The waist-band is 3-inch wide elastic. both love and hate sewing-in wide, exposed elastic on a gathered skirt; it is a a pain to do, but looks great! It's an instant hour-glass figure (I don't have one, but I like to pretend I do by wearing the right clothes)!
These pictures were taken at the Marine Museum
in Quantico, VA. It is an absolutely awesome museum; my husband has declared it his hands-down favorite! The girls liked it, too especially the more kid-friendly exhibits, but there were some (like the Cold War reenactment) that made them a little uneasy. My kids aren't frightened easily, so use your discretion if you have more tender-hearted children.
As an example of how my kids are:
When Punky was in kindergarten, we drove past some wild turkeys; I pointed them out. She says, "let's get a gun and shoot them! I'm sure they taste better than the turkey at Publix! [grocery store in the south]" No one in our family hunts!