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The Best Mother Of The Bride Dresses That Are Chic And Flattering

The best mother of the bride dresses help you look polished and feel confident. Whether you decide to go for a short or long length, or bold or soft tone, there are many options to sort through. Our advice: Focus on finding a dress with an impeccable fit, comfortable silhouette for dancing and a versatile style that you can wear for more than just weddings.

Ahead, we rounded up the best mother of the bride dresses to consider, including Mac Duggal’s Flutter Sleeve Evening Gown for black-ties, Marina’s Chiffon Trapeze Dress for more casual events and Kiyonna’s Embroidered Elegance Evening Gown for day-to-night wear. Here’s everything we highly recommend for marking this special occasion in style.

Shop All The Best Mother Of The Bride Dresses

Flowy And Flattering

Marina Split 3/4-Sleeve Chiffon Trapeze Dress

Lightweight chiffon and an abbreviated length make this a great choice for summer weddings so you don’t overheat. The trapeze silhouette is classic, and the beading at the keyhole neckline and the asymmetric layering add visual interest. This budget-friendly dress comes in ivory, navy, sage or slate.


Elongating And Elegant

Adrianna Papell Sequined Cap Sleeve Gown

For a striking entrance, this gown features allover beading, a round neck, scoop back and cap sleeves, which offers the right balance between keeping your arms covered but also allows movement and breathability so you can wear this dress comfortably. It comes in blush or a pretty blue.


Evening Style With Shimmer

Mac Duggal Flutter Sleeve Evening Gown

This polished Mac Duggal gown is ideal for an evening wedding or if you like to get dressed up with a bit of sparkle. Sequins and beading add shimmer to the lace design while the flutter sleeves and amethyst shade create an ethereal effect. It’s also available in navy.


Arm Coverage And A Flattering A-Line Silhouette

Rickie Freeman for Teri Jon 3/4-Sleeve Belted Midi Shirtdress

Structured taffeta has a formal feel, and it will maintain its crisp shape well throughout the service, photos and reception. This ever-stylish silhouette features three-quarter sleeves with a French cuff, which are great for when you want arm coverage that’s dressy but not overly warm, and the hem hits just below the knee, so it’s ideal for dancing. Bonus: It even has pockets.


Elegant Pleating And A Below-The-Knee Length

Kay Unger Norma Jacquard Cocktail Dress

Fit and flare styles are ideal for those who may want to downplay their hips. Structured, textured jacquard and a pleated overlay create a gorgeous silhouette. You’ll also get good coverage at the bodice, which allows you to wear a normal bra—meaning, no fussy undergarments.


Artful, Statement-Making Draping

Tadashi Shoji Asymmetric Crepe Ruffle Gown

The crepe fabric of this dress has a beautiful drape and the asymmetric hem creates movement while you walk down the aisle (and as you work the room entertaining guests). The v-neck, crossed bodice is both supportive and shows off your toned arms.


Elegant Fluid Satin

Amsale Satin One-Shoulder Gown

Amsale’s wedding gowns are stunning, and the brand’s refined bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses are designed to make an entrance, too. This style’s beautifully draped bodice and floor-skimming length are especially flattering on taller builds. It also comes in nine beautiful colors.


Luxe Layering

Alex Evenings Embroidered Mesh Jacket Sheath Dress

A classic sheath dress is endlessly elegant. The shorter length of this style will keep you cool, and the overlay jacket provides visual interest and arm camouflage. The taupe color also works with just about any wedding palette.


Cocktail Style With Subtle Accents

Chiara Boni La Petite Robe Gallilia Cutout Ruffle Sheath Midi Dress

Show off your shape in this sheath silhouette, which is cut from a stretchy fabric. Laser cut blouson sleeves add visual detailing, while also allowing for breathability. This style is a great look for city weddings or evening wedding events.


Maxi Style With A Chic Square Neckline

BHLDN Sophia Square-Neck Satin Maxi Dress

For times you want formal elegance without being overly covered up, this satin maxi is the perfect mix. We especially like the subtly smocked back, which helps to ensure a good fit at your chest. BHLDN’s Sophia dress also comes in seven different colors, from moss to dusty blue.


Special Detailing And Stretchy Fabric

Lela Rose Colorblock Flower-Applique Sleeveless Rib Midi Dress

Lela Rose’s dresses and gowns are often accented with sculptural details, and they’re always romantic. This feminine floral style is cut from a structured rib knit with a unique floral applique at the shoulder. It comes in magenta or black with contrasting white flowers.


Vibrant Floral Embroidery

Kiyonna Embroidered Elegance Evening Gown

This dress is a twist on a traditional black gown, embroidered with a full-length floral motif, which makes a sophisticated statement. It’s finished with flutter sleeves, a crossover neckline and an invisible zipper at center back of dress for a tailored effect.


Structure, Drama And Elegance

Eloquii One Shoulder Bow Column Dress

If you like drama when it comes to fashion, Eloquii’s column dress is sure to command attention. The asymmetrical, one shoulder neckline features an oversized, attached bow, and the close fitting silhouette hits at mid calf so you’ll be able to show off your killer shoes. This dress comes in a pretty bright pink or classic black onyx.


Polished Jewel Tones In Extended Sizes

Dylan & Davids Short Sleeve Formal Mother of the Bride Dress

This dress hits an elegant note with an embroidered and jeweled bodice and short sleeves. The scoop neck is versatile for wearing necklaces and the skirt is made from flowy chiffon for a lightweight feel.


Chic High-Low Hem

MOST POPULAR

A-Line Mother of the Bride Dress Elegant Jewel Neck

The A-line shape of this dress is timeless but the jeweled lace bodice provides a fresh and modern update. The fullness of the chiffon skirt is balanced with a high-low hem that creates a draping effect that slims the legs.


Lace-Trimmed Layers

R&M Richards Chiffon Jacket Formal Dress

The classic sheath is comfortable and versatile to wear, revealing a bit more of your leg. For balance, though, this dress comes with a matching chiffon wrap-style jacket to keep your arms covered. It also features an embellished scoop neckline and comes in multiple shades to match any wedding palette.


Universally Flattering With Subtle Sparkle

Alex Evenings Rosette A-Line Gown

If you’re looking for an elegant dress in a simple silhouette, this A-line style makes a big impact with texture and slight shimmer. Another plus: It’s bra-friendly, so you don’t have to spend lots of time trying to figure out special undergarments. It comes in colors that work for both summer and winter weddings—including hydrangea and merlot.


Why Trust Forbes Vetted

At Forbes Vetted, our product reviews span women’s and men’s fashion, including clothing, accessories, footwear and jewelry, from the best places to buy engagement rings to the best summer dresses.

  • The author of this story, Forbes Vetted contributor Molly Calhoun, is a lifestyle writer who has covered fashion at length during her career in women’s and lifestyle magazines.
  • Forbes Vetted deputy editor Kari Molvar edited this story. She has covered fashion and lifestyle topics for 20 years.


How We Chose The Best Mother-Of-The-Bride Dresses

We looked for all the best dresses for mothers of the bride and groom, including long and short options as well as dresses for different levels of formality. Each of these dresses is wedding-appropriate but are also great for other bridal events, such as engagement parties and, in some cases, wedding showers.

  • We completed a comprehensive review of all of the top bridal attire retailers on the market, as well as brands that create chic, well-fitting formal attire for women. We exhaustively researched both bestsellers and newer offerings.
  • We evaluated specs including fit, length, color variety, size availability, comfort and price.
  • We included dresses for different fashion preferences and levels of formality. For example, we included mother-of-the-bride dresses in different sleeve lengths, hem lengths and fabrics.
  • We also considered independent reviews to determine which styles were well-liked, with a focus on quality, fit and comfort.


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