Help me, Internet! You're my only hope.

I'm feeling a little like Jo and Meg March at the moment. Remember when they were freaking out over what to wear to the Lawrence boy's party because they only had one pair of clean gloves between them, and Jo had scorched the back of her dress? No? Just me?

Well, anyway, I'm in something of the same fix, because next month, I'll have three formal events in the same week. Two will be in Washington, DC, and one will be right after I get back to Chicago.

Here's my problem. Three formal events doesn't leave me with enough time to have a dress cleaned. And what if my suitcase gets lost? I'll be stranded in a hotel room, improperly dressed, weeping into my vintage copy of Emily Post's The Blue Book of Social Usage.

So I'm shopping for evening dresses.

I already own one extremely reliable black dress with a matching jacket from St. John knits. It's as dull as dull can be, but it cost more than I'd ever spent on a single outfit, so damned if I'm not going to pull it out and wear it whenever possible. I'll save that dress for Chicago, where there's a good chance that it will still be chilly.

I popped for the matching jacket (not pictured) because it covers my back and arms, which don't look like hers.

That leaves me with the two formal events to dress for, in April, in Washington, DC.

Internet, help me out. I'm posting screenshots of the possibilities that are currently in my shopping cart at Nordstrom--a store I've grown increasingly fond of as I get older.

Among other reasons for this, Nordstrom (rather delightfully) has a category in the dress section of their website called "Mother of the Bride." I may not be the mother of a bride, but I'm certainly old enough to be one. It's a relief to browse there and know that I'm not going to see a lot of abbreviated satin poufs and other prom dress monstrosities. 

As for what I'm looking for, I have the simplest of needs when it comes to evening wear. As far as I'm concerned, a dress only has to:

1. not require anything really adventuresome in the way of a brassiere

2. not bare an unseemly amount of flesh

3. be dry-cleanable.

That last one sounds self-evident, considering what dresses cost. But you wouldn't believe the number of dresses I've seen that are spot-clean only. What are we, barbarians? Is some seamstress stitching her fingers to the bone only to have me wear the fruit of her labors once, then toss it into a landfill? I think not.

Anyway, do me a favor and tell me what you think.

 Oh dear. If this makes a model look a little pot-bellied, what on earth will it do to me?

The back view. Is it just me, or is there something skimpy about this dress? Especially given the price.

I like the abstract nature of the beading on this one--no swirly vines or flowers or anything like that. It's about as tailored as chiffon is going to get.

 OK, this one's a little Downton Abbey. Or Madame de Pompadour. Also, it's sleeveless. But I do like the color. Hmm.

Ah, sleeves. They're a good thing. Also, this dress comes in a lot of colors, some cheaper looking than others.

Opinions?