The clothes for a male guest attending an Amer-ican wedding are quite sim-ple: suits, shirts and neckties. Those for a female guest are however not so simple. Wedding etiquette in Ameri-ca forbids the wearing of a white dress to any female guest except the bride. You canwear fire-engine red, you can wear cream but you can't wear white.

　　Female wedding guests are supposed to look elegant and bridesmaids are sup-posed to look pretty without eclipsing the central charac-ter. It's the bride's day. Bridesmaids' gowns are in-variably cut tothe knee and mostly chosen in innocuous shades of lilac and mint green. These extra women are supposed to function like human floral arrangements, beautiful but artfully blended into the scenery.

　　If you go to a formal wed-ding, you had better pull out the pearls and consider black lace or a pretty little suit. A formal wedding commands respect especially if the cere-mony is in a traditional tem-ple or cathedral.

　　If you go to your daughter's wedding, it is important to look lovely but be yourself. Dignity is the key for this oc-casion. If you are to attend your best friend's wedding, choose a simply-cut dress.You might be dancing all night, you might be carrying the bride to the limo...wear a lower heel for both!