<p>bookiemom, I have that dress in both the beige and navy. It is great. I actually used the navy at S2’s wedding because only the bride was in a light color. Everyone else was in darker colors and I did not want to stand out with her. But Sindee the beige was only $49, it is in my closet for S1 next fall.</p>
<p>Singersmom: you get the CC prize for prepared mom-of-groom! I just think it’s amazing that Penney’s of all places has such a beautiful dress for such a great price. My friend who wore the dress is African-American with silver-streaked hair and she looked AMAZING. I’m sure you will too!</p>
<p>I just bought my mother-of-the-groom dress yesterday. (Son gets married in 4 weeks!)</p>
<p>I did some browsing online first, and then found the perfect dress hanging out on a display rack at the first store I went into, which happened to be Ross… where I found a Jones of New York dress marked down from $150 to $39.99. It fit, its lovely, its in a darker color than I wanted and sleeveless, which I didn’t want – but I’m going to just accessorize with a pashmina in a complementary lighter color. I was a little surprised because while Ross tends to be a great place to find more practical stuff like jeans, I’ve never really bought anything dress there before. </p>
<p>Anyway… I know this won’t help anyone else – Ross’ inventory is totally unpredictable so I just got lucky – but I just thought I’d share. If I had more time to shop then I might have bought something online – but you need plenty of time for fitting and returns. For the budget minded, I saw some nice dresses online at Overstock.com and at Casual Living; just check the return policy of any site before you buy.</p>
<p>I’m not in love with the Penney’s dress, but I give props to them for showing it both on a slim and a plus sized model.</p>
<p>this isnt going to be easy! have seen styles i like but not colors, seen color but not style, an awful lot of them seem to be sleeveless,</p>
<p>Well, as noted I’m not happy with the sleeveless thing either (unlike Michelle Obama I have flabby upper arms and like to keep them covered) but apparently the pashmina thing is considered to be quite fashionable these days – so check that out as a possibility. I found a bunch of YouTube videos with suggestions & instructions on different ways to fold and wear a pashmina, and there seems to be an endless array of colors and patterns available online.</p>
<p>Agreed about Penney’s. Two very good friends got their dresses for VERY elegant weddings at Penneys…and they were stunning. Nice thing…order a couple of sizes and send back what doesn’t work.</p>
<p>There are also lovely shrugs for those wanting to cover arms. </p>
<p>But the OP has 6 months, she could have Michele arms in that time in under 3/hrs/wk!</p>
<p>I might sound snobby- but what state is your son getting married in? Different parts of the country are totally different when it comes to clothes–my mothers dress was from Kleinfelds (I got married in Westchester County, NY) Maybe ask the mother of the bride what she’s wearing and where she’s getting it.</p>
<p>The red Kay Ung. dress may be available somewhere else in another color. Did you search?</p>
<p>Whoops, the one I did from Penney’s is now listed at $99. It was $79 and $49 when I got them. It is the sequined jacket dress. The colors were champagne and navy when I got it.</p>
<p>Parent56,</p>
<p>You said that you like black. How about a long black evening skirt - something fairly straight and fitted, but not tight, possibly with a vent or pleat in the back, in a dressy fabric, maybe satin or something with a slight sheen, but not too shiny, paired with a soft, white blouse - I’m thinking organza with a beautiful portrait or ruffled neckline? This can be a very chic look - sophisticated, dramatic and flattering to almost everyone. You can pair it with any type of shoe, although I would recommend a strappy sandal in black patent or a metallic. The heel doesn’t have to be too high.</p>
<p>I would follow the advice of the other posters and run your choice by the bride first.</p>
<p>This is a pretty skirt:</p>
<p>[Cachet</a> Pleated Satin Skirt (Plus) - - Nordstrom](<a href=“http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3029646?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=guidednav&keyword=black+skirt+>+Women’s+Apparel&origin=searchresults]Cachet”>http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3029646?Category=&Search=True&SearchType=guidednav&keyword=black+skirt+>+Women’s+Apparel&origin=searchresults)</p>
<p>And an appropriate top:</p>
<p>[JS</a> Collections Shadow Stripe Jacket (Plus) - - Nordstrom](<a href=“http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2973518?refsid=260800&refcat=0~2376776~2378685~2378693~2376988&SourceID=1&SlotID=1&origin=coordinating]JS”>http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2973518?refsid=260800&refcat=0~2376776~2378685~2378693~2376988&SourceID=1&SlotID=1&origin=coordinating)</p>
<p>Another mother of the groom this coming July. The wedding will be in the woods at a tiny chapel on Lake Michigan. I have something in my closet that is champagne and cream, skirt and jacket, never really been worn. Italian, on sale, fantastic. I think I am done but I have girlfriends that don’t think I am done!</p>
<p>Not mother of bride or groom in the forseeable future (rats), but I do have one word of advice: if the fabric has any kind of sheen or irridescence or color/shift thing going on, try to take a test photo before you buy. I have seen lots of wedding pictures lately and have noticed that some fabrics that are beautiful in real life look different in the photos.</p>
<p>My suggestion if you find a dress you love but it’s beyond your price range is to make sure it fits perfectly, and then find it on Ebay. I did that and saved about 75%. You do need a lot of time and patience for that method.</p>
<p>going over posts: wedding will be in washingon state</p>
<p>i cant find the kay unger dress (in red) that i liked in any store just saw it on the website as part of the collection</p>
<p>I love the idea of a black skirt and tuxedo shirt or portrait collar white shirt but the bridesmaids are in a slate grey i think so wasnt sure she would want black. Talked to my son last night and asked him to check if he had a chance. Need to call her mother and stepmother to see if they have any idea what they are wearing yet.</p>
<p>dont think i am disciplined enough to work out the upper arms when sleeves are so much easier LOL</p>
<p>I rally want to reiterate the importance of talking, however briefly and casually, to the bride and bride’s mother; even a very low-key mother-daughter pairing will likely have some sense of what they want the wedding party to look like. I’m not talking about coordinating outfits and strict color combinations, but in my experience, everyone is more comfortable with some degree of stylistic compatibility. If calling seems intrusive, maybe an email to the bride with a cc to her mother, or vice versa?</p>
<p>Your idea of black and white might very well work well if bridesmaids are in slate gray, but it isn’t something I think my son would have been comfortable discussing even with the women who are now his very level-headed mother-in-law and delightful wife:)</p>
<p>I think the mother of the groom in black and white would be a great complement to the bridesmaids’ gray. Beige, champagne, and many pastels are not particularly flattering on many people. I’m fairly pale, and all of these colors really wash me out. I also think that light colors on the lower half of the body can accentuate every little bump or bulge. Black on the bottom covers everything and is universally flattering. Remember, although you want to look appropriate and coordinate with the rest of the wedding party, you also want to be true to your own style. If you try too much to dress to please everyone else, you’ll spend the day feeling not quite like yourself. And you’ll spend many years looking at photos of yourself in that “awful dress.”</p>
<p>I remember a few years ago when John Kerry’s daughter was photographed in a black dress that appeared completely see-through in the photo because of the flash. She must have been shocked when she saw the pictures published everywhere. I thought it was really lousy of the photographer to sell the photo when it was obviously an unintentional mistake.</p>
<p>My sister-in-law wore dressy flowing black pants and white dress wrap top from Penney’s - same page as the dresses - to her son’s wedding and looked great. The diamond pattern top that is there in navy and black was in white at the time. They seem to vary the colors with changing seasons but keep close to same styles. Agree to talk to bride and mom of bride first and then go with complimentary color. Many of the styles have multiple colors.</p>