My twin nieces are graduating from their respective colleges on. the. same. weekend. And though I was lucky enough to have made the cut for one of the few coveted tickets allotted to each graduate to attend one niece’s ceremony, I will sadly miss the other’s graduation entirely. (Their dads have devised a mission impossible-like plan so they are able to be at both, which may involve a disguise or at the very least, a quick change at the airport.) And though I have had a dress in my closet waiting for just this occasion, I recently started to second guess my choice. Was it “quiet” enough? After all, my daughter loves to razz me that I dress like a 40 year old Italian woman. Would I easily blend into the sea of parents, grandparents, relatives and friends in attendance? Would I be able to wear flats with it if the ceremony takes place entirely on the grass? Would it work with a cardigan/shawl/ blazer incase the sun is beating down or the ac is freezing cold? And don’t even get me started should it rain. So, in my search I deduced no feathers. No black. No bright colors. Nothing too revealing or too long or with too busy a pattern. No solid white, since attending graduation is similar to that of being a wedding guest—leave the white dress for the star of the show. Is it a fabric that travels well, and can still look good after sitting all day? It shouldn’t be too fancy nor fussy nor deemed evening, but should easily go from garden party vibes directly to dinner afterward. In essence, a dress that is not too anything, but still fab enough to want to buy it AND wear it. But above all, and to me most importantly, I don’t want to take anything away from my niece’s big day by being referred to by one of her friends as “your aunt with the (fill in the blank with Gen Z slang) dress.” So here’s what I’ve narrowed it down to.