A dress for the other mom in my life

Who doesn't love shopping?? FMIL's search for a mother of the groom (MOG) gown continued and she asked if I minded tagging along. Uhm, do I?! Our destination: King of Prussia Mall. It's the largest mall on the East Coast -- if we couldn't find something among the high-end retailers and boutiques, we couldn't find it anywhere. (Which turned out to be the case...)

source via Chester County CVB
Looking for a formal gown for a summer wedding isn’t easy in the winter. Most of the inventory was black or other dark colors. And since black is her go-to clothing color (borderline favorite), she wears it quite frequently. On the opposite end of the spectrum (hah!), there's me. Wearing black suppresses my color-loving nature so I avoid it. Keeping in mind that it is a summer wedding and she is not mourning the marriage of her son, I’ve asked her to please, pretty please, wear anything but black.

My mom, grandmother and aunt found their gowns last summer. None of them wanted to take their chances and wait for the 2011 spring/summer collections. Mom is wearing this dress, only in deep pink.

London Times @ Macy's
On a previous shopping trip, FMIL found a navy Kay Unger dress that really flatters her shape but she is continuing to look for something more cheerful and exciting.

Kay Unger 9125 @ Macy's
In preparation for our shopping day, I scoured the Nordstrom & Neiman-Marcus websites (understanding what's online isn't always available in stores) with FMIL's taste, desire for a short dress, and petite size in mind.


Another Kay Unger in pretty metallic rose - source

Adrianna Papel @ Nordstrom

Adrianna Papel again @ Nordstrom

JS Boutique @ Nordstrom
One-shoulder gowns are very popular this year; however, this style does not work for her. We tried many different silhouettes and fabrics, none of them were close to what we considered flattering.
Audrey in Magenta & Slender in Apricot Anna Elyse
From my wedding binder's magazine tear-outs of MOB/MOG dresses, I really liked this sassy one-shoulder Anna Elyse gown that comes in a veritable rainbow of colors and silhouettes, but the hassle of ordering online, shipping, etc isn't worthwhile. But, as I said before, we discovered one-shoulder wouldn't work.

Slightly frustrated and ever hopeful, we left the mall empty-handed. (That never happens!) The wedding is less than three months away. I'm thinking we should stick with the navy Kay Unger dress she has and pair it with fun accessories.

Where did your MOG/MOB find her dress? Any tips for successful out of season dress shopping?