AisleDash

Oscar de la Renta's 2008 bridal collection reiterates what it is that makes the de la Renta name synonymous with Old Hollywood glamour: these gowns are over-the-top elegant, with lavish embellishments and huge silhouettes. They are classic extravagant bridal attire, the kind that every little girl dreams of wearing, and every grown up girl aspires to afford.

In the face of a recession, Jenna Bush's decision to have Oscar de la Renta design her wedding gown is an important statement about money and power and place of couture in our economy. We love the idea of the designer gown, created by the designer himself; we love the idea of a style that is simultaneously timeless and of the moment. And perhaps just now, when we are watching the price of gasoline rise and rise and rise, we love the idea of a gown that is entirely frivolous and beautiful and not intended to be utilitarian at all.