Gown

Debutantes and celebrities went to Suky Rosan to be outfitted for their weddings, and for good reason: "I believe you make big days out of the big days," the owner of one of the Main Line's most exclusive bridal salons once said. "That's what separates us from the animals. " Ms. Rosan, 85, died Thursday at her Haverford home. For more than 30 years, the former model and fashion commentator matched brides such as Allen Iverson's wife, Tawanna, and WCAU-TV (Channel 10) news anchor Renee Chenault-Fattah with the perfect gown.

For a glimpse of the unpretentious couple beneath his royal uniform and her flowing gown, venture beyond London to the countryside of Scotland, Wales and England.

All worked up over being selected, Isabella Power of Norristown exults after being named Ms. Vintage Philadelphia yesterday. The pageant was part of the final day of the Age Expo at the Convention Center. Power, 76, was chosen over nine other women, all over 55, after a competition involving talent, poise and evening-gown segements.

ERIE - The bride wore a gown. The groom did, too. Given the setting, it was only appropriate. Cassy Messenger and Derek McBride had planned a beach wedding, but they ended up exchanging vows in a hospital chapel Saturday after McBride tumbled down a set of stairs on their wedding day, the Erie Times-News reported. McBride broke three ribs and suffered a punctured, collapsed lung in the fall. He was admitted to St. Vincent Health Center but didn't want to postpone the big day. Relatives and St. Vincent nurses decorated the chapel with medical-glove balloons and bows made of gauze.

Hats were just as important at Friday's royal wedding as the gown of Duchess Catherine of Cambridge. London's genius milliner Philip Treacy was responsible for the origami-like drama atop the heads of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice. Treacy also designed Victoria Beckham's posh hat. But my fave belonged to Queen Elizabeth. Her buttercup ensemble was cheery, thanks to Angela Kelly, but the hat was adorable. It was all about pomp, circumstance, and standing out. - Elizabeth Wellington

It could have been the '60s Sunday night as beehive hair, cat's-eye makeup, sequins and bright colors made a fashionable comeback for the 47th annual Emmy Awards. Stars glammed up in low-cut gowns, coiffed in styles that required hairpins and heavy-duty lacquer, and dripping in borrowed diamonds. Leading the retro fashion parade were Lisa Kudrow of "Friends" in a gold halter gown by Debra McGuire with matching sunglasses, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus of "Seinfeld," who got a big crowd reaction in a slinky velvet Armani gown with a V-neckline that plunged to the navel.

All I can remember thinking was, "There goes Rehoboth," as the costs mounted for my daughter Jaida's senior prom four years ago. It looked as if our annual beach respite would be sacrificed for the perfect gown. Cha-ching. The right shoes. Cha-ching . The professionally done hair and makeup. Cha-ching . Limo rental, photos, spending money. Cha-ching cha-ching cha-ching . Heck, this wasn't a school dance. It was the dress rehearsal for her wedding. Yet it was worth every penny as I watched Jaida descend the stairs that night.

Alas, there was nothing to compare to Bjork's swan-dive dress of 2001, something so marvelously bizarre as to be more memorable than anything in the height of taste. These are the moments that Oscar watchers wait for: Angelina Jolie's vampira ensemble, Barbra Streisand's diaphanous pantsuit, Kim Basinger's one-armed gown. And, alas, even the telecast was one of the best in history. Best actress Halle Berry entered the Kodak Theatre a winner in the evening's best gown. Eschewing her habitual Valentino, Berry and her stylist, Phillip Bloch (honey, every diva has a stylist)

Three weeks after wearing a lilac gown at her brother's wedding in Greece, a maid of honor was in court yesterday on charges of assaulting the bridal-shop owner who sold her the dress. Police said that on June 1, Anastesiz Aslanidow, 42, smacked Lillian Jackson twice with her purse after learning that her gown alterations were not completed. She then grabbed the dress and left Lillian's Bridal Salon on West Chester Pike. Aslanidow also threatened a witness who was writing down her license-plate number, police said.