While a wedding is all about the bride, her mother also deserves to feel amazing on such a special day. Part of that is finding the perfect mother of the bride dress. Mother of the bride gowns have often been seen as conservative and matronly, something boring and meant to fade into the background. Styles and traditions have evolved, and there are now many trendy and elegant 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 2026.
A-line Mother of the Bride Dress
A-line dresses are one of the most flattering styles. 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 Strapless Fold Over Neckline Floral Brocade Evening Gown is a dress that embodies graceful sophistication with subtle drama. This floral brocade A-line gown features a fold-over off-the-shoulder neckline with cap sleeves. The waist is cinched with a beaded band, defining your figure and emphasizing the flattering shape of the silhouette. A front slit and double-loop bow with elongated tails enhance the skirt, creating a modern yet timeless silhouette.
For more formal weddings that call for a black tie or even white tie dress code, we think our Strapless Mikado Evening Gown with Beaded Floral Appliqué is the perfect choice. This A-line gown features a strapless bodice and a glamorous flared skirt adorned with cascading beaded floral appliqués. Functional pockets add a modern, unexpected touch to its sculpted, graceful silhouette, perfect for the woman who wants effortless elegance with thoughtful detail.
Elegant Mother of the Bride Dresses for Summer
When selecting the right mother of the bride dress for a summer wedding, the fabric, silhouette, and sleeve choices are all things to keep in mind. We recommend opting for lighter fabrics like net or chiffon that will help you to feel cool during the summer wedding. It’s best to go for looser silhouettes, like A-lines and sheaths, that won’t cling to the body to allow more airflow to reach you. Summer is certainly not the time to wear a long-sleeved dress. Strapless styles would be ideal, but if you’re not comfortable going strapless, a sleeveless or halter style dress is definitely a chic move.
Our pick for an elegant mother of the bride dress for summer is our Draped Cascading Ruffle Chiffon Evening Gown with 3D Flowers. This chiffon sheath gown is lightweight and effortless, featuring a v-neckline on a draped, sleeveless bodice, accented with 3D floral appliqués at the shoulder and waist. A cascading ruffle skirt slit adds movement and drama, creating a modern yet romantic silhouette.
If the wedding has a tropical feel, then there's no other choice but our Draped One Shoulder Cap Sleeves Satin Evening Gown, especially in its magenta or teal colorways. This slim A-line satin gown features a draped one-shoulder bodice with a cap sleeve, highlighted by a 3D floral shoulder embellishment. A crystal brooch gathers the waist, adding a touch of brilliance to the gracefully contoured silhouette.
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!
If you want something non-traditional or just prefer 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.
While a gown with a jacket can sometimes read as matronly, our Sequin Embroidered Sheath Evening Gown with Matching Bolero breaks that stigma. The sophisticated evening gown has a chic look with its slim sheath silhouette in contouring stretch crepe. The strapless bodice has a straight neckline featuring swirling sequined embroidery for the perfect amount of sparkle. Pair the dress with the matching bolero jacket, great for keeping modest during the ceremony, or have some fun with the detachable, draped back bow.
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 as a classic mother of the bride dress that’s in fashion now and will be for years to come.
Our Short Sleeve Shimmer Chiffon Evening Gown with Florals and Hand Beading is truly timeless. This A-line chiffon gown features a V-neck bodice with short sleeves, adorned with hand-beaded 3D florals and crystals. The flowing skirt balances intricate embellishment with effortless movement, creating a refined and contemporary silhouette that blends romantic shimmer with sculpted detail.
We think our Beaded Lace and Stretch Crepe Evening Gown with Peplum is a classic in the making. This sheath evening gown pairs a beaded lace bodice with an illusion scalloped jewel neckline and three-quarter sleeves, flowing into a column stretch crepe skirt enhanced by a structured peplum. The interplay of delicate embellishment and tailored lines creates a silhouette that is both modern and timeless, serving refined glamour with architectural elegance.
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 complement the white or ivory of your daughter’s dress without competing. Our Drop Waist Mikado A-Line Evening Gown with Appliqué is a dress that will have you glowing both inside and out. This Mikado A-line gown features a bateau neckline and a subtle V-shaped back, enhanced by a fold-over detail and contoured seaming. Beaded floral appliqués accent the drop waist, creating a silhouette that is both modern and gracefully structured.
For a style that looks and feels a bit more effortless, there's our Halter Neck Metallic Knit Evening Gown with Beaded Waistline. This metallic knit gown delivers radiant elegance with sculpted lines. The A-line features a halter neckline accented with a beaded collar and a contoured beaded waistline. The flowing silhouette balances luminous detail with modern refinement, creating a look that is both striking and sophisticated.
Elegant Boho Mother of the Bride Dresses
A bohemian wedding doesn’t necessarily mean the hippie 70s, like some moms may be thinking. 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 Floral Threadwork Embroidered Fit and Flare Evening Gown. The fit and flare features a straight, off-the-shoulder neckline crafted in allover floral threadwork embroidered tulle. Textured 3D floral details add depth and dimension, creating a strikingly elegant silhouette that balances that modern bohemian feel with timeless femininity.
Our Floral Embroidered Satin A-Line Evening Gown with Flutter Sleeves is a classic boho mother of the bride dress. This A-line evening gown features a floral embroidered bodice that gracefully frames the v-neckline, while sheer flutter sleeves add a whimsical flair. The satin skirt drapes fluidly from the waist, creating a silhouette that is effortlessly refined and delivers soft, romantic style.
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 child's marriage. With a variety of silhouettes and designs that flatter every body type, we’re confident 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 3D Floral Off The Shoulder Mikado Mermaid Evening Gown. This mermaid gown beautifully blends simplified design with dramatic details. The luminous Mikado dress features a modified sweetheart neckline and draped off-the-shoulder sleeves adorned with beaded 3D florals. Elongating princess seams enhance the silhouette, creating a look that is both modern and gracefully refined.
If you prefer a looser, more flowing silhouette, we think you'll love our Sheath Beaded Lace and Jersey Evening Gown. The gorgeous dress features a beaded lace bodice with a classic v-neckline and sheer long sleeves that highlight the pattern of the botanical lace. The jersey skirt has a wrap-style design, creating a cascading ruffle detail on the billowing skirt.
Mother of the Bride FAQs
What is the most popular color for mother of the bride dresses?
Mothers of the bride have often worn darker shades like navy, bordeaux, charcoal, and even occasionally metallics like gold and silver. This could be because bright 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 that is too similar to the bride, unless, of course, she wants you to match in an all white bridal party.
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 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, to keep all eyes on the bride.
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 style that helps you conceal your insecurities. Oftentimes, this is the stomach area. As we've mentioned before, A-line dresses have long been considered one of the most flattering silhouettes for all body types. This shape is designed to give you the look of a trim waist, with a form-fitting bodice that reaches the natural waistline, where the skirt flares out in a capital “A” shape. Some women might think that their only option is a frumpy mother of the bride dress, but that's 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 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.
To find an elegant mother of the bride dress that’s perfect for your daughter’s wedding visit one of our incredible retailers!
