OK you guys know I am impatient, picky and persistent, and a perfectionist to boot. Which means you have to suffer through my exploring every last option when I'm looking for a particular item! Hope you don't mind too much--that's just my M.O. for finding the perfect item! Nothing like learning by trying on! And as MaryK said about me earlier, anything worth doing is worth doing to excess!

My sister is getting married this fall, and her colors are royal blue and white. My DD is going to be a flower girl (along with her other cousins, all girls) and DS is going to be a ringbearer. She said she is not going to have bridesmaids, but will have me and DH, my sister and her DH and my brother and his wife walk down the aisle first so we can be up at the front to collect the kids as they come down the aisle. So she has asked me & my sister & SIL to wear royal or cobalt blue dresses. Therefore, it has to be a nice outfit since even though I'm not officially in the wedding party, I'll be walking down the aisle with everyone looking at me! It's going to be a 5 pm outdoor wedding in Sedona AZ, so probably will be warm. But the evening reception is to follow, so I'll want some sort of wrap or cardigan in case it gets chilly.

So here are the first seven contenders for the cobalt blue dress. I have a few more options coming later this week but I thought I'd start narrowing it down so I can return some of these (mostly from Nordstrom). Is there one that is a clear favorite? If not, what are your top three picks? Any losers? I am curious to see what you think of these! Thanks so much!

1-8. Thought I'd start with the most unusual one. I was struck by this Flocked Cobalt dress on the cover of the latest Anthro catalog. (It is shown with a separately sold collar bib necklace in the picture). This silhouette is a huge departure for me--I've never tried a trapeze dress so I don't really know what to think of it. It's a size 4. It has cute white puffballs all over it. Is it too short on me or too shapeless or too young looking? Should I belt it? I bought it with my birthday 15% discount, but hopefully if I have to return it they'll let me use the discount on something else.
9-12. Suzi Chin for Maggy cobalt blue dress. This is the one that Kari rocked. I think it'd look better if my bust were bigger and belly smaller but such is the lot for apples! This one I could actually wear to work, so I would get more mileage out of it.
13-15. JS Boutique sequin waist dress. This dress only comes in petite sizes. This is a 4P. I have a 6P coming later this week. For some reason I really like the swinginess and slight Grecian vibe and sequins, even though I don't normally go for this type of outfit. But the fitted empire waist definitely fits with my typical style.
16-17. Seamline for Cynthia Steffe--I like the pieced together look--it's kind of like a cross between my B44 tiered stripe dress and a cobalt version of my J Crew Origami dress with the asymmetric neck (I also have a black sheath dress that has similar diagonal paneling). It's a tiny bit loose, but size 6 was the only size available. This one could also be repurposed for work afterward. The only thing that bugs me is that the seams kind of make it look like my nipples are showing.
18-21. Adrianna Papell. This reminds me of a mermaid dress with the blue shimmery "scales". Size 6, fits really well.
22-25. Maggy London scuba dress. Interesting back, but I don't think the front is as flattering with my apple tummy.
26-30. Alex Evenings--long dress with sequin gather looks elegant and seems to be flattering on me (and I can do an Angelina Jolie imitation in 30!) but is it too matronly? I want to look like sister of the bride, not mother of the bride. But the long dress definitely would fit with the evening wedding.