Prom is just around the corner—are you ready for it? You’ve got your hot date, but do you have your dress picked out and your makeup and hair people booked? What about shoes and accessories? There are really a lot of things to consider if you want to stand out and have fun. To make your prom prep easier, check out these helpful tips to get you closer to that prom queen crown!
1. Book Your Look ASAP
You already know to start shopping for prom as early as possible. Get that Pinterest board going and clip those magazine photos. Also, to stay ahead of the game, book your hair and makeup people now! You don’t want to lose your best choices because you waited just a little too long.
Important tip: You can get your dress from Sparkle Prom a lot faster than any other collection. Click here to find a store near you that carries the Sparkle line.
https://sparkleprom.com/store_locator.php
2. Your Size is Your Size
Be honest: Nobody will see the size label in your dress. Besides, formalwear doesn’t conform to the usual sizing of regular clothing and more often than not, once your dress is altered, the size label will have vanished. Some dresses don’t even come with a size tag once you place your order.
Just don’t fight Mother Nature! Choose a dress style that’s flattering to your figure. Then if you want to exercise to be even better than you are now, go for it. Just don’t think you can diet yourself down 2 dress sizes. That’s just goofy!
3. Cover Those Straps
If you’re not comfortable with a strapless bra (or a strapless gown), choose a different dress. There are plenty of gorgeous dresses that either have some type of sleeve or shoulder work to hide a traditional bra. And halter styles are so hot these days, you can find a convertible halter bra without really trying!
The 3 dresses shown above—that will pretty much hide your bra straps for you!—are all from our Sparkle Prom line. Here are the links to the dresses, going left to right:
- Two-Piece with Satin Print Skirt: Style #71627
- Turquoise Chiffon & Glitter: Style #71692
- Red Mikado with Triangle Beaded Bodice: Style #71702
4. Timeless or Trendy?
Nowadays, it’s hard to decide if you want to stay classic or go trendy. Check out any current fashion magazine, and you’ll see that there are a lot of unique designs to choose from. Being up-to-the-minute requires bold new fabrics and cuts for your prom dress, though, so just be sure that you’re confident enough to pull it off.
If you want a timeless look—and there’s nothing wrong with that—go for classic dress designs. A-line, straight sheaths, and ballgown silhouettes are great choices and never go out of style.
5. Dress for the Season
There are a few things you can be daring with, but one thing is sure: You don’t want to be either too warm or too cold on prom night, and you don’t want to look ridiculously out of season. Therefore, take heed to the weather.
If your prom is held in the spring, choose lightweight fabrics such as tulle, chiffon, and other popular breathy materials. These fabrics won’t make you uncomfortably warm on your prom night. And while you absolutely do not have to stick to spring pastels, you might want to stay away from a long, stark black gown on a warm spring night. You can soften it with a little chiffon, though if your heart is set on black.
But if your prom is held in the winter months, not only is every color fair game, but you also want to choose fabrics such as satin or taffeta. Velvet is also a great cozy choice for cold weather. And go with black, all the way. Black velvet? Even better!
6. Don’t Ditch Red
It’s a myth that red is “too shocking” for prom. It’s not the color but the cut that makes a red dress racy. And what you really want to do if you choose to wear red is to tone down the makeup and accessories and let the dress itself make the statement.
Check out our gorgeous red prom gowns, left to right, each one totally unique:
- Whimsical Lace & Tulle: Style #71631
- 2-Piece Long Sleeve Jersey & Print Satin: Style #71651
- Slinky Jersey Fit & Flare: Style #71664
- Long-Short Chiffon Combo: Style #71713
7. Accessorize Appropriately
Be sure to choose appropriate accessories for your prom night. Don’t overdo your jewelry if your gown is heavily embellished. Metallic accessories are all the rage and if you really want to stand out, go for contrast. Choose bags, shoes, and manicures that don’t exactly match the shade of your dress. You can create a dramatic contrast with wildly different colors, or go with something softer but equally fashionable like a nude or metallic shoe or clutch.
8. Accentuate the Positive
In your quest to look like a model or movie star straight off the runway—a goal which is not bad in and of itself—it’s easy to forget that each woman is unique. Know your body well, decide what you want to hide and what you want to accentuate, then choose a silhouette that does just that. If you have beautiful shoulders, wear a strapless halter style. If your legs are simply luscious, rock a short cocktail dress.
Style your hair and choose your accessories in a way that brings out your inner beauty. Most importantly, make sure that your prom outfit represents who you are: a totally unique, one of a kind young woman with a personality all your own!
Check this out: An entire blog dedicated just to short prom dresses!
Short & Sweet: 8 Ultra Cute Knee Length Prom Dresses
9. Get Advice on Fabric & Style
When shopping for your dress, get advice from experts on the kind of fabric that works well with your body. Learn fabric terminology to help you in your search.
Check this out: Our designers did an entire blog just on prom dress fabrics!
Silk, Satin, Sparkle or Structure: Choose Your Perfect Prom Dress Fabric
10. Great Nails Rock!
There’s nothing wrong with sticking to classic and neutral manicures especially if your dress has a lot of detail. But if you want to add that extra kick, why not try a unique nail design? It can either complement or contrast with your dress for extra flair. The best news is you don’t need a fancy salon! All of the nail designs shown here are totally DIY!
Left to right, here are the hot DIY mani’s shown above and how to get them:
- Caviar: Use two coats of navy blue polish then, while the 2nd coat is still wet, dip your nails into tiny white crystal beads. Finish with a good quality glossy top coat to keep the beads in place.
- Bow Tie Accent: Choose a simple mani in any color you like, then add one stick-on glitter bow accent.
- Urban Glam Graffiti Wrap: Do a no-color mani with clear polish then cut out graphic nail wraps into smaller pieces to make a mosaic pattern. For an extra kick, don’t completely wrap your nails. (If you look closely, you’ll see the natural nail peeking through the design.)
For more great DIY prom ideas, check out these blogs:
- 6 hot DIY prom hairdo’s: Perfect Prom Hair DIY 6 Twists to Love
- A terrific primer for DIY prom makeup: DIY Prom Makeup Going Beyond Powder and Lipstick
