While the bride's dress is one of the most important wedding clothing considerations, the mother of the bride's dress comes a close second. Why? Well, the mother of the bride normally heads the reception line at a wedding, so although she is less conspicuous at the ceremony, she is often the first person people see when they arrive at the reception.

This means that it is important to find a dress that mother of the bride looks great in while standing. The cut is very important, especially the fit over the hips and the hang of the skirt. A long length dress with a multi-layered skirt can look extremely sophisticated. Choose simple lines without too many accessories and frills.

Another thing to consider is to avoid anything that looks like a wedding dress. There's only one bride at the wedding, and that's your daughter. It is also important not to wear anything that will attract attention away from the bride and groom. Extremely bright colors are usually a mistake for this reason. Colors that are both elegant and muted, such as lavender, teal, rose, pale turquoise, blue or green are ideal.

With regard to the color of the dress, the mother of the bride will want to know not only what the bride herself is wearing but also the bridesmaids, the main color scheme of the location and if possible, what the groom's mother will wear. It is usual for the two mothers to wear different dresses and the best effect is when they contrast well: different colors that do not clash. If you know each other and get along this should be no problem. If not, the bride can probably discreetly find out for you.

For plus-size women, jackets or two-piece dresses can be very flattering. Have the jacket or top piece end at the widest point of your hips for the most slimming effect. If this sounds illogical, just try it by testing lengths of jacket in the store.

Another consideration is shoes. They will be very visible when you are greeting people and dancing so you will want shoes that combine well with your dress. At the same time, remember that you may be on your feet for a large part of the day and comfort is important too. If the shoes are new, you may want to wear them around the house to be sure they are comfortable before the day of the wedding.

Involve your daughter in your choice if you can. Have her go shopping with you, send her copies of pictures from a catalog or have yourself photographed in a dress you have bought before it is too late to return it. You do not need to have her dictate your choice but think twice before insisting on wearing something that she really does not like. Remember it is her day, and while some brides do not care, others will have strong feelings about some mother-of-the-bride dresses that you may choose.

Synonyms:   Ress, rdess, ddress, dess, derss, drress, drss, drses, dreess, dres, dress, dresss, dres, and dresss are typos for "dress."