It is every young girl’s dream to look the best they’ve ever looked come prom night. Wearing the most beautiful and modern looking gown is what everyone is striving for. Not forgetting shoes, accessories, hair, and make-up, a prom can be quite an expensive event. While it might not always be in the parent’s budgets to go all out, there are handy tips when it comes to shopping for a prom gown when resources are scarce.
Buying An Affordable Gown
Not all prom gowns cost an arm and a leg. There are department stores that do stock affordable stylish gowns that look great and are made of some top of the line fabrics. Usually mass-produced, you may not have the gown that your favorite actress wore on the red carpet, but you will save hundreds of dollars. These gowns are still extremely beautiful and come in all sizes and designs.
Shopping online is also a great way to stay within your budget. You can select a gown based on price to ensure you do not over spend. You can literally go through hundreds of websites comparing prices and getting identical gownes at a cheaper price possibly at every website you visit. You will be able to shop for gownes online in the comfort and convenience of your home and have it delivered to your house. Just be sure to give accurate measurements and be sure to like it. If you find the gown of your dreams online for a great price, and you know it’s what you want, don’t hesitate to make the purchase.
Budget constraints do make it a little more difficult to buy a gown that you absolutely adore. There are many stores that pride themselves on providing original gownes at affordable prices. If you have the time, take a trip to some of the smaller boutiques or shops and you will surely find beautiful creations that cost much less than designer gownes being sold in the major cities.
Another option to keep within your budget when buying a prom gown might have you considering a second hand shop or garage sale. Remember most people spend tons of money to buy a prom gown that they only wear for a few hours and then it is left hanging in a closet until you outgrow it so buying a second hand gown has a few great advantages. First of all you pay next to nothing for a gown that possibly cost the original owner a pretty penny and secondly, the gown is practically new considering it was only worn once. However, beware of buying a gown older than five years. Not only has the style dated, but who knows among which creatures that gown has been hanging since. Some friendly advice, have the gown dry cleaned before wearing it.
The 2009 prom scene is taking a cue from the catwalks of this year’s major fashion shows. How many times have you watched an award show and dreamt of wearing the gown that Beyonce is wearing? Many people think that these gownes are made specifically for the celebrities walking the red carpet or the models on the runway. In a way they are, but you can also get your own “red carpet / catwalk” gown for a reasonable price. From edgy to classic, you will find everything you love. Chances are you want to stand out at your prom. What better way to stand out than by wearing a gown that is totally unexpected. Maybe try a gown where the patterns are a bit playful, with striking graphics or a bold floral print. Also, the shorter length retro gownes are sure to be a major hit this prom season.
A major concern for many of the young ladies is that someone else may be wearing the same gown as them. These high fashion gownes are perfect for accessorizing. There is no better way to express your individuality than by putting the finishing touches on an already gorgeous gown. As long as you accessorize your gown and make it your own, everything will go smoothly. Even if someone does show up wearing the same gown as you, the accessorizing can make the two gownes completely different.
The last bit of accessorizing you should do is to find a beautiful necklace, bracelet and a set of earring that will go with the rest of your look. You can make a bold statement this year by wearing layered jewelry. Showing up to the prom with a layered necklace or bracelet can absolutely make you stand out. You could also find a set of earrings that will help draw attention to your beautiful smiling face. Once you have accomplished all this, you are ready to go and have the time of your life. Remember, you want to be different but you need to fee beautiful and comfortable as well.
Arianna Jordan is a freelance writer who writes about fashion for teens and young people, often discussing a specific topic such as prom gowns.
From their first day of high school most girls are dreaming about going to the prom. Chances are you have had an idea of what you wanted your gown to look like and feel like for some time now. You might not know exactly where to start because there are so many styles, colors and designs to choose from.
How to Choose a Prom Gown
When attempting to create a look for your prom start by paging through some magazines to get some ideas about what is in style or what some celebrities are currently wearing. Look at the latest cuts, colors and patterns and try to forecast whether those styles will still be in by the time your prom comes around. You might want to also take into consideration seasonal changes. As the weather changes, so do the colors and designs.
Cut out all the designs that appeal to you and paste it on a huge piece of cardboard. Try to stay away from designs that are too bold and daring but also from those that are boring and unoriginal. Arrange the different gowns by color or design. Color is easier because you can then see each gown in the color you like. If you have 15 different colors on a board it will be extremely cluttered and very hard to find your favorites. If you do want to sort by design, then keep the different categories separate. Another great idea is to take a full-length photo of yourself and place it in the middle of your chart. This way, you can match the best gown that will suit your body type, skin color, hair and eye color as well as height.
Once you have pasted all your favorite gowns on your chart you can now start to rank them in order. Remember not to have too many designs and only choose those gowns that you absolutely love. Do not even waste your time on the “maybes”. If you do not think you like it, you probably don’t. All your gowns should now be grouped together based on color or design, making selection easier. Now the ranking process can begin. Simply give the gowns you like the most a higher rank and the gowns you like the least a lower mark. Try to keep it on a scale of One to Five. Keep in mind what looks good on you and your photo should serve as a guide. During ranking you should be able to narrow down your selection until you find your perfect gown.
Selecting a Suitable Color
Before selecting a style for your prom gown, you should absolutely know what color you would like to wear. How you go about choosing a color is relatively simple. There are three ways this can be done. First thing you can do is to pick your favorite color. Next you can take a look in some magazines or on the internet and see what the color trend is for prom gowns. In other words, what is the new black? Lastly, you could choose a color that looks good on you. This is the color that makes you feel great and makes everyone around you take notice.
All three ways are great when it comes to selecting a color, but at the end of the day you should ultimately choose one that you feel comfortable in. If the biggest trend is orange but you feel like a pumpkin in it then you should not wear orange. Besides, there is a chance that half the prom might be wearing orange as well.
Selecting your favorite color might not always work though. You may absolutely adore white, but white will not do you justice if you are pale with red hair. Alternatively, your favorite color could be dark purple but that could not be the best color for you depending on your complexion.
Therefore, the best option may be to choose a color that looks great on you. Perhaps choose a color that, when you where it, brings compliments your way. Also, try to choose a color the does not clash with your appearance. You will automatically feel more confident in this gown knowing that it is a color you can trust.
A Prom Gown Style for Your Body
On the night of your prom, you might want to look like Charlize Theron, Halle Berry or Angelina Jolie, but let’s be realistic for a minute. Not everyone can pull this look off. You might not be tall enough to wear that long flowing gown like Gisele Bundchen or have the figure to fill out a gown like Beyonce. When choosing a style for your prom gown, be kind to your body. Just make sure you select a gown that not only compliments your size and height but gives you the confidence to have the time of your life.
Arianna Jordan is a freelance writer who writes about fashion for teens and young people, often discussing a specific topic such as prom gowns.
You have your prom dress, the perfect shoes and a fabulous bag to tuck under your arm. Your prom night look is almost complete, but no look is complete without some glitz and glam for your ears and your neck. You may not have the resources of a red-carpet diva, and you don’t need to rent million dollar gems to look fabulous on prom night either. All you need is a good eye for balance, something to guide you in choosing the perfect jewelry to accent your face and your dress. Just follow this simple guide to help you choose just the right finishing accessories for your prom night look.
• Your prom gown is center stage. Choose jewelry that accents it without upstaging it. That means choosing a few simply fabulous pieces that accent what you’re wearing, not compete with what you’re wearing. If your gown is glittered with sequins or beads, keep the jewelry simple and close to your body. A choker style necklace and post earrings with a short drop will add a bit of dazzle around your face without detracting from that perfect prom gown.
• If you’ve chosen a simple style dress, you can always get a bit more daring with the jewelry. Daring doesn’t have to mean over the top extravagant. Delicate and feminine is very in for Prom 2009. You can accent a scoop or sweetheart neckline with a pretty beaded necklace that uses crystals and pearls. Add matching earrings to sparkle at your earlobes and peek through your hair.
• Bare shoulders and an uncovered neck call for dazzling jewelry at your ears. If you’ve chosen an off the shoulder or strapless gown, accent your pretty neck with a pair of crystal chain dangling earrings or some swingy crystal loops that catch the sparkle every time you move your head. When your neck and shoulders are bare, your best choices for neck jewelry are necklaces that hug your throat or fall at the collarbone. Longer ropes or chains will look out of place and elongate your neck a bit too much.
• Keep your jewelry in proportion to your prom gown. If you’re wearing a prom princess Cinderella ball gown, go all out with the glam. You can get away with wearing a three-strand collar of pearls or a thick diamond and gemstone choker. If your prom gown silhouette is slender, choose finer chains and smaller gems and crystals.
There are exceptions, of course. An A-line halter gown could be absolutely stunning when worn with a swingy strand of pearls that almost hit your waist because they’ll echo the slim line of the dress.
• Don’t forget to dress your wrists as well. This year’s prom gowns dare to be bare, and that extends to your arms. There is hardly a sleeve to be seen anywhere, so don’t forget to accent those pretty wrists with the right jewelry. Chains, charms and crystals are all in this year. Slim chains and beads are the hottest styles, but if you want a bit more sparkle at the wrist, choose multi-strand bracelets rather than thick bands of metal. For a really unusual wrist fashion look, find an artist to stencil a temporary tattoo around your wrist that matches a color or design from your dress.
• It’s all about illusion this year. One of the most alluring looks this year is free-floating gems. You don’t want to paste them on your skin. Colored crystals and pearls strung on transparent line give the illusion that they were just placed on your skin. This look is there to dazzle the eye without any visible means of suspension. Because there’s no bulky chain to distract, you can get away with three or four strands of sparkling gems that curve at your throat. Carry on the illusion to your wrists with crystals strung on transparent and stretchy elasticized string.
• Tiaras are another hot item on this year’s prom runway fashions. A gold tiara with crystal and rhinestones really sets off those curls and swirls in your updo, but there are many other choices that may suit your style better. Zigzag wire headbands disappear into your hair making it look as if the crystals and pearls are simply set into your hairstyle. Combs and hairpins embellished with crystals, pearls and fabric flowers can be the perfect finishing touch to your prom night glam look.
Make sure that you try on your jewelry with your dress before the big night to be sure that you get the effect you want. In most cases, less is more. There is an old rule that you might want to remember. When accessorizing a dress for a special occasion, put on all the jewelry and accessories you plan on wearing, then take one piece off and you’ll have the perfect look.
Sandy Darson is a freelance blogger and writer who focuses on fashion and trends for young adults and teens such as prom jewelry.
Prom night is an extremely important event in many teenagers’ lives, so deciding what to wear should be well thought out. Odds are, both you and your friends will be looking at pictures taken on the night for many years to come. Deciding on what type of dress you want to wear for the night is a logical first step. Will it be elegant and classic or do you want a more mature look? Do you want to be flirty and fun or over the top sexy and alluring? Do you want something dark and unusual, gothic perhaps, or sporty and understated? There are so many great prom gowns and styles to choose from. Make sure the prom gown you choose is one you will feel comfortable in and will be excited to show off to your friends and your date.
Let your Personality shine through
Choosing your prom dress is about more than just pointing at a picture in a magazine. Remember that your dress must suit not only your personality; it must also suit your body shape and figure. Your prom gown should be age appropriate as well. Your prom dress should be unique, you don’t want to arrive and find three other girls wearing the same dress! However, the most important choice is the color as it has to suit your skin tone as best it can if you want to enhance your natural beauty.
Trend Setting
Color is timeless, but certain colors come and go with trends. What is in vogue this year will not be the same as last year, and a good way to decide what is this years color choices is to see what the stars are wearing on the red carpet, they have their finger on pulse when it comes to the latest trends. The classic black dress is a safe bet, but black may make you look washed out or plain, so be careful when choosing the “old stand-by”.
Why not set a trend of your own and pick a color that while not be in vogue will make you stand out in a crowd? Choose a color that will make you look as beautiful as possible. If you choose your prom gown in a color that is flattering to your skin tone you will ‘pop’ on the night. Forget about what the fashion trends are saying, if the fashionable colors do not suit you; don’t be afraid to go against the grain. What you want is to look your best.
Doing your homework
Start by asking yourself what color appeals to you, do you want something bright and fun or do you want something subdued? Do you want dark evening colors or pastels? Do you want to shimmer in gold and jewel colors or do you want to combine two or more colors?
Once you have decided on this think about how these colors will affect the tone of your skin, will they enhance it or undermine it? One way you could tell is by looking at pictures of other people who have a similar skin tone, eye and hair color. See what they are wearing and how certain colors affect their look.
What will certainly help you in your decision is if you understand your skin tone. A very simple rule of thumb is that dark and medium skin tones should steer clear of browns, blacks and oranges and fair people should avoid whites and pastels.
If you are not sure what your skin tone is, try holding something white against your face in natural light, then see if you can find either yellowish or brown tinges to your skin or perhaps blue and pink tinges. Skin tones are known to be either cool or warm, so if your skin has yellowish or brown tinges then your skin tone is known to be warm. If your skin has undertones of blue or pink then your skin tone is known to be cool. Cool skin tones look best in earth colors like reds, browns and yellows while warm skin tones look fantastic in blues, pinks, purples and greens.
This may be a difficult way for you to ascertain your skin tone, so there is another way that can help decide your prom dress; look carefully at your eyes. Traditionally eyes are blue, green or brown, but if you look carefully, you will see flecks and variations of other colors. If you have brown eyes you may see flecks of green and of you try matching your prom dress to this color variation it can be extremely flattering.
If this doesn’t work for you try looking at the clothes you have hanging in your wardrobe. Think about the colors that have earned you the most compliments, look for a common color trend, for instance, that red dress everyone raves about when you wear it. If this is the color that is most complimentary, then you can safely assume that it will be a good choice on the night. After all, your prom night is something you will look back on forever, and you want to make sure that your pictures reflect and capture your beauty.
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance blogger and writer who focuses on fashion and trends for young adults and teens such as prom gowns .
Thoughts?
Not looking to be attacked just think it is weird that they even make maternity wedding dresses. So wouldn't it be just awful if you seen a prom gown that was a maternity one?
Not including graduation, the senior prom may be the single most memorable event in a teenager high school career. For young women, this is doubly true. She’s spent all year, if not longer planning for this one big day. From the shoes on her feet to the accessories in her hair, every little detail must be extensively planned and thought out.
Choosing the perfect prom dress takes careful thought, time and patience. Many high school girls are bypassing department stores, saying no to bridal shops, and instead opt to design their own prom dress! Designing your own prom dress to have it custom made is an exciting experience, but there are a few things that you need to be sure to do during the design process.
What exactly do I want?: The decision to design your own prom dress is usually made because you want to stand out from the crowd and your custom made dress is a unique reflection of your style. If you aren’t a fashion designer by trade, coming up with an idea is often times the hardest part. Grab some a stack of magazines and check out what Hollywood stars are wearing on the red carpet. Cut the images out and create a scrapbook of design ideas. After doing this, take a trip the local department store and bridal shops. While the whole purpose of designing your own prom dress is to avoid looking like you purchased it off the rack, it’s still a good idea to check out the competition, see what fabrics are in, and get ideas.
What style of dress will look best on me?: This is an important question to answer during the dress designing process. Even if you were not designing your own prom gown, you still want to make sure the cut, length, and shape of the dress is flattering to your body. If you are top heavy, you probably do not want to design a prom dress that is very low cut. Besides the fact that it isn’t very classy, trying to adjust your dress all evening will make you very uncomfortable. If you are on the short side, a long floor length prom gown may or may not be the best option for you. A floor length gown may cause you to look even more short, so look to design a dress that will elongate your body. If you are plus size, designing your own prom gown may be the best option for you. But once again, make sure the style is fitting to your body type.
Where can I find someone to sew my custom designed prom dress?: So you’ve spent the weekend coming up with ideas, you now need the person who will actually sew the dress! It’s really best to leave the job of actually making the prom gown to a professional. If you are lucky, you may have a seamstress in your family who can do this for you – if not, you need to find someone. You can ask your friends or visit local alteration shops for references. After you’ve found your seamstress, you can go about the process of selecting the perfect print and fabric for your prom gown.
Which fabric should I select for my prom gown:? Now that you’ve found a seamstress it’s time to go fabric shopping. Consult with your seamstress first, it is important to ask if there are any limitations, restrictions are extra costs added to your total price based on what type of fabric you choose. For example, silk can be a very delicate and expensive fabric. Some seamstresses will charge a little more when a client is using silk because of this. When you’re at the fabric shop one thing you will need to remember is lighting and how a color or fabric will photograph. Bring your digital camera with you and take pictures of the various fabrics that you’re interested in. After you’ve done that, go back home and upload the digital picture to your computer. Do you still like the color? Does it look the same in photos? The fabric that appeared to be navy blue in the fabric store may actually look more like a Barney purple in your prom photos.
What about my prom date, what should he wear?: It’s so easy to forget about the guys during the prom dress designing process. But coordinating with your date is really important. Check with your seamstress to see if she’s able to design a vest, ascot, cummerbund or tie for your date. Many seamstresses will due this free of charge with the left over fabric from your gown.
This should be an exciting and stress free time in your life, so remember that while you’re going planning for your prom. Above everything else, having fun is the most important aspect of this special night.
Visit our site The Perfect Prom 2009 for all the latest in prom fashion, trends, tips and advice. Let us help you make Prom 2009 a night to remember!
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