Kid's Flower Girl Dress

The garment is an occasion dress, but the buying problem is different. Color has to match a gown you are not holding, the fit has to be right on a fixed date months away. The dress has to survive a long day of standing, sitting and being photographed from every angle.

White is not one color. Ivory, champagne, diamond white and bright white all hide under the same word in a listing, and two makers using the same word will not match in daylight. Ordering a swatch before the dress is the only reliable way to settle it, and many makers send one for the cost of postage. Sashes are usually a separate ribbon, which is why they can be swapped or dyed to the wedding palette when the dress itself cannot.

Made-to-order styles often take six to twelve weeks, plus time for alterations, so the order date matters as much as the size. Where a wedding is closer than that, an off-the-shelf occasion dress in a neutral shade does the job and leaves room to hem it.

A standard occasion dress is the same construction without the matching duty, available immediately and usually cheaper. Play dresses and sundresses have no place in a wedding party. Sweater dresses cover a winter wedding only if the party is dressed informally, which is a conversation to have before you order anything.

Children between about three and eight are the usual range. The younger end needs a dress that can be sat on, spilled on and slept in on the way home. Back closures should have a fabric guard and a hook above the zip, since that hook is what stops the top opening during the aisle walk. Steam the dress on arrival and store it in a breathable garment bag rather than plastic, which yellows white fabric over months. Anything with a hoop or heavy netting travels better lying flat across a back seat than crushed into a case.