Mother of the Bride

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Many women live in dread of dressing up as the mother of the bride or groom.  Don’t believe me? Take a look at New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast’s overview of the standard options.

While I also had my fears, I knew that my daughter was planning an unconventional wedding.  She was going to be wearing a bespoke suit, so I was sure pants would not be out of place.  My solution was neither sparkly nor (I hope) matronly.  Instead, I sewed up a wardrobe with tried-and-true patterns, although in much fancier fabrics—me, with an upgrade.

I’ve made the jacket, a much altered shirt pattern (McCalls 6750), several times before.  Each time I’ve added a center waist seam so I could include large in-seam pockets.  They were the perfect size for a cell phone!  The fabric is a silk shantung given to me by my sister many years ago.  I underlined it with light cotton and a Korean friend gave me a beautiful soft silk organza for the lining.  It packed beautifully.

To make the jacket a little fancier, I added a band from another pattern, Vogue 8089 (long out of print.)  A friend had brought me back a kimono from Japan two years ago in one of my favorite colors.  It was sheer luck that it matched the silk shantung.  There was enough fabric left to make a short sleeve shirt.

The pants are my standard pattern, the Eureka pants by Fit for Art, made up here in silk dupioni.  This fabric, bought at a yard sale, was not high quality.  I’d worn them a few times before and the pants were already showing the strain.  I’m happy to report that they survived the celebration, but just barely.

Although the outfit took a lot of time to make, it hardly cost anything and I was comfortable all day long.  I felt just like myself, but in silk.

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15 Responses to Mother of the Bride

  1. Louisa says:

    I love the colours and fabrics! You look very nice and best of all, comfortable. You should have seen what I wore to my daughter’s medieval theme wedding: 12th century underdress, tunic and veil. I also made complete costumes for 6 other members of the family as well. It was quite the event!

  2. susan says:

    “Just like myself, but in silk” — perfect! We see a lot of wedding photos, and forget how little those “wear it once” dresses have to do with normal life. The matching band and shirt was genius. You achieved my fantasy photo: “I want to look like myself — at my best.” Congratulations!

  3. Wonderful! This outfit is lovely on you. I love that kimono fabric (but you know I’m a sucker for anything in the rust family!)

  4. Marianne says:

    Gorgeous!! I love the kimono fabric trim — so elegant!! I’ve been fortunate that all my daughters have had unconventional weddings as well so I didn’t have to come up with mother- of-the-bride atrocities. Yours is perfection! Congratulations to all❣️❣️

  5. Nann says:

    Lovely! The rusty silk shimmers just right.

  6. Liza D. says:

    I love how smart and confident you look and how beautifully the colors of the gorgeous fabrics compliment your complexion.

  7. Judith Rickard says:

    When I told my mom I was getting married (in a museum, with a potluck dinner after), she said, “Oh, thank heavens. That means I don’t have to wear a DRESS.” No, Mom, you don’t have to wear a dress; which she would have had to make, not having owned one for decades. She made a very nice dark blue double knit pants suit (this was 1984) and a light blue shirt to go with. It looked great with her white sneakers. (No slave to fashion, MY mom!!!)

    I love your outfit, especially with the touch of kimono silk. Elegant.

    And I love Roz Chast. Highly recommend her book Why Can’t We Talk About Something More PLEASANT. Especially for anyone who has ever been in the caretake role for their parents.

  8. Mema says:

    You look like yourself (or how I believe who you are). Great, in Germany we say
    for now “cool”.
    I remember my worry about my mother of the groom cloth 9 years ago. In those year I worked hard and there was no time to sew. I also wore pants to feel comfortable the whole time.

  9. gorgeous make and they look great on you. When we married (it was a low key few event) my now husband wore his jeans, at first I was a bit surprised but then as it was his day as much as mine, and he is more comfortable in jeans, it seemed like the best idea. Nothing beats being comfortable in your clothes (especially if its silk!)

  10. Rhoda K says:

    Love your outfit and the color. You wear it well!

  11. Lizzie says:

    Beautiful, and yes, it is a real “Lynn” outfit. Congratulations to your family!

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