We are seeing a lot of sleeveless dresses with empire waists and simple adornments like tiny bows. The fabrics tend to be chiffon, crepe and matte satin, but especially chiffon. Many come with shawls for church or evening air. Popular colors are muted pastels and earthy tones like smoke gray, smoke blue, dusty rose and stone. Navy and forest green are still popular colors for winter weddings.

There are also some new and different styles that aren't so new and different as they might seem. Many would have looked just right on Jackie Kennedy or Audrey Hepburn. There are two-piece linen outfits, short dresses and other styles that look like they came straight out of the sixties but with modern panache.

We offer simple advice for choosing bridesmaids' dresses: don't bring everyone. Bring your mother and your maid of honor. Keep everyone's figure in mind when you're looking at styles. But don't bring everyone. This tends to turn the experience into a free-for-all with everyone wanting a different dress.

It should be the bride's choice. She is also seeing the sleeker styles of dress and adds taupe and putty to the list of newer popular colors. She still sees a lot of navy and periwinkle. We advise brides to shop early for their bridesmaids' dresses. She also adds a special warning to mothers: don't neglect your own dress! In our experience mothers often wait until the last minute to buy their own dress for the wedding. They look on the racks at department stores and can't find what they want. Then they go to a bridal boutique and find just the right thing only to discover that it won't arrive in time for the wedding. The mother needs to be just as selective and time-conscious as the bride.