Special occasion retailers are reporting that the average
age of MOG’s and MOB’s is younger than ever before. Designers have taken notice and are now
creating outfits that reflect a more youthful vibe and are translating many of
the popular styles into special occasion outfits. When you go shopping for your mother of the
groom dress for the first time, you’ll notice the similarity between many of
the outfits and gowns you’ve seen on the red carpet. Designers are interpreting these popular
styles into mother
of the groom outfits that are elegant, tasteful, fashion forward and age
appropriate.
Style
Before shopping for your mother
of the groom outfit, it is customary for the mother of the bride to select
her outfit first. Since she is
considered the “hostess” of the event, she is afforded the courtesy of choosing
her dress first. Then she is to inform
you as to the style and color of her outfit so you can choose an outfit that
isn’t dressier than hers and doesn’t clash.
If you are on good terms with your son’s future mother-in-law, you can
certainly have a conversation about what style and color you would both like to
wear for the wedding. Of course, this
conversation should happen after you’ve both discussed what the bride envisions
everyone wearing for her wedding day. If
she is going for more of an elegant affair, she may request that you purchase
formal evening gowns. If the wedding
will be held in the afternoon with an evening reception, she may request that
you purchase a cocktail dress. Many
brides have a very specific idea in mind for their wedding, so it’s best to
know this before you go shopping.
Keeping the lines of communication open during this time will eliminate
a lot of stress and possibly hurt feelings later.
Color
MOG’s are no longer stuck wearing pastel or beige to their
sons’ weddings. Those colors are
difficult for many women to wear and you can end up looking washed out in the
photos. Now, MOG’s can choose virtually
any color they wish, provided it’s alright with the bride and doesn’t clash
with what her mother is wearing.
For many years, it was considered completely taboo to wear
black to a wedding, especially if you were the mother of the bride or
groom. Wearing black was seen as sending
a message that you were in mourning about the wedding and didn’t approve of
your child’s choice in a future spouse.
Thankfully those days are long gone.
Black is slimming, classic and elegant and can be a tasteful choice
provided the style of the dress is appropriate for the event.
Whatever style and color outfit you decide on for your son’s big day, be sure it is age appropriate and not too revealing or flashy. It’s more than ok to take pride in your appearance and to select an outfit that makes you look and feel fabulous for this special day. Ultimately though, it is the bride’s day to be in the spotlight (and the groom’s too) and nothing can drive a wedge between you, your son and his new wife quicker than hurt feelings from the day of the wedding. Choosing an outfit that might cause embarrassment for the new bride and groom on their wedding day won’t start your relationship off on the right foot. The wedding will only last a day, but their marriage will last a lifetime, so choose an outfit that is classy and elegant and you’ll shine in your own way.
Yvone Kon is a freelance writer and available for a variety of writing projects. She has over 11 years of experience in event planning, marketing, writing and sales. She is the author of the blog EventSpiration - providing inspiration and ideas for weddings, parties and holidays. She also writes three columns for Examiner.com: National Wedding Planning, Pittsburgh Event Planning and Pittsburgh Animal Advocacy. Additionally she writes for Examiner’s ACE program, which has partnered with local CBS websites. She is passionate about animal advocacy, rescue and adoption and believes adopting “used” dogs is always better than buying new. For writing projects, Ms. Kon can be contacted via her blog.
