Gemy Maalouf Mother of the Bride Dresses: What to Wear and How to Order

The mother of the bride is the house’s natural customer, and the reason so many of its American stockists are bridal boutiques. She wants coverage without looking covered, a colour that photographs next to the wedding party, and a dress she can sit, stand and dance in for eight hours. Gemy Maalouf answers all three with sleeves, cape sleeves and high necklines cut in draped crepe and velvet, and with two-piece sets for the mother who would rather not wear a gown. These are the twelve I would show first from the collection at Luxury Shoes , then the rules on colour, timing and alterations.

Key facts

• Luxury Handbags carries more than 550 Gemy Maalouf styles; the twelve here run from $3,830 to $10,160.
• The shapes: long sleeves, cap sleeves, cape sleeves, high necklines, a midi set and a navy mermaid.
• Colours on this page: navy, blue, wine, green, grey, beige and black; the brand makes no bridesmaid pastels.
• Most sizes are made to order in 10 to 20 days at the brand, so order six to eight weeks ahead.
• Luxury Handbags lists every piece in UK sizes 4 to 18 with a 14-day return window.

Twelve Gemy Maalouf dresses for the mother of the bride

1. The long-sleeve mikado: Beaded Mikado Dress with Long Sleeves, $10,160

A long-sleeved mikado gown with beading along the neckline and sleeves, in grey. Structured, covered and grand, the mother-of-the-bride gown for a black-tie evening.

2. The cap-sleeve embroidered gown: Floral Embroidered Dress with Cap Sleeves, $9,810

Embroidered tulle with vertical lines, three-dimensional floral embroidery and sculpted side panels, in black. Cap sleeves cover the shoulder without a full sleeve.

3. The velvet with a beaded neckline: Draped Dress with Beaded Neckline, $6,810

A draped velvet dress with a beaded neckline and a side slit, in blue. For a winter wedding.

4. The high-neck set with the wrap: Embellished High-Neck Set, $6,190

An embellished high-neck top with sheer puff sleeves and a structured bodice, a midi skirt and a vegan faux-fur wrap, in blue. For the mother who would rather not wear a gown.

5. The cape-sleeve dress: Draped Dress with Cape Sleeve, $5,400

An asymmetrical-neckline draped dress in crepe georgette with beading along the waistline and a floor-length cape sleeve, in green. The cape covers the arm and moves.

6. The beaded-shoulder high neck: Beaded Shoulder High-Neck Dress, $5,570

A high-neckline fitted crepe dress with structured beaded shoulders, in beige. Note the open corset back before you order.

7. The velvet high neck: High-Neck Velvet Embroidered Dress, $5,040

Embroidered velvet with a high neckline, long sleeves, a back train, shoulder cut-outs and a buttoned back, in black.

8. The beaded cape dress: Beaded Dress with Cape Sleeves, $4,410

A V-neckline beaded dress with cape-like sleeves and a front slit, in blue. Coverage and light at once.

9. The wine high neck: Beaded High-Neck Dress, $4,340

A crepe high-neck dress with beaded shoulders and cape-like sleeves, and a dropped open-back drape that extends into back panels, in wine.

10. The long-sleeve beaded dress: Long Sleeves Beaded Dress, $3,990

An off-the-shoulder long-sleeve dress in crepe and beaded tulle, in blue. Sleeves with a little neckline.

11. The beaded cape in beige: Draped Dress With Beaded Cape, $3,830

A draped crepe dress with a beaded cape, in beige. The softest colour on this list, for a daytime wedding.

12. The navy mermaid: Metallic Mermaid Dress, $6,190

A strapless metallic mermaid in liquid double satin with a sculpted draped bodice and a back train, in navy. For the mother who wants a bare shoulder and a train.

Colour

Not white, and not the bridesmaids’ colour unless the couple asks for it. The house’s palette makes this easy: navy and royal blue, wine, olive and emerald, grey, beige and champagne are all in the current collection, and black is right for an evening wedding with gold jewellery. For a daytime and garden wedding, the beige cape dress and a soft green; for an evening one, the navy, the wine and the grey mikado. Ask the couple for their palette before you order, and send them a photo of the dress once you have it. The best gowns by colour covers the rest of the palette.

Timing

Order six to eight weeks before the wedding. The brand makes most sizes to order and quotes 10 to 20 days for production, Luxury Shoes ’s shipping is 2 to 5 business days by DHL Express after 1 to 3 days of processing, and a hem on a beaded gown needs a specialist who will want a week. Luxury Shoes ’s 14-day return window, under the returns protocol, is your fitting: try the dress with the shoes and the underpinnings you will wear, decide early, and keep the security tag on until you have.

Alterations

Crepe, crepe georgette and velvet can be hemmed and taken in by a good tailor. Beaded, embroidered and feathered pieces should go to a specialist, and a mikado gown with beaded sleeves should not be shortened at the sleeve at all. Order the size the brand’s chart gives for your bust and waist rather than your usual number: a couture bodice can be taken in, and cannot be let out. The size guide has the chart in cm and inches and the model’s measurements.

Comfort

The draped crepe dresses and the cape sleeves are the lightest; the sets let you sit without a bodice pulling; the mikado and the fully embroidered tulle weigh the most and are best for an evening ceremony. If the wedding is abroad and warm, the cape-sleeve crepe and the beige cape dress travel best. For a modest dress code, the kaftan guide adds the fully covered shapes, and the wedding guest guide covers the accessories.

Browse the Gemy Maalouf collection at Luxury Shoes , and if the bride is shopping the house too, our bridal guide explains where the wedding gowns are fitted.

Frequently asked questions

Does Gemy Maalouf make mother of the bride dresses?

Not as a labelled line, but the eveningwear collection is full of the shapes a mother of the bride needs: long sleeves, cape sleeves, high necklines, midi lengths and two-piece sets, in navy, wine, olive, grey, beige and black. Luxury Handbags carries more than 550 Gemy Maalouf styles.

What colour should the mother of the bride wear?

Anything but white, and not the bridesmaids’ colour unless the couple asks. Navy, wine, olive, champagne and beige all work at Gemy Maalouf; black is fine for an evening wedding. Ask the couple for their palette before you order.

How far in advance should I order?

Six to eight weeks. The brand makes most sizes to order in 10 to 20 days, then shipping takes 2 to 5 business days from Luxury Handbags and 3 to 7 from the brand, and a hem on a beaded gown needs a specialist with time.

Can these dresses be altered?

A crepe and velvet gown can be hemmed by a good tailor; beaded, feathered and embroidered pieces need a specialist. The brand’s Dubai showroom alters its own gowns by appointment. Order the size the chart gives, since a couture bodice can be taken in more easily than let out.

Which is the most comfortable for a long day?

The draped crepe and crepe georgette dresses with cape sleeves, and the two-piece sets. Heavy beading and mikado look magnificent and weigh more; save them for an evening ceremony.

Are these in stock?

Every piece on this page is live on Luxury Handbags and in the brand’s current catalogue at the time of writing, in UK sizes 4 to 18, with a 14-day return window.