Prom, Prom Party, Prom Parties, After Prom Party

PROM FASHION

Click With Your Dress

By: Lori Kremen

Every girl knows what prom is really about. Prom is about finding that one special dress, and that one person who is going to think you look perfect in it. So imagine how awful you'll feel when you think you've found the dress and then you see some hussy from another town at the prom in your dress! When you shop at your local mall for your dress, you're almost guaranteed to have this nightmare happen to you.

Years ago, women used to travel from city to city looking for that perfect dress. Now, women have the Internet and finding the perfect dress has never been easier.At least that's what the internet gods would have you believe. Sure you can look at a model or a mannequin wearing a dress and guess how it would look with your coloring, but models represent about ten percent of the female population. The dress that girl is wearing will not look the same way on you. That is where Internet prom dress shopping falls short. Knowing a few tricks of the internet trade will help you transform online dress shopping into the best idea ever.

Browse the Brick and Mortar: Just because you're planning on buying your dress on the World Wide Web, doesn't mean you shouldn't go to the local shops and look around. For one thing, you will need to ascertain which styles look the best on you. Go to the stores you would never be able to afford. Go ahead, try on everything you see. Take a digital (or disposable) camera with you and take a few snapshots of the best and worst. Even if you think you see the dress, take a snapshot and leave it for later. You can probably find it cheaper on the Internet.

Take Your Measurements: The one nice thing about prom dress shopping online is the ability to have a dress custom fit to you. Most dresses come in the standard American sizes, but the Internet is also international, so you may fall in love with a dress from Sweden and be completely lost when you look at the sizes. You'll want to take four different measurements on your body. Get into your underwear and take a tape measure and measure (in centimeters and inches) your bust line (the widest part around your boobs), your under bust (right under your boobs), your waist (where your waist is narrowest), and your hip measurement (the widest section of your hips). Many online stores may have only have XX-Small to XX-Large. Hopefully these Web sites have sizing charts, but if you're in doubt at all, purchase a size larger than you think you are. We all like buying smaller sizes and hoping that we'll squeeze into it, but remember this: you can always take a dress in; you can't make a dress bigger.

Comparison shop: Now that you're your prepared, look at all of those beautiful dresses on the Web. All you have to do is type "buy prom dresses" into any search engine and you'll find thousands of stores. Don't buy the first dress you see. Instead, bookmark your favorite dresses and try to find the exact same dress for a little less. If you are ever in doubt and don't think you can get the price any lower, try eBay. Which ever dress vendor you choose to deal with, make sure they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Don't be afraid to email or call your vendors.

Buy Early: When you shop for a dress in real space, you have the opportunity to try it on and see how it fits on you. If you don't like the way the dress fits on you or if the dress is too small send the dress back and get a refund. If the dress is too big, you can get it altered. Remember, buying a brand new dress and having a dress alters takes time, especially if you end up sending three or four dresses back (yes, this happens). Buy your dress early and play it safe.

Buy the perfect underwear: Before you get your dress, you'll want to buy the proper underwear. The proper underwear includes stockings, a comfortable and invisible bra, and a pair of panties that won't show under the dress. You might also want to get yourself a slimming slip. Make sure to wear these panties when you get the dress altered, your seamstress will want to work around your underwear and you choose.