Article Fashion

Teens are often avid shoppers when it comes to everyday clothes
but when it comes to buying a prom dress
they're often lost. Prom dresses are so different than other types of clothing that unless one has experience
they can easily buy the wrong dress and feel miserable for the entire prom evening. We've put together some great tips on buying prom dresses and other formal dresses to help you avoid common mistakes.

What's the Formal Occasion?

Consider the occasion before buying a formal dress. There are many occasions that might require formal wear such as the prom or other formal dance
wedding
Quinceanera
homecoming
cocktail party
Oscar award event
and so forth. Each occasion is unique. Consider what you will be doing during the evening out. Will you dance
dine
walk
sit
move around a lot
give a speech
sing? Consider how flexible your prom dress or formal gown should be before buying.

Styles of Prom Dresses and Formal Wear

Do research online to view all the styles of prom dresses before you shop. There are many different styles
colors
hem lengths
and shapes of prom dresses that you can easily find the one that will look great on you. Some of the styles you'll find include A-line (slimming with vertical seams and flared skirt)
ball gown (natural waist line and full skirt)
mermaid (fits tight to the body and flares at knees)
and sheath (no defined waistline and horizontal line
great for shorter people).

Prom dresses come with different types of necklines such as jewel
halter
and spaghetti straps.

To find the latest fashions and styles
check out all of the major prom dress or formal wear designers such as Jovani
Flip
Tiffany
Scala
Jessica McClintock
Alyce
and Interlude. Each year
designers are finding new unique ways to design prom dresses and make prom girls shine on their special night.

Prom Dress and Formal Wear Colors

With prom dresses
the color choices are endless. There are light colors such as light pink
yellow
white
light beige
lavender
mint green
and many others. There are darker colors such as black
silver
gold
burgundy
dark blue
and dark green. The key to finding the right color is to match the color with your skin tone
hair color
and body shape. Think about what colors usually bring the most complements when wearing your regular clothing? These are likely your best colors. They blend well with your features and make your figure look great.

Some colors make plus size women look smaller (black
bright
or dark colors) while other colors can make them look larger (light colors). The same goes for someone who wants to appear fuller figured in certain spots. Choose a color and design that look great with your particular figure. And keep in mind that what looks great on your friend might not look good on you.

With other formal dresses
such as bridesmaid dresses
homecoming dresses
Oscar dresses
and pageant dresses
you might not get to choose from a wide variety of colors. Many of these events require certain colors to blend with the decorations.

Other Things to Consider

You'll also need to shop for a prom dress or other formal gown according to your budget. Look around for great dresses within your price range from the beginning so you won't go overboard. There are many styles of dresses within all price ranges and depending on the designer
the quality can vary as well.

Give yourself plenty of time for alterations if needed
especially when buying a prom dress online. You can't try it on until you receive it
so you'll want to order early enough to get alterations done before prom if necessary. Also
consider shipping costs when buying and whether there is a guarantee.

Think ahead to how you can accessorize your prom dress or formal wear. You'll need shoes
jewelry
hose
possibly a hairpiece
a handbag
and other accessories. Be sure the color and style you choose can be easily matched with other items.

You can shop online to find prom dresses by popular designers and choose from many styles and colors. The prices are often lower also. Online formal wear shops usually offer formal dresses for all occasions including evening dresses
summer dresses
prom dresses
homecoming dresses
and many others. Start looking early so you can secure the prom dress of your dreams.