By Three Brides and a Blog, Mar 31, 2011
Now that my indecisive daughter seems to, after three attempts, found her dream wedding dress (of course, by the time I write this things might have changed), I can now turn my full attention to my outfit.
The word "outfit" - now this is a word I don't think I have heard myself use before and I am feeling truly scared. Forget my indecisive daughter's dress hunt, I think my search will be even harder! Trust me, it is tricky – very, very tricky indeed.
I made the big mistake of searching "mother-of-the-bride" outfit on the internet, and my heart sank. I'm excited about this wedding and I do so want to make the family proud - but I never thought it would be so hard to find something that suits me, and that I actually want to wear. Ours is to be a July wedding with (fingers crossed) balmy temperatures, but sleeveless dresses are ruled out as I have no particular wish to look like a wrestler on my daughter's special day.
And then there is the frilly, flowery two-piece; maybe I could swallow my pride and go for this tried and tested combo, but my mother's mantra rings in my ears: "no one loves a fairy when they are forty". Perhaps I should steer clear. My shape, like most women, is far from perfect. I am what some might call buxom, top heavy, big bosomed with narrow hips – and a big fear of looking like a poor man's Dolly Parton or worse, like Barbara Windsor.
So I have decided to lose some weight (though I am not sure that will change my proportions) and have something made-to-measure for the occasion. I met with the lovely Susie Stone, a design studio based on Bermonsey Street, and she set my mind at ease. She showed me sketches of some simple sleeved silhouettes and a selection of beautiful Liberty fabrics, happily without a trace of unflattering sateen or unsightly frills. I have in mind Juliette Binoche in Chocolate or Meryl Streep in Devil Wears Prada – but I'd be happy with just the merest hint of their glamour and style. Fat chance!