Feast After Famine: What Happened to Simple?

The car in front of me slowed to a stop outside the school this morning and a darling little girl jumped out on to the sidewalk in a flowing, white ankle-length gown and veil. A First Communicant, dressed for the annual May Procession. 

Just a few minutes earlier, we passed another second grader walking along the sidewalk in an elaborate satin number with bead detailing and a long, trailing bow. 

I thought of a bridal cake topper or the toddler bridesmaid at the royal wedding who was famously photographed with a giant frown on her face as Prince William and Kate shared their first kiss on the balcony. 

No doubt, the dresses were resplendent and the girls adorable in a porcelain doll sort of way. But here's my question: When did First Communion dresses become so formal? 

Mine was a modest cotton frock that stopped just below my knees. 

Now, it seems wrong to call them dresses; they look more like gowns. 

Even my neighbor's daughter, a seventh grader I drive to school, has noticed the evolution. "The dresses are so formal now," she said as she looked out the window. "I liked mine better. It was simple."

Has anyone else noticed the difference? And, more importantly, know where I can get a pretty, plain dress for my 6-year-old? Because next year, it will be Esme jumping on to the sidewalk in front of the school, a First Communicant, dressed for the annual May Procession.