Sarah, Duchess of York’s pride was palpable (and for good reason) at her daughter Princess Eugenie’s wedding at St George’s chapel, Windsor in 2018. Leather mules, £555, Gianvito Rossi at Browns 12. Sequin tulle gown, £525, Needle & Thread 10. Silk dress with button sleeves, £695, Anna Mason at Net-A-Porter 9. Chiffon pleated bow dress, £400, Self Portrait at Net-A-Porter 7. Diamond and gold bracelet, POA, Nour by Jahan 5.
Cotton dress, £435, Ulla Johnson at Net-A-Porter 4. Floral linen dress, £635, Zimmermann at Net-A-Porter 3. Rose pill box hat, £1,263, Rachel Trevor-Morgan at Harrods 2. Pictured: Frances Shand-Kydd at the wedding of Princess Diana and Charles in 1981 (above) and Liz Foy de Osma arriving at daughter Alessandra de Osma's wedding, 2018 1. Her very British summery look was completed with a pearl choker, gloves and – of course – sheer tights. Equally as feminine with frills and a flower-adorned matching hat, she pulled it off in a pretty shade of violet. At the late Diana, Princess of Wales’ London wedding in July 1981 her mother Frances Shand Kydd also chose a day dress for the wedding of the decade. It set the tone beautifully and notably the general lack of headwear from guests suggests she may have even put that rule in place (which is perfectly feasible in her role as mother of the bride). No coat, no shawl and definitely no headpiece. Her long chiffon dress floated through the crowds lining the streets and that’s all there was to it. In 2018 Liz Foy de Osma glided into her daughter Alessandra’s church service on a wave of glistening style. Raw silk dress, £699 Lalage Beaumont (royal blue) 11. Felt hat with feather trim, POA, Rachel Trevor-Morgan (blue) 10. Diamond and Sapphire earrings, POA, Anita Ko 9. Box leather bag, £850, Amina Muaddi at Matches Fashion 8. Glitter buckle clutch, £1,280, Manolo Blahnik 5. Pictured: Coat Dresses worn by Penny Knatchbull at Alexandra Knatchbull's wedding (above) and the Queen at the wedding of Princess Anne, 1973 1. All other accessories are expected to blend in, much like anything else you may wear beneath it. Hats are preferred to fascinators in order to add weight to this particularly smart look. Coat dresses are designed to be worn and not removed, just like you would a dress.’ Penny Knatchbull pulled this look off with great elegance at her daughter Lady Alexandra’s wedding in 2016 with Parvin confessing that this is now the aspirational look of every chic mother of the bride-to-be that he designs for. Royal couturier Stewart Parvin who has designed for many-a-high profile wedding, including Her Majesty’s outfit at the 2018 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, says: ‘If you are very sophisticated and are aiming to wear one look on the Wedding Day that will see you through from start to finish, this is the outfit of choice. While there are various versions of the coat dress, the idea is the coat is the main event and what is worn beneath is not of importance. As mother of the bride, there is always an expectation for you to somewhat own the day and this look certainly means ‘business’. Steeped in tradition, the coat dress has an old school feel to it offering a suitable amount of formality making it simply perfect for all the pomp and ceremony a grand wedding displays.
The ultimate British mother of the bride look.