993 Need a Prom dress and don’t know where to start?

It is about that time of year to be looking for a prom dress, right? Mine was a few years ago now which seemed to happen very quickly. The times have changed since then style-wise but it is fashion so that is not surprising. Personally, I only really went to Prom because I wanted a nice dress that I couldn’t wear anywhere else. Finding one probably hasn’t got any easier, has it? It takes forever and you are constantly worrying about what might work and what will look stupid and what you are going to be comfortable in.

I was lucky with my prom dress. I found one that I liked, and it was 75% off so it worked out cheap for the type of dress. My dress was supposed to be around £400, and we only paid about £90. (Which is still a lot but for the type of dress it is a great price.) I did order it online, which I was also lucky with, ordering online is a bit of a gamble, you never know if it is a scam so, please be careful. However, mine did arrive true to the image on the website.

My top tips for looking when looking for a dress are:

1. Start looking pretty (especially online)

2. Pick a colour or at least have an idea

3. Pick a style or at least a silhouette

4. Don't worry about what others are wearing

5. Be prepared to need alteration if ordering online

Now you know the top tips I am going into a bit more detail for each one. So here goes if there is anything you would like to add a comment below.

Start looking early (especially online)

I am the annoying person who is generally always organised! With saying that, if you ask me about anything, I will always advise you to NEVER leave anything until the last minute. It annoys me when people leave things until the last minute and then moan that they didn’t get what they want, it is kinda the risk you take if you aren’t prepared.

If you are thinking about looking online, start looking as early as possible! I think I started looking here and there in September. It was just as well because I had to get mine altered. You are also less likely to get caught in a scam as typically not many people are looking yet. Keep an eye out for scam websites, read the reviews, see how far they go back and make sure you do a google search on the company to get the background. If you can’t find anything, the chances are it is a scam. A friend of mine ordered a dress from a website and the dress never arrived but the money left their bank (it was a scam) so then she had to find a dress last minute.

Pick a colour or at least have an idea

My advice is to have a rough idea of a couple of colours you want to try on. Don’t forget you can always change your mind, but I always find it easier when you have one or two features to look for first and go from there I mean if you have no clue, there is nowhere to start and no goal post. I knew straight away that I wanted a blue dress, I wasn’t sure what kind of blue though. However, it made looking for a few dresses initially much easier. I tend to when I am looking for anything find a lot alike just from a glance and bookmark them. Then I go through them one by one looking at the shape, then the style, then the shade etc, this way you end up narrowing the search down and end up with multiple dresses you like all the features off. It doesn’t have to be a colour, maybe you want a long gown, skater skirt etc. Pick something to start with.

Pick a style or at least a silhouette

Okay, so I have already touched on this a little bit but either go in looking for a particular silhouette or two OR know the silhouette you don’t want. For me, I didn’t want the dress to be fitted or a fishtail also known as fit and flare, but I wanted to be comfortable and not be constantly checking the dress. If I were to go to prom again, I would try a couple of dresses on before looking online because I never experimented. I just decided what I wanted in my head which worked perfectly because I liked the first one that I tried on. I always knew I liked sweetheart necklines as I mentioned above fitted isn’t my thing. Keep in mind certain styles won’t flatter your shape or height so please do not be disheartened if your first vision doesn’t quite work out.

Don't worry about what others are wearing

This one is very important or at least I think it is. I hate peer pressure when I can I encourage everyone to make their own decisions. I can honestly say I don’t think I have ever done something because it was the ‘cool’ or ‘trendy’ thing to do. The trend now is iPads and iPhones etc but right now, I am typing a word document on the biggest laptop I could find, a PC not MAC. I would keep asking friends for opinions to a minimum, if you ask too many you will find yourself lost in your decisions. If you are like me, you want your dress to be a surprise. Overall, do your own thing don’t just follow the crowd unless it is something you do like. If you want to wear a suit or fancy jeans, then wear a suit or fancy jeans. If you follow what you want, you will look amazing. In the words of Hailee Steinfeld. "You look greatest when you feel like a damn queen".

Be prepared to need alteration if ordering online

This one is a hit-and-miss because you won’t know until it arrives just remember to be prepared and give yourself plenty of time to get alterations because the likelihood of it being the perfect fit is slim to none if you buy it online. Sizing is so hard to trust; you never know as they are not standard sizes especially with the styles these days. Please do not have high hopes of it fitting perfectly the first time you try it on. With me, I was alright apart from the length, it was about 5 inches way too long even with 6-inch heels on. Mine took 5 or 6 weeks to arrive which meant ordering in January/February was perfect for getting the alterations.