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How to Choose a Prom Dress

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Fashion  |  Beauty & Style  |  How Tos

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  • Prom is coming up, and you have your eye on the perfect date, but do you have a plan for your dress? Prom dress shopping doesn't have to be a dramatic affair. If you plan ahead, you can find the prom dress of your dreams at a price that's not a nightmare. Our guide, how to choose a prom dress, will help you choose the dress that's right for your body type, style and budget.

  • Introduction

    • Prom season is here again. The mad dash to find the perfect dress at the right price that parents and their daughters can agree on—it's not easy. Finding the dress can be tougher than finding a date, it seems. The key to a chic prom dress that doesn't rival your first college tuition payment is to start early. Get a sense of what you like, what you can afford, and what will work on your body.
    • Keep reading to learn the steps to choosing a prom dress you can happily dance the night away in—and be able to look back on all those prom night photos without embarrassment.
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  • Step 1: Determine Your Budget

    • Before you proceed, you'll want an idea of your budget so you can determine what dresses are within reason.
    1. Even though you're far from purchasing your prom dress, having a sense of price range will help you narrow your options.
    2. Figure out how you will pay for the dress. Will your parents pay? Will you be paying on your own? Or, will it be a combination, like Evin Roper's agreement to chip in to get the dress she really wanted?
    3. Keep in mind that dresses are available at all prices; just because a dress is expensive doesn't mean it's automatically chic.
    4. If budget is a serious hurdle for you this season, be sure to look into all the programs that make prom dresses available at affordable prices, or for free, like the Fairy Godmother Project or The New York Times Neediest Fund.

  • Step 2: Find Inspiration

    • Arming yourself with pictures of dresses you like will make narrowing down the search easier.
    1. Fashion magazines like TeenVogue are always a good place to start, though keep in mind they might not always adhere to your budget.
    2. This season, TeenVogue features 50s-inspired dresses and shows how you might get creative with a tulle skirt and t-shirt.
    3. Many trend experts will give interviews to discuss what's hot this season. Recently on ABC, a trend forecaster said the following were popular this year:
        • Animal prints
        • Bold colors
        • Jewel detailing
        • Prints and patterns
        • Ruffles
    4. Boutique owners like Hollis Smith say that pastels are definitely out and have been replaced by jewel tones.
    5. Why not watch some old prom movies to get some ideas of great dresses from the past? Gather a bunch of friends and analyze the dresses in prom hits like 10 Things I Hate About You, Pretty in Pink, Mean Girls, and Saved!. To find out how truly scary prom can be, don't forget Carrie!
    6. Many girls find inspiration from films that have nothing to do with prom. After Keira Knightley's 1930s green gown made its debut in the film Atonement, many girls wanted one like it.
    7. Also think about your style icons: Madonna? Kate Moss? Beyonce? Track down some of their best looks in old magazines or online and think about how you might recreate the look or narrow your search according to one of their styles.
    8. Magazines on the newsstands right after an event like the Oscars can be great to help you find styles you like, too. And you can always find post-award dress dish on sites like Pop Sugar or Style.com.

  • Step 3: Start Looking

    • For better or worse, the best way to look for prom dresses is to try on a whole bunch of them. Start looking early—you don't want to hit the stores after they've been ravaged by every other teenagers in search of the perfect frock.

  • Assess Your Body Type

    • It's important to have a sense of what looks good on you before starting the search for dresses.
    1. Think about dresses you may have worn in the past and what looked good. You might want to dig out old photos, too.
    2. Some general guidelines for different body types are:
    3. Remember that shinier fabrics like silk charmeuse and satin can make figure flaws more noticeable, while matte fabrics—fabrics that don't reflect light—will be more flattering
    4. Also consider the length of your gown. You may want to find out what your friends are wearing and whether short or long is traditional at your school (not that you can't buck tradition—remember Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink?).

  • Start Looking Online

    • No matter where you live, you can browse online to find the dress of your dreams. But you won't be able to try it on until it arrives at your door.
    1. "Window shopping" online is a great way to start figuring out what you like. Whether you buy the dress online or not, you'll start to get an idea of what you are looking for in a dress.
    2. Check out a site like PromSpot, which will let you enter in info about the designers and price you're looking for, and then will tell you what stores in your state carry dresses that meet your specifications.
    3. eDressMe also has a great selection of prom looks, along with a guide that helps you choose dresses by silhouette, color, style, and price.

  • Hit the Stores

    1. For personal attention, a small boutique can be a great way to find the right prom dress and start narrowing down the shapes and colors that look as good on you as they did on the girls in the pictures you've collected.
    2. For a less personal touch but a huge selection, a department store is a good place to start trying on lots of different dresses to find what you like.
    3. National chains like Macy's, Bloomingdale's, J.C. Penny, and Dillard's can likely be found in a mall near you and will have an entire section devoted to prom and a host of styles and prices to choose from. They often have knockoffs of dresses celebrities have worn at recent award shows, too.
    4. Don't forget the treasures you might find at a vintage store nearby. No girl wants to show up in the same dress as someone else, and a vintage dress will guarantee a unique look. Or, shop eBay to find the exact dress you're looking for.
    5. The average girl tries on at least 20 prom dresses before finding the one, so be patient. And don't be too picky in the beginning; how a dress looks on the hanger is not a good indication of how it will look on you.
    6. Don't get talked into a dress you don't truly love. You might need to try on a bunch and disagree with a salesperson who is trying to convince you that a particular dress is right for you, but it will be worth it.
    7. And don't forget to bring a friend, your mom or an older sister to help you figure out what looks good.

  • Conclusion

    • Shopping for a prom dress is a rite of passage for many teenage girls. Finding the perfect dress is the start to an evening you'll remember for years to come, and one that will be heavily documented for many a future boyfriend or family get together. If you are patient, start shopping early to get the dress you want. If you are realistic about what will look good and what is within your budget, you're sure to find a dress that makes you feel terrific and that you'll happily look back on in all those photos.

  • Resources for How to Choose a Prom Dress


 


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