THE JUNIOR BRIDESMAID

 The junior bridesmaid is hardly a modern invention. Children and young girls have been part of European wedding parties for centuries, sometimes making up much of the bridal procession. Today, the junior bridesmaid generally occupies that rather interesting territory between flower girl and adult attendant—and dressing her calls for a little thought.

 By fourteen or so, a girl can often wear the same dress as the adult bridesmaids, or at least a younger interpretation of it. But what about the girl of nine, ten, eleven or twelve? She's usually outgrown the very youthful flower-girl dress, yet putting her into a scaled-down version of an adult bridesmaid gown can make her look as though she's wearing someone else's clothes.

 This is where good design comes in. A junior bridesmaid's dress should acknowledge her age without making her look either younger or older than she is. Simple silhouettes, beautiful fabrics and thoughtful proportions usually work better than excessive decoration. The dress can relate to the rest of the wedding party through color, fabric or a particular design detail without having to duplicate the adult bridesmaids exactly.