Most women don’t know how to find a mother of the bride dress online. How do I know? While working at Macy’s, I see a lot of mother of the bride dresses being returned and many women complain that they can’t find a dress for the big event. It’s hard to find the right dress at the store and that difficulty is 10X harder when buying online. This also goes for mother of the groom dresses.
In this post, I’ll give you a system to look at these dresses online. In fact, you can use this system when buying in a brick and mortar store as well.
When looking at the design lines on a dress (in fact on any outfit) the most critical one is the placement of horizontal lines. The placement of them will make the dress perfect or not. This is true for any outfit. The key is to learn how to recognize and use horizontal lines.
Most women think horizontal lines are bad. They can be; but they can also be an ally. In this post you’ll learn when to stay away from them and when you can use them as an ally.
How To Find A Mother Of The Bride Dress -- Horizontal lines
In my post about horizontal lines, Horizontal Lines: Friend Or Foe?, I wrote that the magic and hazards of horizontal lines are the following: they–
- Stop the eye
- Emphasize the area where the eye stops
- Cut the body and make it appear shorter
- Make that area appear wider
Notice what these horizontal lines do to the rectangles below:
All of these rectangles are the same size and shape. Note how the placement of horizontal lines affects the appearance of the rectangles by making some of them appear shorter and wider. Also note where your eye stops.
The key to the placement of horizontal lines is understanding two of your Body Elements:
- Body Shape
- Body Proportions
There is one other body factor a mother of the bride/groom needs to consider when picking a dress for their daughter/son’s wedding: if she wants the eye to stop at her belly.
How To Find A Mother Of The Bride Dress -- Body Shape
One of the clues your Body Shape gives you is the placement of horizontal lines. To learn more about your Body Shape go to my post: What Are Your Body Shape Clues.
You don’t want to place horizontal lines in your widest area.
You do want to place them in a smaller area to balance out the widest area.
If your Body Shape is H, X or S, you don’t need to worry about the placement of horizontal lines for your Body Shape. However, you might need to consider the clues your Body Proportions are telling you and if you want to emphasize your belly area.
How To Find A Mother Of The Bride Dress -- Body Proportions
One of the clues your Body Proportions tell you is where to place horizontal lines. To learn more about your Body Proportions go to my post: Body Proportions — Out Of Balance?
You don’t want to place horizontal lines in short areas because those areas will look even shorter.
You do want to place them in long areas because those areas will appear to be in balance with the rest of your body.
If you have a well-proportioned body, you don’t need to worry about the placement of horizontal lines except for your Body Shape clues.
How To Find A Mother Of The Bride Dress -- Belly
Many women, as they go through menopause, start to accumulate fat in their belly areas. I’m one of them. After menopause I started seeing fat accumulate in my belly area even though I eat a healthy diet. If this is you, let go of any shame around it. Life is too short.
With respect to the placement of horizontal lines, don’t place them at the belly. Place them just under the bust or just above your hips. But first consider horizontal line placement for your Body Shape and Body Proportions.
How To Analyze Online Pictures
After you understand horizontal line placement for your body, it’s time to learn how to determine which design lines create horizontal lines and their placements.
Design Lines That Create Horizontal Lines
When it comes to mother of the bride/groom dresses, there are three main designs that create horizontal lines:
- Neckline
- Seam lines
- Transition between lace/embroidery and solid fabric
These are examples of necklines that create horizontal lines:
The most prominent one you see is off the shoulder and strapless. If you have a V Body Shape or your Body Proportion is short in this area, stay away from these necklines.
These are examples of seam lines that create horizontal lines:
Most of these seam lines appear between the bust and waist. If you have a V Body Shape, stay away from seam lines under your bust, and if you have an O Body Shape, stay away from seam lines at your waist. If you’re short between your bust and waist, stay away from horizontal seam lines in this area.
These are examples of transitional design lines:
Notice how the change in lace and embroidery creates horizontal lines. If you’re concerned about emphasizing your belly area, notice how the last picture’s transition area is between the waist and hips. This could be a great horizontal line placement for you depending on your Body Shape and Body Proportions.
Evaluating Online Dresses For Horizontal Lines
After you know the best placement for horizontal lines on your body and what design lines create horizontal lines, you’re ready to learn how to find a mother of the bride dress online.
With your knowledge of how horizontal lines are created, look at the online dress pictures, focusing on horizontal lines. At Macys.com, you can put your cursor on the picture and it’ll give you a closer view of the design elements.
By putting your cursor over the picture you can get a close up view of horizontal lines. Notice the curved neckline, which mimics a horizontal line; notice the sleeve hems, which create horizontal lines at the bust; and notice the seam at or just above the waist, which creates another horizontal line. If you’re short between your chin and bust this neckline might not work for you. The horizontal lines the sleeves create might bring more attention to your bust line. You may or may not like that attention. If you’re short between your bust and waist or have an O Body Shape or have a tummy, the horizontal line at the waist won’t work for you.
Final Thoughts
Finding a dress for your daughter or son’s wedding is difficult at the best of times. But in today’s world where demand is high (lots of weddings) and supply is down (not enough fabric to create the dresses and shipping problems) the process has increased 10X in difficulty. Many moms are resorting to the internet.
Use the above techniques to help you in your process:
- Step 1: Understand your Body Shape. Don’t put horizontal lines in your widest areas; but do place them in your thinner areas to create balance.
- Step 2: Understand your Body Proportions. Don’t place horizontal lines in short areas; but do place them in long areas.
- Step 3: Do you have a belly? If so, don’t place horizontal lines in your waist area. If you must have a horizontal line, place it below the waist or at the hip as long as your Body Shape and Body Proportions allow it.
- Step 4: Look for horizontal lines on mother of the bride/groom dresses and determine if the placements are right for you.
In the next blog post series, the Girls are going out shopping together with their new found knowledge about what design lines enhance their bodies. Next week, you’ll learn what outfit Sam is considering. It’s called: Shopping For Design Lines — Sam.
Wear Your Greatness!!
