…can be as easy as A, B, C.
Aesthetics:
The most obvious thing to think about when choosing a dress
to wear to prom is how the dress looks, but there’s more to it than just loving
a beautiful dress you see on the internet or on a store mannequin.
Consider the appropriateness of the dress(es) you like. Not
only will the dress you choose have to conform to any guidelines set by your
school or by the venue the prom is being held in, but it should also be in line
with the level of formality you expect at your particular event. Some proms are
“fancier” than others, and you don’t want to over or under dress.
Once you know the dress code and how formal the event is,
begin to narrow the search.
It’s easy to find out what types of dresses are on trend for
prom during any given year; check out styles worn on the red carpet during
awards season, flip through a couple of fashion magazines aimed at a teen
audience, Google “prom trends 20xx”. You can use these sources as inspiration
and as a rough guideline for your dress shopping, be careful not to lock yourself
into imitating a celebrity, or wearing a certain shape of dress because that’s
what friends are planning to wear. Above all fashion considerations, you want
your dress to make you look great, and the best way to look fabulous in a dress
is to choose a dress that reflects your personal style and is flattering to
your skin, shape and features.
Just because you love a color doesn’t mean it’s a good color
on you. The best colors for you are colors that occur naturally on your body.
Try on dresses in your eye color, lip color (sans lipstick), and hair color.
Broaden your search by trying colors that are roughly the same saturation level
and tone as those that occur in your eyes and hair, and also try and stay in
the same “temperature” range. You’ve likely heard skin tones described as “warm”
and “cool”. There is an immense amount of information about colors and color
temperature, but to (over) simplify…warm complexions have a more yellow undertone
and cool complexions have a pinker undertone. Those with warm complexions look
best in colors found in fire and in the front ½ of the rainbow – red, orange,
yellow, brown. Cool complexions look best in colors from the back ½ of the
rainbow – green, blue, purple, pink, black.
Don’t stop at color when considering what dress looks best.
Take into account the texture of the fabric, the scale of the print or details,
and the level of contrast in the piece. Just like with color, textures and
shapes that appear on your body are flattering. If your hair is straight and
smooth, a fabric with a silky finish might be a nice choice. If you have
angular features, they’ll be well-complimented by something geometric rather
than flowing. Think about your scale as it relates to the scale of details in
the dress. Are you petite? Do you have small, delicate features? If so, large,
bold prints or embellishments will probably look overwhelming and draw too much
focus. But if you’re tall or broad, larger patterns balance with you better. Again,
tomes have been written on these topics, and if you’re interested in further
information, check out
Nancy Nix Rice’s blog and books.
Finally, choose a silhouette that flatters your figure. Select
a shape that highlights features you like, and causes features you’re not that
thrilled about to recede into the background. The best dresses lead viewers’
eyes down and up the figure and draw the focus to land at your face. If there’s
a portion of your body that’s short, avoid lines that cross the area
horizontally. For instance, if you have a short torso, a contrasting band or
horizontal seam at the waistline might not be the best look. The belt or seam
visually cuts the body and makes the torso look shorter and wider than it is. If
you have an hourglass figure, a drop waist won’t be optimal since the
narrowness of your waist will be obscured while the width of your hips will be
highlighted. Be mindful of adding extra volume in places you don’t want
attention drawn to.
Budget:
Not only should you consider the sticker price on the dress,
but also what will need to be invested in it, like for alterations and accessories.
Alterations are almost always needed, and vary wildly in
complexity and cost. Most alterations shops, including
sewBoise, set their
prices according to how long an alteration takes, how skilled the sewist needs
to be to complete the alteration, and if there are any notions needed for the
adjustment (zippers, extra boning, etc. ). The more time-consuming a task is,
the more expensive, even if the dress isn’t. Take a look at
this alterations price list. You can see that hemming a dress can cost as little as $15 for a
plain straight hem, or over $100 if there are multiple layers, beading, or
other complications.
Consider as well what shoes, undergarments, jewelry,
handbag, and outerwear you are going to wear with the dress. Do you already own
these items? Or is there a special bra, slip, or wrap you’ll need to purchase?
Add those to the cost of the dress.
Awareness in the dressing room can help you avoid busting
your budget with unanticipated costs.
Comfort:
The prom isn’t ALL about the dress. It’s about having a
great time, and it’s difficult to enjoy yourself if you’re tugging at or
tripping over your clothes all night.
Fit is paramount. Your dress should be neither too loose nor
too tight. You should be able to easily breathe, eat and sit without discomfort
and without worrying your dress will tear. If it’s strapless or has spaghetti
straps, ideally it will be anchored at the waist and supported with boning. If
the bodice of your dress fits correctly, there should be no need to keep hiking
it up all night. A
good alterationist (hint, hint) will be able to modify a
dress to stay put on your body. Another thing an alterationist can help you
with is the length of your dress. Be sure your dress hits at a flattering part
of the leg if it’s a short dress, and that it’s not a tripping hazard if it’s a
long dress. Also, try walking backward in your dress. You should not be able to
step on it. Trains on dresses are not appropriate for anyplace that people other
than the train wearer are standing up and/or walking. A dress with a train will
get soiled, torn or jerked off of its wearer when it’s inevitably stepped on at
prom.
Check the mobility of your limbs in the dress. Can you take
a full stride, or must you penguin-walk? Can you hug or dance with your date
without cutting off the circulation in your arms? Some movement restrictions
can be reduced with alterations, but changes requiring extra fabric are time
consuming (read expensive) and a perfect fabric match can rarely be found.
Be aware of the fabric and texture of your dress. Sometimes
beads, sequins and trims can be scratchy against bare skin. Identify areas of
discomfort and decide whether the removal of beads or trim in that area will
compromise the beauty of the dress. It’s easy for a professional to remove a
few offending beads from the armpit of a gown without any negative impact to
the aesthetics. Be sure the fabric itself doesn’t irritate your skin. You don’t
want an itchy ruffle bugging you all night. See if the irritation can be
removed by adding a slip or removing a tag, or if it’s better just to find a
more comfortable dress.
Think about what the temperature will be like on the way to
the prom and once you arrive. A long dress with multiple layers and long
sleeves won’t be a good choice at a venue without air conditioning. Likewise, a
flimsy short strapless won’t do if it’s cold out, though layering a long warm
coat over your dress can help in this scenario.
