So many dresses, so little time: Mother of the bride wedding outfits dresses hats different stylish unusual creative unique

The other week when chatting to my mum, the subject of wedding outfits came up and, in particular, the disappointing and uninspiring standard-issue Mother-of-the-Bride uniform. We’ve all seen it: pastel shades in polyester and silk under matching box jackets. Snooze.

Fashion for women - specifically mothers - has changed and, thanks for the most part to celebrities, there is no longer the prescribed notion of what a 50-something woman should and shouldn’t wear. Hooray! But when it comes to weddings, even the most stylish of women seem to tend to play safe and opt for the twinset.

So, I am launching my one woman campaign against the unimaginative. Here are some dos and don’ts to guide you:

Do:

Buy something you will be able to wear again;

Buy something you’ll feel comfortable in;

Look to celebrities such as Helen Mirren, Sigourney Weaver, Meryl Streep and Sharon Stone for inspiration;

Choose a colour that suits you;

Consider buying a midi coat in velvet or silk for added elegance.

Don’t:

Buy a twinset uniform because you feel that’s what you should wear;
Be afraid to try something different, but do have someone take posery photographs of you in the outfit in various light conditions to make sure it looks right;
Avoid the hat. The hat is a crucial element and will finish off the outfit. Consider a good quality hire shop if you don’t want to buy one.

Organising a wedding can be an emotional time for the Mother-of-the-Bride, so don’t forget to treat yourself. Brides: don’t be selfish - take time out to take your mums to a spa or go away for the weekend and spend some quality time together. Go shopping for the outfit together – I can’t wait to go with my mum. I think I might actually be more excited about her dress than I am about mine!

The dresses below offer options for a range of tastes and budgets. The hats are all from lovehats.com which, while expensive, should offer plenty inspiration. More Mother of the Bride fashion here.