pink or purple dresses Evening Dress line silhouette flows gracefully into a floor Pink Lilac Embellished V Neck

Petite: Choose vertical crystal patterns and avoid overwhelming ball gown styles

This dress is dry-clean optional but can also be washed at home on a delicate cycle

Don't use a Sweet Cornbread - we're not going for the Jiffy cornbread mix here, it's too sweet for dressing

At press time, it's unclear which designer is behind the thigh-length look, complete with a sweetheart neckline and thin straps

Chart A: Ladies' Adult Concert Choir and Show Choir Dresses, Tunics, Skirts & Jumpsuits All measurements in inches

Ranging from the buttoned-up gowns of the late 17th century to the cutting-edge designs of the early 21st, the dresses reflect the sensibilities and excesses of each era while providing a vivid picture of how styles have changedsometimes radicallyover the years