Tips for finding the perfect formal dress… Getting Glamorous

By jody@redcarpetprincess.com

Come formal night you will be gorgeous, totally glam and ready for the night of your life.  But first you need to find the perfect dress, get the dress of your dreams with these handy tips.

CREATE A LOOKBOOK/PRE-SHOPPING
Searching the fashion pages on High School Formals websites is a great way too find the dress of your dreams. Print out and keep copies of the dress your love.  Doing this isn’t that time consuming and it will give you a good opportunity to work out what you like – and of course what you don’t.

WORK OUT WHAT COLOURS ARE BEST FOR YOU
Check out photos of yourself and see which colors best compliment your skin and hair – like all of us, some colours will look great and some will leave you looking like something the cat dragged in.  Can you see yourself in any super-flattering styles?  Is there one type of neckline that makes your chest look better or worse?  Have you got a BFF that you can honestly ask what you look best in?

SET A STRICT BUDGET
Setting yourself a realistic budget is the most important step in preparing for your big night.  Sure, it’s going to be fabulous and you are going to have a ball, but it\'s not worth getting into debt or spending all your savings for an outfit you may never wear again.  When making your choice, take into consideration – will I ever wear this again, or can I have it altered to be an everyday party dress?

FLAUNT IT
We all have body parts we love and hate.  Get over the negative, that’s what fashion tricks are for, everyone has flaws we just have to learn to hide them well.  So don’t dwell on it, think about what you like most about your body and how you can best show it off.  If you’ve got great arms, then go sleeveless. Great shapely shoulders, strapless.  Got seriously carved legs, go with a nice split or layered lengths. Absolutely everyone has something about their body to be proud of, got a JLO butt, then don’t be afraid to show of those dangerous curves too.

GET IN EARLY
If you’re not a morning person, become one – if only for a day.  You need to get to the stores early.  This way the racks are neat and tidy and you aren’t foraging through racks of scrunched up gowns and hopefully the shop assistants will be friendly and ready to help.  Allow yourself time to choose and try one, make sure you get to look at your dress from all angles (lots of mirrors) before you settle on “the one”.

DON’T SHOP WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS
Going shopping with all the girls can be fun, but save it for a regular day when you’re all just out to have fun.  Buying the perfect dress can get stressful and when all the girls are in the one store, it can get competitive especially if someone else likes the same dress as you. Plus, either your friends will be too distracted focusing on what they like to help you choose what looks best or alternatively you\'ll get so many opinions you\'ll be completely confused. Instead, go with just one friend or your mum.

ACCESSORISE
So you can really see how a dress with hang on your body, take a few different bras with you - like strapless, halter and racer back. Also take a pair of heels so you can get a proper idea of the length.  Also take any jewellery you might consider wearing with it to get a more complete picture of how it will actually look.  Remember to remove all jewellery when you are taking the dress on and off, as you don’t want to damage something which isn’t yours.

SOMETIMES SIMPLICITY IS THE BEST
So you want to stand out from the crowd at your formal, well you can do that without wearing a wild dress and it can be done on a budget too. A simple dress or classic style (think Jennifer Garner and Cameron Diaz) can be even more amazing and oh so stylish. Plus, by really thinking this through you are technically making an investment – the right dress can look so different with different accessories and shoes, so its just not a one night wonder.

Be snap happy. Bring a digital camera or Polaroid on your shopping trip so you can take pictures of yourself in dresses you like and compare contenders later. You can also have friends or relatives peruse the pics to help you decide.

If you love it, buy it. Or at least ask the store to put it on hold so you don\'t run the risk of someone else dancing in your gown. But don\'t settle for so-so; you should feel absolutely fabulous on prom night so stick with the search until your find your perfect dress.