Prom Dresses ~ tips for choosing the perfect prom dress

Your prom is going to be one of the most exciting days of your life and you want your prom dress to be a big part of that excitement. Here's some great tips to help you choose the prom dress or gown that will be the most flattering, emphasizing your good features and camoflaging your imperfections.

You want the dress you wear to be an expression of your own unique personality. Your prom dress is for you, so have some fun exploring lots of styles to discover what suits you the best and what you absolutely love!

Here are some top tips for selecting your prom dress or gown:

• To Slenderize
  Look for prom dress styles with pressed pleats, vertical tucks, button front closings, v-necklines and princess seams.
  
  
• To Broaden
  Look for styles with yokes, wide waistbands, extended shoulders, boat necklines, dropped waists, or empire waists.
  
  
• To Balance
  If your bottom is broader choose a prom dress with detail that broaden your top and vice versa.
  
  
• To Minimize large areas
  Choose styles with virtually no details in the area you want to minimize (ex. large bust - no pockets or ruffles on front)
  
  
• To Accent attractive figure areas
  Choose styles with detailing in those areas. (ex. trim hips - sarong draping or hip yoke)
  
  
• Reveal your figure
  Choose styles with traditional close fit. (ex. darts and contour shaping)
  
  
• Conceal parts of your figure
  Choose styles with relaxed fit which emphasizes the flow of fabric rather than figure underneath.
  
  
• Streamline your body.
  Choose styles with seams or other details in areas needing adjustments. The more seams, darts, pleats, or gathers in a figure area, the more opportunities to correct the fit without extensive changes to the pattern pieces.
  
  
• Don't obsess over size.
  Each designer has a different size chart that has nothing to do with the sizing for everyday clothes.
  
  
• Don't order a prom dress size base on weight you think you are going to lose.
  
  
• Focus on your best feature.
  But beware of styles that overemphasize: Prom girls with larger bust lines should stay away from empire silhouettes.
  
  
• Full and A line skirts hide a wide range of figure challenges
  Great for the pear shaped or plus sized figure. Avoid columns and other figure-hugging shapes.
  
  
• Sleeves can minimize or emphasize arms.
  Choose a prom dress style and fabric that camouflages soft or thick areas.
  
  
• Build from the foundation
  Consider what undergarment you absolutely need, and choose your prom dress to suit.
  
  
• Always check the side view.
  V-waist on a plus size figure can distort and magnify.
  
  
• Petites should stand on the floor, not a platform, to get true picture of the fit of the prom dress.
  
  
• Find a tailor or seamstress who understands gown construction and are not prone to shortcuts that cause dress to pull and bunch.