Choosing the Perfect Prom Dress
Your Prom is one of the most important days in your life. For that reason, choosing the absolute perfect prom dress is vital to getting the most out of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. After all, a prom dress isn’t just a dress; it’s the difference between feeling wonderful and beautiful, and feeling like you look “okay.”
Your quest for the perfect Prom dress should begin with a little research. No, this isn’t English class - but by looking through magazines, compiling pictures of looks you like, and watching TV, you save time and hassle in the stores! Put all of your pictures into a scrapbook, and make notes about what you like and don’t like. Watch award shows on television, and pay close attention to what the “stars” are wearing on TV - they tend to have insight into the hottest new trends.
Start your hunt for the perfect prom dress by mentally formulating what you want for the prom. Magazines, especially teen magazines have a lot of pictures of prom dresses. There are many websites that sell prom dresses too, and you can check them out. It is good to start the search for your dress early, since it gives you time to decide what the perfect dress for you should look like. You will realize that there will be dresses that you like, such as strapless or backless gowns, they might not suit you best, or see better options which do not match your vision, such as a short dress which looks amazing on you when you wanted a long dress all along!
Pickup prom dresses are also popular for plus size shoppers. These are ball gowns with the skirt fabric gathered and pinned to create lovely patterns all around. There are also great tea-length prom dresses in plus sizes that are made to hide certain areas while placing emphasis on the face and upper portions of the body. These can be worn below the knees or at tea-length for those with heavy legs.
What colors are in style for prom dresses? For the prom in 2007 you will see some new colors you have not seen in fashion for a while like navy and burgundy gold, raspberry, purple orange, black and white, and all the fun prom colors like turquoise, lime and fuchsia. Girls always love purple and this year for the prom you will see the best purple gowns. Royal blue is a real hot color this year. Gold and silver will be important and the new metallic lamé fabrics will show you off to the limit.
Trends include sweetheart necklines, plunging backs, one-shoulder looks, halters and high necks. For the skirts, flattering A-lines rule. Also out there are splashy mermaid or trumpet skirts that billow below the knees, skirts with revealing leg slits and slimming pleated skirts. The tube shape is not as popular, Buchanan said. Fabrics for them include silk, satin, chiffon and jersey.
The mother-daughter dialogue while prom dress shopping is exactly the same — whether it’s at the mall or at Sunday’s second annual prom dress giveaway, sponsored by Princess & the Prom. The four-hour event at the Hilton Garden Inn in Windsor offered a way to ease the significant financial burden of that spring ritual — the prom.
