Mother of the bride, Carole Middleton

One of the questions I am most frequently asked is: “What should I wear as the mother of the bride?” Well, there were two ideal examples at the Royal wedding: Carole Middleton, mother of the bride and Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, stepmother of the groom.

Carole Middleton wore a beautiful sky blue dress and coat created by Catherine Walker, who was a favorite designer of Princess Diana’s. Her hat was by Jane Corbett,a Middleton family favorite. The color enabled her to flatter her features without eclipsing the bride at all. It was simple and elegant. There wasn’t a hard edge on the dress, even the hem was curved. There was just a touch of lace at her cuff, a nod to her daughter’s gown.

I couldn’t help but think that perhaps, even subconsciously, Mrs. Middleton might have been combatting her sometime image as a pushy mom by presenting herself in such a ladylike, soft, feminine manner.

Likewise, Camilla Parker Bowles, Duchess of Cornwall, took aim at her public image as a dowdy dresser by wearing a gorgeous duck egg blue and champagne silk Anna Valentine dress and hand embroidered coat with a Phillip Treacy hat that lifted up from her face and flattered her face and physique.

The Duchess of Cornwall in an Anna Valentine dress, the same designer who created her wedding dress in 2005.