Mother of the bride The modern way to dress

Somewhere between fascinators and foliage, there’s a sartorial sweet spot – here’s Anna Murphy’s no-fuss guide for mothers of brides and grooms

It’s your daughter’s moment, but it’s also your moment. It’s one of the most important days in her life, but also in yours. And just as it matters what she wears, your daughter – once upon a time your baby, now a gorgeous woman about to walk down the aisle and live happily ever after – it matters what you wear too.

Firstly, don’t get stressed. Enjoy it. What’s not to like about getting to spend some time and money on yourself? Sure, there’s some fuss involved, but that fuss should be fun. I call it fnuss…

Secondly, you know you are going to be a centre of attention, so you want to look your best. And therein lies the secret of nailing mother of the bride

dressing. It’s about your best, not someone else’s idea of what that might be. So you should dress in a way that is true to who you are. If you are a trousers person, don’t feel you have to wear a dress. If you love hats, buy one; if you don’t, don’t. There are only two rules that can’t be broken: no white, and no black.

Other things to ensure… that you are all-day comfortable, and that includes your footwear. That neither your hair nor your make-up looks too “done” (there’s nothing more ageing). That you have gone the less-is-more route: fussy looks fussier still in photographs. And don’t buy any one-hit wonders: invest in pieces that you will wear again.

That’s it. Remember: fnuss.