Mother of the Bride Dresses: Tea Length

My definition of "tea length" is: below the knee but above the ankles. It's not floor length, and it's not knee-length. It's anywhere in between.

When should a Mother of the Bride wear a tea-length dress? In my oh-so-humble opinion, it's always fine for the Mother of the Bride to wear a tea-length dress as long as the formality and weight of the dress are in keeping with the bride's and bridesmaids' dresses AND as long as the daughter bride gives her okay.

There's more to a dress than just the length. The type of fabric, the beading and trim, and the styling of a dress have as much to do with the formality and weight of a dress as the length. Whatever length dress a MOB wears should coordinate with the look and feel of the wedding party's dresses.

For instance...If the bride is wearing floor-length silk and the bridesmaids are wearing floor-length taffeta, it is NOT okay for the Mother of the Bride to wear floor-length cotton. Cotton is typically too casual and too lightweight to coordinate with silk and taffeta.

If the wedding party is all wearing floor-length, the Mother of the Bride could feel comfortable wearing either a floor-length or tea-length dress. And, truthfully, if she finds a wow! knee-length dress that totally coordinates with the wedding party, that's good too. As long as her daughter bride gives the thumbs up.

If the Bride and/or bridesmaids are wearing knee-length, the MOB could wear either knee-length or tea-length. In this situation, floor-length really doesn't blend. That being said, if the bride has always envisioned her mom in a floor-length gown at her wedding, then that's what is right. As always...the bride's opinion rules.

So...let's check out some tea-length dresses!

1. Jones Wear via JC Penney 2. Light in the Box 3. Jade Couture via The Perfect Dress 4. Signature Collection by Atelier Alyce via  Magic Moments 5. Jordan Fashions via Scarlett's Closet 6. Soulmates via Nordstrom's 7. Dream Bridal Dress 8. Siri

What do you think about tea-length?

 

Comments

[Hollis Tavano]

#3 dress is such a beautiful dress. You always have good finds!

[MOB Kathy]

I'm glad you like them! #3 is pretty, isn't it? I love the lacy hemline!