Suggestions, please

What does one wear as the Mother-of-the-Bride when one generally runs a size Small-to-Medium, but one's Lactating-Area is a size Triple-Mastodonic?

My fashionista senses, under the best circumstances, are pretty rudimentary.

I'm feeling a growing sensation of doom.

Comments

[Amy]

You wear a lovely dress with a beaded or crocheted poncho or wrap.

[Angela]

Sounds like two piece is the best idea. Dillards or TJMax could be good. If cheap enough buy two sizes so you can mix and match. Coldwater Creek is another really good place

[mommy bee]

Separates! i know all about it. I was shaped like that BEFORE breastfeeding. Yeah. It's worse now. At least now I have a little tummy pooch to go with the mastadonic bust. LOL!

I recommend sticking to something simple. A plain solid top (yellow, beige, light green, etc) and then a pattered skirt (florals are nice and summery!). I'd go long and with some fullness on the skirt...not a cinderella thing, but not straight, you know? Pairing them that way will draw attention to your smaller parts and away from the bust. If you had a print everywhere, then attention would center on the bust...but if the top is 'blah' compared to the skirt, you'll look more balanced.
Besides, you'll want separates so you can nurse. :)

[Minnesotamom]

Agreed with above posters. Separates are the way to go, and get the top tailored to fit "the girls." :)

[Minnesotamom]

Or depending how brave you are (you're a young Mother-of-the-Bride), empire waist dresses are all the rage this season, and they would be made to fit that area instead of at the waist (where you would probably have the largest discrepancy).

[Jody]

Oh, I'd go for the Pam Anderson look ... skin tight on top and bottom.

Seriously, I'd be apt to do a blouse and skirt .. pretty, functional, and easier to fit.

[Natalie]

Yup. I'd go with a pretty Empire-waist dress, preferably one where the Empire cut is elasticized, and then have a light and pretty (beaded, embroidered, whatnot) "bolero" cardigan. They're the utterly useless cropped cardigans, you know? The kind that have no fasteners and just cover the breasts, draping over them? But, it makes perfect camouflage, enables one to wear a dress with a skimpy-ish top (which is all they seem to sell nowadays), and are very attractive and fashionable. Perfect mix, for your particular dilemma, of functional, useful textile beauty.

[Natalie]

Yup. I'd go with a pretty Empire-waist dress, preferably one where the Empire cut is elasticized, and then have a light and pretty (beaded, embroidered, whatnot) "bolero" cardigan. They're the utterly useless cropped cardigans, you know? The kind that have no fasteners and just cover the breasts, draping over them? But, it makes perfect camouflage, enables one to wear a dress with a skimpy-ish top (which is all they seem to sell nowadays), and are very attractive and fashionable. Perfect mix, for your particular dilemma, of functional, useful textile beauty.

[Soliloquy]

WARNING.

This will not be helpful. But can I laugh? Because, I must. I must laugh. With you - not at you. You understand, right?

hahahahahahahaahahahahaha! LOL! ROFL! LMAO!

I never feel sorry for anyone with boobs, since I don't have any myself.

But I will pray for you. That, I can do.

So, maybe this has been more helpful than not, yes?

[Jaena]

I would ask Big Mama and hope she answers it for Fashion Friday.

[suburbancorrespondent]

Nice, flowing shirt and large blouse - have fun!

[Heather]

I'd check with your local maternity clothes store. I know my local maternity store offers clothes especially for breast-feeding. Perhaps something in a print so that any accidents aren't too obvious. I know the specialty maternity clothes are expensive, but you'll be immortalized in the wedding pictures (maybe even video). As a bonus, you'll have a nice new maternity-ish dress that you just might get to wear again.

[amy]

I've got to disagree with most of the above. Separates are good, but blouse should have a pattern, v-neck, be button down. Skirt should be A-line and only to the knee -- if you wear a big, long flowy skirt as others have suggested and you're small, it will swallow you up.

Empire waist dress might work, but to fit the bust, you'll probably need to have the bottom altered. One possibility would be a maternity/post maternity knit empire waist dress, but I don't know if knit is what you have in mind for a wedding. I never liked dresses when I was nursing, unless the bodice buttoned (or was maternity) because access was a problem, but maybe (probably) you, with 12 kids, know some tricks that I don't.

[Darci]

Well since I am blessed in the chest area, I feel your pain in finding something to wear..
I guess it all depends on what you are comfortable in.. I love looking on ebay for ideas!

[Kelly @ Love Well]

I AM SO WITH YOU!

(Can I yell here? Because I'm excited.)

I'm nowhere close to being the MOB, unless that boy who proposed to Natalie in kindergarten last year is serious.

But I have a three-month-old, and my body has been taken over by the Booby Fairy.

I have to disagree a little on the empire-waisted thing. I just finished a rather painful month of shopping for clothes to wear this summer (read: clothes that will cover the girls without making me look like Pamela Anderson). The whole empire-waisted thing did NOT work for me, since I need a L or XL to cover the girls and my normal size is S or even XS. It just looked weird.

I'd say go for a light sweater (easier for breastfeeding) and maybe even some breezy pants.

But that's just me. Big-chested me.

Man, am I glad to find someone else in my scenario.

[laurazim]

My general favorites for Mass and other dressy occasions are definitely skirt-top combos. I layer my tops, using a stretchy camisole (there are fabulous nursing camis available at Motherhood and through other sources--at this point, mine are just Wal-Mart cheapies though) as close to the color of the skirt as I can get underneath a pull-over top, or a button-down that can easily lift up. (This sounds like a lot of work, now that I think about it....but since I usually DON'T think about it, it's really nothing in the end.) I tuck the cami into the skirt. Then, when I need to nurse the Monkey, I just lift up the top shirt and slip the cami down to give him access--all the while, because the cami is tucked, I am showing absolutely nothing. This is good. No one likes rolls unless they're frosted and taste like butter and cinnamon. Mine do not.

Hope this helps......and please post pictures of whatever you come up with, for Pete's sake!!!

:)

[Emily]

I used to have this problem before I had kids - I was size L on top and size S-M on bottom. Now I'm size L all over and it is much easier to find clothes! :)

Having experience with this problem, I have to say that I don't know why you would EVER want an empire waist dress (as many have suggested). They'll fit the bust, yes, but you'll look ridiculous - sort of lumpy and fat and lost everywhere else. Please, please, please don't wear an empire waist dress. Besides, those are in for girls right now, not so much Mother of the Brides.

A princess line dress could work really well, particularly if it was either tailored for you or if it had well-placed ties in the back at the waist. Many nursing dresses are made with princess lines because they provide very nice hidden access points!

Separates are also good when your top half and bottom half aren't the same size. Places like David's Bridal often have two-piece mother of the bride dresses. You could go there and get some ideas. I don't like David's Bridal dresses, myself, but I know some people do - maybe you're in that category!

Coldwater Creek is also a good place to look for separates, although they're expensive enough that you'd probably have to just buy one outfit (to fit your top half) and get the bottom taken in a bit.

Good luck! From one busty lady to another! :)

[Joanne]

Wish I could offer my help. I'm just hoping I can lose a few pounds so I can have something nice to wear to MY son's wedding. It isn't until October and I'm already worried.

[jennyonthespot]

Looks like your commenters have this covered. I just wanted to add - I have no idea!

[Amy @ Experience Imagination]

I'm left wondering ... does one use a cover when one is nursing at one's daughter's wedding? Just what is the etiquette there?

On the dress, though, I'd like to second the princess-seam suggestion. Probably fitted at the waist with a fuller skirt would offer the best balance.

[gretchen from lifenut]

Nobody is going to be looking at you anyway! :) They'll all be looking at the beautiful bride.

Wear separates, like everyone else noted.

I love that you have a nursling and a bride at the same time.

[cassie]

I have to smile at your dilemna, because it is so the opposite of mine. I have something on my chest that is pretty close to nothing, and so 'up there' I wear a small. Except I have recently become introduced (more dragged kicking and screaming because I.do.not.like.this.one.little.bit) to the world of tummy fat and my hips are getting wider everyday. Even though I regularly swim laps and run. To solve my problem, I wear a lot of dresses with tight bodices... but, back to you. I would go with a button down collared shirt and a light cardigan, with whatever skirt (or even pants) you are most comfortable with. Congratualtions by the way!

[Rocks In My Dryer]

Wait...WAIT...what did I miss? Did she get engaged? (I've been on a blog break, remember?)

[Natalie]

You have my sympathies. I thought I was going to have the baby and quickly move back into my old clothes. Ha! :-D Well, most of my jeans fit again...but most of my church wardrobe was dresses. So I'm rotating the same skirts and digging through the back of the closet hoping to find dressy tops.

How about a dressy velvet peasant top look, with an elastic neck? I have a stretchy velvet peasant blouse I love...somewhere in the back of this closet. Or maybe a dress with an elastic neck? Or something like this -http://www.modestapparelusa.com/nursing_dress_bluefloral.html

[Heather]

I agree with the two piece suggestion. I have always found simply, classic pieces at Ann Taylor's sale rack. They are still a little bit pricy, but they would give you a nice outfit to wear out again later. A pretty, fitted skirt in a pattern with a solid, light sweater top would be very pretty. If you match the colors just right, you could coordinate a pashmina for nursing privacy. You could get a top on sale for around $30 and a skirt for around $40, I should think.