Dear Answer Angel Ellen: What does the mother of a bride wear these days? My daughter is getting married soon. Do I wear a long dress or a short dress? Please help!
— Cathy B.
Dear Cathy: I was tempted to tell you to toss a coin, because there are no firm rules on this. But I thought I better check in with the experts to make sure I was giving you solid advice. After all, the very last thing you want to do on your daughter’s big day (yours too!) is to dress inappropriately. So, I contacted Anna Post and Daniel Post Senning, great-great grandchildren of the grande dame of etiquette, the late Emily Post. They carry on the family business at The Emily Post Institute (emilypost.com). He says, “There is no real guidance as far as the type of dress the mother should wear. Of course the longer dress is a bit more formal and might play better at an evening wedding, but a short dress can be very nice. If she really has no idea or preference, she might consider asking the bride and letting her weigh in.” Anna Post makes the same point: “She can wear whatever she thinks suits the ceremony regarding time of day, location and level of formality. Long or short is usually more a result of those factors rather than dictated by her role as mother of the bride. For example, my mother and now mother-in-law both wore knee-length dresses at my late-afternoon, semi-formal outdoor summer wedding. As a sidenote, when it comes to color, the couple’s mothers usually don’t wear the same shade as the bridesmaids, and most don’t wish to wear the same color as each other. The MOB is traditionally given first choice; thus it’s courteous of the mother-of-the-groom to ask the MOB what color she plans to wear and choose her own dress accordingly.”
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: What is your take on the peplum look? Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of peplum blouses and jackets in the stores. Is this trend here for the long term? Is it worth investing in a few of these pieces? What is the best way to style them? Slim trousers? I think the look could be pretty but might skew frumpy if styled incorrectly.
— Lynn
Dear Lynn: When those peplum tops and dresses first appeared a couple seasons ago I thought that they were flouncy and fun and would soon be out of style. And while they’ve held on a little longer than I thought they would, the sale racks are now full of them. That tells me they’ve had their moment, and I would definitely take a pass on the peplum and wait for the next trend. Besides, who among us needs more bulky material at the waist with a secondary bad effect of calling attention to the top of the posterior? Peplums do look adorable on little girls, though — sort of a mini-tutu effect. If you already have some peplum tops, tailored pants or a pencil skirt (keep it simple!) work best.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I have a few sweater cardigans with cascading lapels that are longer in front than back, and I am wondering what kind of winter coat to wear over them. I don’t have a full-length coat, what should I do? Put them away until it’s warm enough to wear them without a coat? How dumb will I look with the sweater hanging out below my coat hem? I can’t be the only one with this problem, these items are all over the department stores. Please help.
— Dee T.
Dear Dee: I think any clothing hanging down beneath a coat or jacket looks sloppy (including untucked shirt tails, which are having a moment). So, I agree with your inclination to hold off on the sweaters unless you can wear them without a coat. Or, of course, buy a longer coat. But I am a firm believer that you shouldn’t have to buy another piece of clothing to make the first piece work for you.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I need to cover my less-than-stellar legs with hosiery. During the summer I wore dress sandals with nude toeless pantyhose, and that worked pretty well. But, winter’s coming! I have two pairs of black suede peep-toe shoes — pumps and low booties — and I’m looking for some hosiery suggestions! What do you think? Is sheer always best with peep-toes? Can opaque hosiery ever be worn with peep-toes?
— Kathy W.
Dear Kathy: I’m not crazy about any hosiery covering the toes when wearing peep-toe footwear. Experts I talked to were all over the place on your question. One said that black opaque hose with black shoes (but not any other color shoes/booties) was fine. Another was inclined toward very sheer black hosiery. And a third said stick with very sheer nude toeless hose, even in the cooler temps. In other words, experiment and pick the look you like best. And think twice about buying any more peep-toe shoes that you’ll want to wear in cooler weather, since closed-toe pumps are easier to work with.
Angelic Readers I
For “Deflated” who was having trouble finding a wire-free padded bra that isn’t a push-up, Aleeca points to the website lulalu.com, which specializes in styles for small-breasted women and has “a great collection of petite bras.”
Angelic Readers II
For Sue, who wanted to cover leg discolorations without fake tan creams, I suggested Dior Airflash Spray Foundation, which I’ve tested and found that it works — but rubs off on my clothes and costs a fortune: $62 for 2.3 ounces (sephora.com). Julie D. and Linda S. say Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs works well, costs only $12.99 for 4.4 ounces (ulta.com) and, once dry, won’t rub off on clothes. P.M. recommends that you mix it with hand lotion in your palm and then apply. And Margaret M. says Dermablend Leg and Body Cover ($30 for 3.4 ounces, ulta.com) is “absolutely wonderful.”
Stop, drop, get help
Send your questions and rants — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangel@tribune.com.
