While a wedding is all about the bride, her mother deserves to feel just as amazing on such a special day. Part of that is finding the perfect mother of the bride dress! In the past, mother of the bride gowns have been seen as conservative and matronly, something boring and meant to fade into the background. We’re here to tell you that you can wear an elegant mother of the bride dress! Styles and traditions have evolved and there is a bevy of trendy mother of the bride dresses for you to choose from to feel just as incredible as your daughter at her wedding. We’re sharing ideal silhouettes, lengths, styles, and colors so you can find elegant mother of the bride dresses for 2024.

A-line Mother of the Bride Dress

A-line dresses have long been considered the most flattering style, and as a mature woman, you may be looking for a mother of the bride dress that’s going to look and feel amazing on your body type. With a fitted bodice and flowing skirt, an A-line dress will give you an ideal silhouette that is both fashionable and comfortable making for elegant mother of the bride dresses. Our Crystal Beaded Embroidered Evening Gown in Metallic Mesh is one of our favorite A-line mother of the bride dresses. The shimmering evening gown has a beautiful illusion bodice with a bateau neckline, short sleeves, and gorgeous crystal beaded botanical embroidery. The A-line silhouette billows around you in iridescent metallic stretch mesh. For a style with a bit more drama, there’s our Chiffon Evening Gown with Three-Dimensional Flowers and Streamers. The elegant mother of the bride dress features an asymmetrically draped bodice with a straight neckline and off-the-shoulder sleeves accented by stunning crystal beaded, three-dimensional flowers. The detachable streamers add drama to the effortless A-line chiffon dress. And we couldn’t forget the moms who love classic glamour. For that, there’s our Beaded Lace Crepe Evening Gown. The timeless dress has a structured look in scuba crepe fabric featuring a classic A-line silhouette with an off-the-shoulder neckline and beautiful beaded lace that cascades down from the v-notch bodice.

Elegant Mother of the Bride Dresses for Summer

As the hottest season of the year, there are some things to factor in when choosing the right mother of the bride dress for summer. Fabric, silhouette, and sleeve choices are all things to keep note of when selecting your gown. We recommend opting for lighter fabrics like net or chiffon that will help you to feel cool during the summer wedding. It’s in your best interest to go for looser silhouettes, like A-lines and sheaths, that won’t cling to the body to allow more airflow to reach you. We say, avoid fit and flare and mermaid styles. Summer is certainly not the time to wear a long sleeve dress. Strapless styles would be ideal, but if you’re not comfortable going strapless, a one-shoulder dress is definitely a chic move. Straps and cap sleeves are both great options if you’re looking for extra support in your dress. Our pick for an elegant mother of the bride dress for summer is our Ruched Stretch Mesh Evening Gown with Beaded Floral Embroidery. The effortless gown has a one-shoulder neckline on a drop waist bodice featuring gorgeous beaded floral embroidery and textured ruching for a flattering fit. The A-line skirt dances around you in effortless and comfortable stretch mesh making it perfect for a summer wedding. Another mother of the bride dress we love for summer is our Empire Waist Chiffon Evening Dress with Beaded Capelet. The beautiful dress has a sweetheart neckline on a pleated empire bodice with a delicate ruffle detail extending all the way down the effortless chiffon sheath. Pair the dress with the matching capelet featuring a beautifully beaded botanical design that matches the vibe of a wedding.

Elegant Mother of the Bride Dresses with Jackets

For women who would prefer to keep their arms covered, but don’t want to feel constricted by a long sleeve dress, you can wear a mother of the bride dress with a jacket. Ideal for fall or winter weddings, the jacket can help keep you warm or offer a great transitional look from ceremony to reception. Whether trim and tailored or loose and flowing, an elegant mother of the bride dress with a jacket is a great choice! For the woman who wants the non-traditional or just prefers pants over gowns, we say try a pantsuit! Our Three-Piece Crystal Beaded Embroidered Pant Suit is an elegant ensemble featuring a loosely fitted top with stunning crystal beaded embroidery accenting the simple scoop neckline. The breezy wide leg pants have a casual feel and the sheer chiffon jacket gives you a more conservative look. If the wedding is a black-tie affair, we recommend our Embroidered Silky Satin Evening Gown. The sophisticated evening gown in luxe silky satin features dazzling crystal beaded embroidery cascading for the strapless neckline down the fitted silhouette. A matching net jacket gives you versatility and adds a feminine touch.

Knee-Length Elegant Mother of the Bride Dresses

If your daughter is throwing a more casual wedding, a knee-length mother of the bride dress may be more appropriate. Though it’s short, a knee-length dress can still feel elegant and elevated to suit even more formal weddings, and it’s a great piece to wear for future events. Our Beaded Fringe Evening Dress gives a 1920s flair with its short sheath silhouette and dazzling details. The scoop neckline and short sleeves are a classic look, while the allover beaded design and fringe skirt steal the show!

Classic Mother of the Bride Dresses

It may be your daughter’s big day, but you deserve to feel special too. Wearing a classic mother of the bride dress can help with that. These timeless styles embody grace and elegance, perfect for the dignified woman and a great option for a black-tie wedding. These pieces will stand the test of time for a classic mother of the bride dress that’s in fashion now and will be for years to come. Our Sheath Crepe Evening Gown has a chic and tailored look with a one-shoulder neckline and symmetric draping for an ultra-flattering fit. The ruffle at the shoulder is a subtle way to add some drama, while the crepe fabric beautifully glides over your curves. If you like something with more sparkle, our Embroidered Net Sheath with Gunmetal Beading is a classic in the making. The stunning evening gown skims the body in a fitted sheath silhouette with a halter neckline that shows off your arms and a beautiful illusion back. The embroidered net features an abstract pattern with the delicate sparkle of gunmetal beading to help you shine. The epitome of sophistication, our Stretch Crepe Evening Gown with Three-Dimensional Florals and Cowl Back has a timeless look. The silhouette grazes the body in comfortable stretch crepe, with contoured seams to enhance the fitted sheath. The high bateau neckline has a modest look accented by crystal beaded, three-dimensional flowers that lead to a gorgeous draped cowl back.

Elegant Gold Mother of the Bride Dresses

Your mind might not instantly go to gold mother of the bride dresses, but gold is a color that embodies royalty, wealth, luxury, and regality making it the perfect color for an elegant mother of the bride dress. It’s a shade that will beautifully compliment the white or ivory of your daughter’s dress without competing with her gown. Our Allover Beaded Net A-line is a glittering gold mother of the bride dress in a flowing A-line silhouette. The square neck and matching square back are a chic touch, paired with modest long sleeves, but its the allover beaded design that really takes our breath away. Another gilded gold mother of the bride dress option is our Frosted Metallic Lace Sheath Evening Gown. The classic evening gown features a sculpted neckline and sheer elbow-length sleeves on a statuesque sheath silhouette that beautifully glides over the body. Swirling frosted, metallic lace has a striking look on the net gown with a scoop back to complete the look.

Elegant Boho Mother of the Bride Dresses

A bohemian wedding doesn’t necessarily mean the hippie 70s like some moms may be thinking of. Modern bohemian weddings are a trending theme that take inspiration directly from nature. Think dresses in earth tones with beautiful botanical details and flowing silhouettes. Here are our picks for an elegant boho mother of the bride dress. For a subtle approach to an elegant boho mother of the bride dress, there’s our Off The Shoulder Beaded Embroidered Chiffon Evening Gown. The effortless mother of the bride dress features a lovely off-the-shoulder bodice with elbow-length sleeves designed with intricate botanical beaded embroidery. The chiffon skirt floats around you in a flattering A-line silhouette with a front slit for added movement. For a more dramatic bohemian style, there’s our Allover Lace and Three-Dimensional Floral Evening Gown. The glamorous evening gown has a luxe layered look in allover lace with intricate three-dimensional floral details. The sculptured neckline is designed with sparkling crystal beaded trim leading to a sultry v-shaped back and sheer bell sleeves for that boho flair. For a more casual event, with think our A-line Evening Gown with Patterned Beading fits the bill. The free-spirited evening gown, in a slim A-line silhouette, features botanical-inspired patterned beading with a wide v-neckline and beading to define the empire waist. A detachable button-up stole gives you two looks in one.

Elegant Plus Size Mother of the Bride Dresses

With our MGNY evening wear collection available in sizes ranging from 2–24, we make our dresses inclusive for women of all shapes and sizes. Plus size women deserve to feel sophisticated, elevated, and incredible while celebrating their daughter’s marriage. With a variety of silhouettes and designs that will flatter every body type, we’re positive you can find an elegant plus size mother of the bride dress. For the moms who want to show off their figure, there’s our Form Fitting Special Occasion Gown with Beaded Embroidery on Crepe. The elegant gown has an off-the-shoulder neckline that sculpts your decolletage with a beautiful beaded, embroidered bodice. The crepe fabric contours the body for a flattering fit on the fit and flare gown. If prefer an A-line silhouette, we think you’ll love our Beaded A-Line Evening Gown in Chiffon with Appliqués. The flowing chiffon evening gown has an off-the-shoulder bodice designed with beaded lace creating a lovely scalloped neckline. The belted waist detail helps to define your figure and emphasize the flare of the A-line skirt. Finally, for our modern minimalist moms, our pick for a plus size mother of the bride wedding dress is our Fit and Flare Ruffled Jersey Evening Gown. The stunning dress is ultra-comfortable in jersey fabric with flattering ruching and a unique ruffle detail leading to a skirt slit.

Mother of the Bride FAQs

What is the most popular color for mother of the bride dresses?

Mothers of the bride may often be caught wearing darker shades like navy, bordeaux, charcoal, and even occasionally metallics like gold and silver. This could be because bright colors or pale colors could be considered more youthful and the mother of the bride is meant to be more mature. The truth is there is no right or wrong color for the mother of the bride to wear. The only rule of thumb is to stay away from whites, ivories, or any color family similar to what the bride is wearing. You don’t want to take attention away from the bride by wearing a color too similar to hers. A clashing color could also detract from the bride’s vision, so unless you have approval stay away from overly bright colors too. If you’re unsure what color mother of the bride dress to choose, a helpful tip is to take cues from things like the venue, time of year, and bridesmaid dresses. Spring might call for pastels, while fall and winter suit sophisticated jewel tones. If the venue is an outdoor setting maybe a lighter champagne shade or pale blue is a better choice to keep you cooler in the sun while still looking classy. Or if you want to blend in with the wedding party, take inspiration from the bridesmaid dress color. If they’re wearing a light pink, go for a darker rosewood or even a fawn shade; something that feels cohesive without matching. When in doubt, neutrals are always a lovely option. Delicate and subdued, without being boring, a well-balanced neutral tone can really make your coloring pop. Take into account your skin tone and hair color to find the right neutral that will enhance your features, while still being an understated shade, so as not to steal the show.

What style of mother of the bride dress best hides a tummy?

The dress you wear to your daughter’s wedding should make you feel beautiful and confident, and part of that might mean finding a mother of the bride dress style that helps you conceal your insecurities. Oftentimes for women, this is their stomach area. As we’ve mentioned before, A-line dresses have long been regarded as one of the most flattering silhouettes for all body types. This shape is designed to give you the look of a narrow waist, with a form-fitting bodice that reaches the natural waistline where the skirt flares out in an capital “A” shape. Some women might think that their only option is a frumpy mother of the bride dress, but that is certainly not the case. Our MGNY collection is full of stylish A-line gowns that will make you feel as incredible as you look at your daughter’s wedding.

Should a mother of the bride dress be long or short? 

The length of your mother of the bride dress is definitely dependent on the dress code, venue, and time of year of the wedding. If the bride and groom want a casual, backyard wedding then a short dress is totally appropriate. Short dresses are also acceptable for summer weddings, beach weddings, tropical destination weddings, and even courthouse weddings. Long dresses are typically the norm for mother-of-the-bride attire and would be expected at most cocktail attire weddings, as well as black tie, or ultra-formal white tie weddings. Long mother of the bride dresses would also be more appropriate for the cooler seasons like fall and winter to help keep you warm. Regardless of length we have many classy mother of the bride dresses to choose from.

Should the mother of the bride dress match the mother of the groom?

The mother of the bride and the mother of the groom certainly do not have to match. Each woman should be able to express themselves and their individual style with their dress choice. It can help to take cues from the wedding party when it comes to color choice or sit down with each other to discuss outfit ideas. Both the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom should have a conversation with the couple to know the level of formality of the wedding to ensure they select an appropriate dress. It never hurts to ask the bride for her thoughts and opinions on what she’d like to see you in. Ultimately,  the mothers of the bride and groom should select dresses that make them both look and feel amazing!

What should the mother of the bride not wear?

Sometimes it’s easier to know what to wear to an event rather than what not to wear. When it comes to mother of the bride dresses, the rules aren’t clear as to what you can and can’t wear. In truth, as long as you have the bride’s approval you can wear most any formal attire. You’re not restricted to a dress, though long evening gowns are considered classic mother of the bride dresses, non-traditional mother of the bride dresses are acceptable too. Think outside the box by wearing a jumpsuit or pantsuit, or go trendy with unique embellishments. Our Crepe Sheath Evening Gown with Feathered Neckline is perfect for the trendsetting mom who wants to feel chic and glamorous. While at a glance this fitted scuba jersey dress may seem typical, the straight strapless neckline accented by feathers for a look we’re sure guests would never have expected. For an unconventional ensemble there’s our Beaded Embroidered Jersey Pant Suit. Gorgeous two-piece pant suit has a wrap-style top with long sleeves and asymmetric hemline with stunning beaded embroidery accenting the shoulders and back. The pants feature a trendy wide leg cut for a flowing look all in comfortable jersey.

To find an elegant mother of the bride dress that’s perfect for your daughter’s wedding visit one of our incredible retailers!