Q. Help! My daughter is getting married in a few weeks time and I still have not bought my outfit for the wedding. I’m a size 12/14 so I’m looking for something that is trendy but flatters my curves- what should I look for?
A. Weddings can wreak havoc with dress sense and no one is more vulnerable than the mother of the bride. It's a curious thing, but dressing for weddings often brings out the worst in people. There is something about being in the presence of a frothy white wedding dress that can make us dash towards a whole new world of wrong, one in which lime green and asymmetric hems become good ideas — when what you should be doing, whatever the occasion, is wearing clothes that make you feel great.
Check out the gallery for a few of our favourites high street choices.
Even the best dressed among us can lose our natural style instincts when faced with a gold embossed wedding invitation. However, as mother-of-the-bride, it's crucial that you feel good on the day. First, think outside the box. I'm not suggesting that you go down the 'crazy’ road, but you don't have to opt for huge OTT hats and insipid pastel shades. In terms of silhouette, choose something such as a skirt suit – it's easier to carry off than a dress and it’s a great choice if you want to disguise problem areas such as flabby upper arms or wide hips. Make sure that the jacket has a nipped in waist to give a good shape over a dress or skirt. If you’re doing eveningwear, look for a dress coat as a daytime cover-up. If you’d prefer to wear a dress, a capped sleeve with a V-neck is ultra-flattering.
Try to avoid sheer fabrics — translucent fabric made into transparent, filmy clothes — is on the fashion menu this summer. Style magazines are helpfully telling us to go for a layered look and suggesting it's sensual and seductive but it is this kind of sartorial advice that can get women over 40 into hot water. The first problem with sheer fabrics is that they are associated with problem-solving. When women of a certain age want to wear something glamorous that probably shows more skin than is strictly advisable, they are heading for a sartorial disaster.
Great accessories make the difference between a look that functions and one that turns heads. A fantastic pair of shoes can promote an ordinary outfit to a new league of glamour and a great hat will add the finishing touch to your outfit. Over the past few years traditional wedding style hats had fallen out of favour but stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker, Roisin Murphy to Alexa Chung, have reclaimed the hat as the epitome of edginess and cool. And with high street stores such as Debenhams and Marks & Spencer stocking fashionable and affordable versions - you’ll be simply spoilt for choice.
