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I'm having this problem too! Many people have suggested Nordstrom, but most of their dresses are even too matronly/boring for my mom, I think. I will be interested to see what other ideas people have.
We got my mom's at Macy's! It was one shoulder, red, and very chic. My MIL wore a Jasmine Jade MOB dress and it wasn't matronly AT ALL.
Here's what ours wore: definitely NOT matronly =]
My parents live in NJ, about 15 minutes from Manhattan, so if you know of any stores in the NYC metro area, please let me know!
Dept stores have lots of dresses that will work and aren't matronly at all. It doesn't have to be specifically labelled as a mother the bride dress either. Anything she likes and feels great in is fine.
Nordstroms has a huge dress department (and excellent return policies). Check online to see if there is something you might like.
My mom got her dress at Nordstroms. (Actually, she came home from her shopping trip with 3 dresses from Nordstrom that she plans on wearing to various wedding events.) She is also in great shape, and was not looking for a matronly looking dress. I wish I had pictures of her dress. It looks great.
I would suggest NOT looking at MOB dresses! : ) Go do a regular dress store that she likes and look for a dress there. No one said that the dress has to be labelled MOB dress at a bridal boutique!
For example, if you're going more formal, take a look in dress shops for floor-length gowns, and more informal, check out cocktail/sundresses. Heck, even department stores like Winners and Sears have some awesome dresses in a variety of styles, none of which I would call "matronly".
My mom went to the formal wear section at Nordstroms. Just avoid MOB dresses!!
Order a BM dress ... that's what my FMIL did and she looks great in it.
Thanks for the suggestions! She's been looking online at different department stores, including Macys and Nordstrom. Right now, it looks like they have a lot of dark colored dresses, which are lovely and make sense for the fall/winter holiday season, but I don't want my mom to wear black (well, if she found a black dress she loved, fine, but we both wear black entirely too often haha). Luckily we have time so hopefully some more colorful dresses will come out over winter in anticipation of spring.
I started looking at bridesmaids dresses last night and there are some gorgeous ones out there!
If your mom is cool like that- check out etsy! There are so many awesome designers who will not only make the dress to fit her perfectly, but in a color of her choice and sometimes the length and fabric of her choice too!
I have the same problem since my mom is only 47 and still very young @ heart LOL. Thanks for the suggestions to Nordstroms I will check them out
My MIL bought her dress from JcPenney. Not sure where my stepmother got hers. I think that getting ones at a bridal store that are specifically labeled 'mother of the bride' are usually a lot more matronly than ones that you can find at most department stores. Just go with something that is usually her taste so she doesn't feel like someone else on the wedding day.
My mom plans to look at Bloomingdales and Nordstrom and wherever else here in NYC. Also, I happened to see pictures of Pronovias' new line of party dresses called "Fiesta." They are VERY nice for non-MOTB mother of the bride dresses, she should check them out too!
You don't have to looks at "mother of the bride" dresses-look at cocktail/evening dresses from neiman marcus or bloomingdales. That's where my mom got her dresses for both of my sisters weddings and she has her eye on one from bloomingdales for mine!
My mother wore a dress by Kate Unger that she bought at Saks Fifth Avenue. Albeit a bit on the expensive side, it's a dress that she can wear again and again and definitely ISN'T matronly...haha. (Trust me, that was one of our biggest problems when we went dress shopping).
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Andy_King0128_(Large)_(2).jpg (102.4 KB, 103 downloads) 2 years old 
Here are several that my mom tried on, and the one she ended up buying, which is made by Teri Jon: http://happylovelyday.blogspot.com/2009/11/hot-mama.html (scroll down to see her).
She got it at the bridal shop where I bought my veil, but we've also found good dresses at Nordstrom.
I forgot to mention that my mom also found a great array of dresses that were form flattering at Nordstrom. She found one for the rehearsal dinner there and found an even bigger selection at www.nordstrom.com.
I would also try Macy's. Some stores have larger selections than others, but the one I used to go to in San Diego had a formal section that contained half of the third floor.
Good luck and let us know how things turned out!
As the motner of the bride who rarely ever wears a dress, I am looking for a dress that doesn't make me feel silly. All suggestions welcome.
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My mom is starting to look for a dress to wear to the wedding, but so many of the "mother of the bride" dresses are VERY matronly. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to look for a nice dress/gown, something maybe a step above a long dress you'd buy for a wedding you attend as a regular guest? Where have your mothers purchased their dresses from? Off the rack at a department store, online, bridal store? I'm getting married in May and she's in great shape, so no suit jackets or boleros needed.
Many thanks!