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Looking for ideas for your prom dress that will ensure you look great? Well, we’ve compiled a number that will ensure you stand out by choosing the right dress.

best-prom-dresses-the-clothes-maiden

1.  Before You Start To Shop

Before you go out shopping for your prom dress, first have a good idea of what your budget is.  Come to an agreement with your parents or whoever is going to buy your dress for you.  See if you can find any special discount deals that are for students.  Independent boutiques and some other shops keep prom logs for recording which of their dresses have been sold to which schools.  There are some shops that will try to not sell the same colour and same style dress to another person at your school.  When you purchase your dress at a high-street shop, it is more likely that you will see somebody else wearing the same dress as yours.  You also need to be cautious about purchasing a dress directly from abroad. 

There are many foreign online websites that don’t completely disclose all of the important charges.  There are also many horror stories about individuals not receiving their dresses or being charged much more than what they were expecting to have the dress shipped to the USA.  So if you must purchase online, there are many reputable special occasion boutiques that are based in the USA that have online shopping sites now.    

2.  How To Find The Perfect Fit For You           

It is important to select a dress that looks good with your figure.  If you have a full figure then a bodice style dress can be very flattering.  A bodice will keep you nipped in at the waist, and those with a lace-up back provide you with an excellent fit in your bust area.  Any dress that has pleating detail or overlay fabric around the waist can help to hide your stomach. 

The most traditional style of American prom dress is the Cinderella ball gown and they provide a great wow factor since they are available in a wide array of impressive colours – ranging from multi-coloured vibrant patterns to pastel shades.  If you want to wear a bra – be sure to search for a dress that comes with bra-friendly straps instead of spaghetti straps.

In recent years there has been a turn towards modest prom dresses and similar retiring styles. These dresses play up to the classic styles, while ensuring you look fabulous on your big day.

3.  How To Choose The Right Size

When it comes to your size, be honest about it.  With evening wear, it is very common to go up one to two sizes, particularly when your dress comes from a different part of the world.  Designers still don’t agree on standard sizes for women and girls.  Also, dresses do not get sized the way that regular clothes do.  It doesn’t matter what size you are anyway.  All that matters is that you look beautiful in your prom dress!  Nobody has to see its label either.  If you would like, you can just cut it off.

4.  Get It Right     

It is much better to get a dress that is slightly too large and have it altered to fit you well than it is trying to squeeze into a dress that’s too small.  Unattractive creases and tight material will only make you appear larger.

5.  Choosing Your Shoes   

If you are planning on wearing high heels?  If so, try on your prospective dress with your shoes.  That will give you a better idea of if your dress will need to be altered and how it looks with your shoes. If you prefer to wear flat shoes, keep that in mind when choosing your style of dress.  Ball-gowns and flared dresses usually look fine with open-toe shoes or slip-ons, while fancy hemlines have a tendency to require higher heels.

6.  For A Great Fit Have Your Dress Altered

A majority of prom dresses need to have some kind of altering.  It is quite common to need to alter the bust area, straps and length.  Keep in mind when making a budget for your dress that you might have alteration costs as well and that you will need to have time for them to be done.  A majority of dressmakers like to have two weeks’ notice.  You can find alteration services at many dry cleaners, online or in the Yellow Pages.