go, in my opinion! Also, check out TJMaxx, Marshall's and Nordstrom Rack... All of which offer online shopping. My mom and I have both found fabulous evening and cocktail dresses for reasonable prices!

Also something to keep in mind... All dresses can be altered. My mom is 5'0" and wanted a tea length gown. the dress she bought is WAY too long and has a bunch of tulle and crinoline under the skirt. She will get it altered to be tea length and have some of the pouf removed. Keep an open mind when shopping!!

I get ya! My momma has always had a tough time with self esteem and self worth. Not only did she not like how any dress looks, but she also hates the idea of spending any money on herself. We ended up finding her a great dress at JC Penney's and it was on sale for $30.

Might be a spot to check!

Also, we did a lot of the try on process at home and just returned them when she didn't like them. It made her feel a lot less self conscious and may be a thought.

As others have mentioned, online shopping is the way to go! If you're really self conscious then just walking out of the dressing room in gowns you hate can feel pretty embarrassing. You also get better selection and it's in your size. Amazon Wardrobe, Saved by the Dress, and Modcloth are great. But if none of those work, most retailers have an online component.

I was the MOB and can relate to dress struggles.... I'd agree with your mom that most of what I saw at DB was definitely not my style. To complicate things, for sentimental reasons, I had my heart set on a pale pink dress. We looked everywhere! I had my best luck at Macy's; however, at least near us, different stores carried VERY different selections of dresses. The store closest to us was in a mall right in the center of a residential area that was mostly senior housing. At that Macy's the selection was pretty close to the kind of stuff at DB. But, a couple miles further away in a very high-end mall, that Macy's had a HUGE selection of formal and semi-formal dresses that were a much better fit for what I was looking for. To help cheer your mom up, I am definitely not a "fancy" person. I dress semi-professionally for work and try to look reasonably put together, but we rarely "dress up." When I found the right MOB dress I LOVED it. I also had my hair & make-up done by daughter's HMUA (something I'd never done before), and I've got to say, I felt wonderful about how I looked. It was a little out of my comfort zone, but it was so much fun. The reactions I got from family and friends were WONDERFUL; I've probably never felt so pretty. (My best friend of 40+ years told me when I first came through the doors into the ceremony site she initially thought I was one of the BMs.... ).

This was my dress (not me in it, but I looked good and NOT matronly...and I'm 60). Good luck to you and your mom! (Also, on sale & with coupons, I'm pretty sure I paid around $120 for my dress.... Macy's is GREAT about sales.)

I highly recommend Macy's or Belk for formal dresses! My mom got her dress from Adrianna Papell, and it's beautiful! I highly recommend their dresses too!

My mother in law got her dress at Macy's.

Look at Adrianna Papell! My mom is currently debating between 2 of their dresses. They sell some of their styles at Macy's and other dept. stores, but have a huge selection online.