78 WWW.BRIDALBUYER.COM
LADIES’ DAY
O
KAY, THE ENGAGEMENT
has been announced, the
date and place and guest list
are under discussion and
of course the bride-to-be is
already searching for her
dream dress. Now what about
the MOB/MOG? She wants to shop, she wants
her dream outfi t, and she wants it there and then- no ordering and waiting for six months or so
as is often the norm with bridal gowns.
The good news – great news in fact – is that the
choice out there of gorgeous MOB/MOG outfi ts
is brilliant, whether tastes run to a natty little
dress and jacket ensemble in scrunchy taffeta
complete with colour-matched accessories,
or a fl oor-length gown in fl oaty chiffon with
shimmer-shine highlights.
What was once an add-on sector – nice work
if you can get it – has developed into a vibrant
arena with major players devoted to dressing
the other woman – and reaping the benefi ts in
terms of cash in the till. But is there a right
way of doing it and maximising on potential
business?
Award-winner Ian Stuart, whose
Ian Stuart London label has
gathered momentum season
after season certainly
thinks so. “A 55-year-old
woman does not want to
share a mirror with her
daughter and friends.
She wants one-to-one
attention and privacy,”
he says. “For that reason,
MOB collections should
be shown in separate areas - better still on separate
The proud mum of the bride or groom wants to look
nothing short of amazing on the big day. The experts
all agree – offer a choice of fashion-right outfi ts, in
a dedicated environment, and you can snap up the
business. Better still, with forward ordering, there’s
no waiting for months to get paid. Susi Rogol reportsfl oors. And sales staff need
to be knowledgeable; they
have to understand
occasionwear, be able to
judge exactly what will
suit a certain woman
and specifi c occasion,
and have the ability to
demonstrate the mix and
match possibilities as well
as what can be done with
accessories.”
“Mothers should NOT wear
white,” he believes and suggests a
mum talks things over with the bride before
contemplating black. “While black is a
standard colour for eveningwear, it can stir
up controversy when it comes to weddings- in the past, if either mother wore black it
signalled a disapproval of the match!” Get a
customer into one of Ian’s MOB outfi ts and
they’ll love how they look; the construction
is completely different to daywear and really
sculpts the fi gure.
Top-selling colours in Ian Stuart London are
platinum, silver and lilac; fabrics of
choice are silk and silk taffeta.
Retail prices range from £995
to £1,500; best-selling sizes
are 10 and 16. Matching
hats are available. The
next big thing? Dress-
only choices for some,
and more mix-and-
match options for others
to create a variety of
looks from one outfi t.
+44 (0)1977 620532 /
http://www.ianstuart-london.com
Accessories are crucial
to the mix says Avril
Groom of Veromia’s
Dress Code, now in its
fi fth season. “We offer
hats and fascinators,
dyed to match, made for
us by Snoxells; around
three quarters of our
stockists carry them. That
said, presently some 80 per
cent of Dress Code retailers are
occasionwear shops but I predict
more and more bridalwear shops will
extend their offering to include mother-of-the-
bride wear. You can’t play at MOB, you defi nitely
need to have a good selection displayed with
matching accessories and you have to be able
to offer options – a choice of a bolero or coat
over a dress ensures you can cater to all tastes- and shapes.”
Dress Code’s most popular colours are silver,
gold and rose gold, but the vibrant blues and
fuchsias are worth noting. The new season’s
fabrics are lace, satin-back crepe and novelty
jacquards. The collection retails between £350
and £599 with £475 being the best seller.
Matching hats retail from between £50 and
£195. The next big thing? Softer fabrics.
+44 (0)20 8502 2257 / http://www.veromia.co.uk/
Mother-of-the-Bride.html
Gill Harvey, the designer behind the Eliza
Jane Howell vintage-style bridal collection,
produces a deliciously different MOB range
under her own name and is fi nding that
stockists taking one will often carry the other,
too. She advises stockists to choose collections
that stand out from the crowd. “Retailers canhMOTHERIan Stuart
“It’s all about design
and fi t. Mums are
getting much younger
in their appearance
and attitude; they
don’t want to look
‘frumpy’!”Gill Harvey
“As a guideline, our
stockists invest 80 per
cent of their spend
with us in spring/
summer with just
a small top-up in
the autumn/winter
season.”h078-081.BB.163.Mother of the Bride.indd 78 20/06/2014 11:31