How to Choose the Perfect Prom Dress

There are very few times in your life when you get to wear a truly glamorous, jaw-dropping dress. Why not make your prom night one of those times with a beautifully flattering, perfect prom dress? Read on to find out how.

Steps

• Begin your search for your prom dress early. You may not have a date yet, but you will want to start looking at fashion magazines and stores as early as three to four months before your prom.
• Plan your budget for your prom dress and begin saving as soon as possible. Be sure to allow extra cash for small accessories like hair clips, panty hose, and make-up.
• Watch some celebrity red carpet events and take notes on your favorite styles. You may just be able to find a similar prom dress in your local boutique.
• Try on dresses in a variety of different styles and cuts to find the one that works best for your body. If you have a slim figure, you may look best in a sheath-style dress that shows off your silhouette. If you are curvy, you may want to consider an A-line dress that will highlight your waist and minimize your hips and thighs. If you're short and petite, dress shopping may be a nightmare; cocktail dresses become full gowns and party dresses become cocktail dresses. If you're looking for a longer dress, look for a short dress that is long on you. It will fit better and will fit you everywhere else without being too long.
• Once you have narrowed your choices to one particular prom dress style, try on that style in a variety of different colors and finishes. Look for a glamorous shade that brings out color in your face. When choosing a fabric finish, keep in mind that shinier finishes will tend to show off figure flaws while matte finishes will obscure and diminish undesirable features.
• Lay by your dress and then start shopping for shoes and accessories, this should be done in advance of 2 or more months for the Prom or Formal date. This way, if you have chosen shoes and bag you can try it all on together at the Dress Shop, if you change your mind, you can atleast return the nag and shoes if time allows, and you will only have to pay the layby fee rather than getting stuck with an expensive dress no one else would necessarily want.
• Plan to choose and purchase your prom dress at least four to six weeks before your prom. Most formal gowns (including prom dresses) require alterations for a perfect fit, and you will want to allow enough time to complete these alterations.
• Make sure that you don't purchase your dress to far in advance, as before big events you can easily loose and gain weight, from stress or anything else, e.g. periods, boyfriend troubles, stress, season (winter vrs Spring).
• A couple of weeks before your prom, try on your dress with your shoes, jewelry, make-up, and hairstyle to be sure you like the finished look. Walk and move around in your prom dress a little to give it a comfort check.
• On the night of your prom, put your dress on before applying make-up or styling your hair. This will prevent any make-up smudges or product stains on your perfectly glamorous prom dress.
  

Tips

• If the prom issues of fashion and teen magazines have not come out by the time you are ready to start your search, check out some online stores and prom planning sites for ideas. They often have much more information than the typical print magazine and fewer advertisements to wade through.
• Bring a friend or two along when you are trying on dresses. It is always better to get two or three opinions on such an important purchase.
• On the other hand, you may want the dress to be a surprise. Or your friends may have a completely different style to you. Instead take your mum with you or even your sister (if she is close to your age or older than you).
• If you put on your dress before doing hair and make up then drape a towel or put on, and button up, a button up shirt over your dress to prevent make up smudges and accidents with food, drink, make up, hair spray, little brothers, etc.

Warnings

• Sometimes when shopping with friends, especially for a big item such as a Formal or Prom Dress, they can say it doesn't look good, thought it might, as they want it. So take your mum or sister first, and choose a few dresses, then take friends for final selection.