auntjen, DH (and therefore I) have had to go to a couple of not-particularly-liked co-workers' weddings purely for office politics. He didn't give crap one about the co-workers (and I wouldn't have known them had they stopped me on the street and kicked me in the shins) but had he not shown up things would not have gone very well for him in the office. Some workplaces are just lousy like that, if you don't participate in the "office culture" you're sunk at review time. There were other "unwritten-but-really-required" activities like the bar-hops and expensive restaurant lunches (of course not paid for by the employer) for stuff like birthdays and departures that contributed to his leaving that job. Things like that added up very fast, and DH was the lowest-paid person in the office by a BIG margin - like there were several people in that office making 10x what DH did. At the time I had ONE nice dress, and it was the standard all-occasion, all-season "little black dress" with princess seams and elbow-length sleeves. I wore brightly-colored accessories - shoes, purse, and chunky vintage jewelry from Goodwill ;-) - and didn't get any guff from anyone.

I heard on tv somewhere that her dress was silk cotton lace - that sounds soft and lovely to me. I can't get enough of the pictures of the entire wedding party and guests LOL, not sure why it has such a fascination to me. I also remember being entranced with Diana at her wedding and afterwards when her babies were born, I just never got tired of seeing them. I also fondly remember following Tricia Nixon Cox and Julie Eisenhower when they were married, and I even took a day off from work to watch Tara and Phillip get married on All My Children (that was pre-vcr recording days)! I'm sure when I put my mind to it I'll remember some more weddings that fascinated me. Oh right, Jenna Bush Hager just popped into my head. And Katie Couric's second wedding looked lovely! I guess I could keep going!

If anyone is still following this thread, can I ask one more favor? Background: I am definitely going with the long floral dress. It goes to the floor on me and I will wear black pumps. But here's the favor-- I need a bag. I cannot stand another minute looking on Amazon (Prime as I need it this week) and I saw nothing I liked at Lord & Taylor. I would like a pop of color in a bag. I am drawn to pink. I would love a velvet bag (wedding is just barely in September.) Yes/ no to pink? If I go black then I am all set with several that I already own. My hair will be up, and I am wearing drop pearl earrings with a teeny bit of rhinestone bling. They are very simple. Based on advice here, I will most likely forgo any necklace (no pearls, I promise!) Any bag suggestions that will get here this week? It doesn't have to be great quality as I won't have many more occasions to use it. Thanks! Jo

annie, you are right about the meger selection in the department stores at the moment. I saw that when I went to buy my 9 year old grandson a few new garments, at Kohls. I swear that there were no more than about six racks or shelves of anything, at all in that section. And, most of it was the same old, same old stuff on every one of them. All of it was awful synthetic stuff. I walked out empty handed and havent been back to Kohls since. The womens clohtes were just as limited and just as awful. Online purchasing is becoming more necessary when the stores are declining so very much. With online ordering you never know what it feels like, or where any element is going to rest on your figure. I simply cannot do it or be bothered with all of that shipping back and forth. So glad that I can sew, although about the only thing that I can find to sew with anymore is linen that I do order online. The quality of this vendor is consistent and reliable and there are no fitting issues involved with the ordering. I am convinced that many of these fashion photos are altered to make the models legs look so absurdly long! I have seen some that are so exaggerated that it is almost laughable. Shopping for just about anything has become a chore.