Finding the Perfect Prom Dress

Prom season is almost here. High schools in my area have prom anywhere from April all the way to June. My senior prom was the first of June last year. Luckily for us, the weather was perfect - you can't always trust Washington's weather. With prom right around the corner, it's easy to become stressed when looking for the right dress. Some girls spend hundreds of dollars on a dress that they're still not sure about! Here are my tips on finding the right dress on a high school friendly budget.

1  ||  Shop early. I started dress shopping during my spring break, which was the first week of April. I still had two months until prom, but I wanted to make sure I had a dress and wouldn't be scrambling last minute. Not having a dress close to prom can create unwanted stress!

2  ||  Figure out what you're looking for. Make a list of what you're looking for in a dress. Straps or strapless? Sequins or rhinestones? Chiffon or satin? A certain color? These are important so you can narrow down the possibilities. Thousands of prom dresses exist; there's no use in looking at dresses you're not interested in.

3  ||  Visit stores with reasonable prices. There are some beautiful dresses for $500, but I know there are dresses just as beautiful for less than half that price! Looking at dresses that are out of your price range won't benefit you (but it can make you sad!). Be realistic - great quality and stunning dresses exist for a great price. Stores like Macy's and JCPenny carry tons of dresses at lower prices.

4  ||  Know what looks good on you. Not every color looks great on every person. Know what your strengths and body types are - do you need something supportive up top? Is a dress too tight? Play up your strengths. You'll feel like a million dollars!

5  ||  Visit stores you don't normally visit. That's the beauty of prom dresses - they pop up everywhere! So many different stores carry floor length formal dresses in the spring. Even if you're not sure, pop in to see what they're carrying. You'll never know where you'll find one.

nice backdrop, right?

I bought my dress from Caché (no longer available). I originally wanted this dress in coral, but realized I didn't have that extra money to spend. This dress fell into my hands; I tried it on just to see how it looked and I loved it! The draping created a flowing, ethereal look that I wanted. The best part: I bought this dress for $105 after tax. The money I saved I used to pay for our party bus (woo!) and dinner. 

Some online shops sell dresses for under $100. Here are my favorite prom dresses this season, that could flatter all different body types. They start from just under $100 and go up!

Prom Girl

1  ||  2  ||  3  ||  4  ||  5  ||  6  ||  7  ||  8

JCPenny

I apologize for the low quality photos - I couldn't find any better ones online!

1  ||  2  ||  3  ||  4  ||  5  ||  6

Macy's

1  ||  2  ||  3  ||  4  ||  5  ||  6  ||  7


Nordstrom

1  ||  2  ||  3  ||  4  ||  5 (my favorite!)  ||  6  ||  7

Are you attending prom this year? Where are you looking for dresses?

Cheers!