I’m sorry I have been scarce on the forum as have been crazy trying to get work battened down and also help DD with wedding items, now down to the wire!

I would love any input on both the Friday dinner outfit ideas and on some accessories for MOTB dress.

Our family dinner Friday night (not a true rehearsal) before the wedding will be in a relatively informal restaurant. My DD is dressing up a bit with a chic peplum dress and heels, but she does not expect others to be as dressy. We do not know most of the groom’s family and haven’t had much “dress code” discussion so I think I am erring on dressier or “smarter”,maybe, to be sure I honor his family’s occasion. My own relatives, including GOTB and older aunts, are not likely to be very dressy or trendy. I want to wear pants in air-conditioning. I’m stuck on how modern or traditional to go and whether I have what I need to do either, or something else.

Pic 1: I had always thought I would do tan/khaki pants and linen jacket with some color added via top and accessories because that’s been my summer style. Shown is such outfit but with not the right pants—my slightly slimmer cut pants are at the tailor’s. Still, it looks totally blah and frumpy than seems right to me now. After the photo I realized a more dressy or interesting top & bag would help-doh. The pants are at the tailor because I had had the hem let down on a petite size, but the crease never came out, so I’m having them re-hemmed back up! Problem there is that I have to wear a very flat shoe with those pants.

#2 is track pants and a possible floral jacket—Laundry from TJMaxx. Shown with peep-toe wedges, which I normally would never wear for my own family restaurant dinners or “casual,” but could for this to dress up the pants, and I like the look. Would cover up the drawstring via some kind of top styling and not do semi-tuck for this event.

Can’t show any new outfits with the EF gray silk pants because they’re also at tailor to take up waist. But shown in # 7 is a reprised photo from when I first tried some stylings. Honestly the gray is a little harder for me to style right now because it seems to call for lighter tops & jackets & footwear, so not sure I have it all together yet, but comments are welcome. There is an interesting difference in the pants, in that the gray silk is more luxurious in a way, but the pants are longer and scrunch more at the ankles, while the black doesn’t “show” so much detail and may be less "in your face" as a relaxed pant.

Also shown are trial Lucky metallic pointy toe flats that I thought would really be fresh, but I may not be able to keep—they are cut just where my bunion or callous peeks out, and though it doesn’t hurt, I think it may be bad to show a knobby part of foot and I will just have to stick to a higher-cut shoe.

Because I’m not sure of “the crowd,” I feel more at a loss for what I’m aiming for.

Final pics are :

--MOTB dress with 2 wraps. One is silky gray no fringe that I think looks more formal but isn’t very warm. The fringed one is a “water” pashmina which is a lightweight blend. It is bigger and a bit warmer but I don’t like fringe as much and it’s a lighter gray.

--MOTB dress shown with gray faux pearl necklace because I've got so much neck, vs my original plan was to forego any necklace due to the high neckline and sequin detail.

Questions for the Fabbers include:

Please point me in some direction! I like the track pants outfit proportions (other solid tops are possible options) but was worried--are any kind of slouchy or track pants too informal for such event? Or maybe worse, would I look like I’m trying too hard to be “trendy ”? Is the black outfit too much black for warm spring weather, or do the other bright colors help? Is the linen blazer “safer” and more traditional if I could figure out less frumpy pants and top, if it’s not too late? Or go back to SYC and find some other options?

2) Comments on wraps and necklace yay or nay.

I 'll be grateful if anyone tackles even one of these issues! Thanks for any input!