Whew! My inbox (and Tumblr inbox) is filled with requests for prom dresses. I thought it was really early and then I remembered that my senior prom was the second week of March. And, um, it’s already the middle of February.
I’m including dresses here that would be great for a prom but that would also work for any kind of formal event, whether it’s a sorority formal in college or a black tie/fancy wedding. So don’t be deterred by the word “prom” in the title if you’re not in high school.
The best advice I could give while searching for *the* perfect prom dress is to consider the dress’ longevity and versatility. I loved the dresses I wore to my proms: a long white dress my junior year and a Lilly dress my senior year. But I couldn’t really wear either of them past prom. In college, I attended formal events and even a couple of balls (lived the life back then) where a simple gown would have been perfect. It would have been so much more useful had I picked out dresses that would work for lots of events. I think if were to do it again, I’d get a nice short formal dress for junior year and go for a long gown my senior year so I’d have two great options to wear in college.
The other thing I’d recommend considering is wearing what you feel confident in. Wear what you want to wear even if it’s not a traditional “prom” dress. You only get a chance (or two) at going to prom so wear what you want… but at the same time, I’d avoid trends. (Especially if you intend on wearing the dress for college events.)
(I hate doing disclaimers, but I’ve been doing this long enough to anticipate certain comments/critiques…. So here we go…. Everyone has different budgets for prom dresses. I did my best to include all options.)
xoxo
Oh dear, I can't believe that it's already mid-February! A quarter of the second semester has already passed! // Of the long dresses, my favourites are the ruffle and the colourblock popover. Of the short dresses, my favourite is the appliqued dot dress. // I love long dresses because I hardly ever find the occasion to wear them. I'm in college now, so I don't have prom, and there are a lot less formal occasions in college than I thought there'd be. I think my problem is a little backwards. How can I find an occasion or create a situation to dress up in a beautiful long dress?? -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's
Gah when I was in high school I would have gone crazy if I had thought about prom dresses this early on! Ours wasn't until early June. I think I always thought prom was the "be all end all" of going to formal events. And boy was I wrong! I go to University in the UK (Edinburgh) and there's literally a ball for every major/school and every society! Plus, my boyfriend is part of the officer training corps and they have tons of formal events- with VERY strict dress codes. As in, shoulders covered, toes covered, knees covered. It's so difficult to find a dress! I currently have 5 long gowns and I'd have to say that my prom dress is my least favorite 😉 Ah, I guess our styles do change in a matter of a few years!
xx Leda
https://littlegirlbiggerworld.blogspot.com/
Shopping for prom dresses is so much fun!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Thank you! I'm a military wife and these are great to keep in mind for military balls 🙂
Thanks Carly for including a plus size dress as an option!!
Thanks for posting this Carly! I am a high school junior and my prom is a few months, so it's so helpful to have a few more ideas for dress!
xoxo,
Katie
chicincarolina.blogspot.com