Every mother has it coming for her that a few years after her daughter turns into a teen, she will eventually have to be her guide in looking for a prom dress. It’s just a woman thing to do. The teen, new at being a woman, will need the help of the closest older woman she has – her mom.
This is where the excitement begins. Whether or not you regularly shop with your daughter, it doesn’t matter. It’s going to be a long process that the both of you will be involved in and it’s one that you should be prepared for.
Prom is still many months away but we thought it might help to discuss these tips ahead. Teenage girls can be the biggest headache but the love and bond as a result of the prom dress shopping experience can be extremely rewarding. So it’s a risk you will want to take whether you know these tips or not.
But assuming that we have caught your attention, let’s begin.
To start, you will need to know about the recent prom dress trends. If you watch television or go on social media, you’ll notice that there’s a big difference in the style of clothes that girls wear today compared to those you wore in your teenage years.
You might find some a little too daring while others too eccentric. But it doesn’t matter so much of what you think since these are after all considered to be this generation’s version of “trendy”. What matters more is what your daughter will feel comfortable in. So you can’t necessarily insist on a style just because it’s considered “in” or you simply don’t approve of the style. It’s your daughter who will be wearing a dress so it’s her comfort that should be considered.
Next, you need to decide where you will buy the prom dress. Will it be at a boutique? Online? Or do you have a seamstress to make a customized one?
If you are considering going to a boutique, you might want to consider Prom Dress Shop in Chicago, IL. They have a wide selection of prom and homecoming dress styles to choose from. You may never have to visit another boutique since this shop simply has it all.
If you’d rather go online to shop for a dress, make sure to be more selective since appearances can be deceiving especially in the online world. Check the size charts as not all shops have the same size charts and don’t forget to research what the material is made of too. This helps you know what the texture of the dress is like and see if it will be comfortable on your daughter’s skin.
Also, you need to ensure that the website is secured. Online scams are rampant these days and you seriously don’t want to waste $300 down the drain simply because you weren’t careful enough. Say thank you to the boutique after you sign the delivery package from the UPS guy and your daughter should be good to go!
We’ve just touch based on the shopping methods but that’s not something you should be worried about right now. Going back to trends, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to let your daughter wear something trendy. She may not like it. She may like a more vintage or minimal style in which case that’s definitely not a problem. The goal here is to let her have the best fun at prom night because she feels confident in her dress, she feels beautiful, and she’s comfortable.
So before even begin with the shopping process, think about the dress first. It would be good to run down these questions together with your daughter so you can come down to a type of ideal dress to look for.
- What are your measurements?
- What style do you want? Short? Long? Backless? Ball gown? High-low?
- How fit do you want it to be?
- Are these approved by your school’s prom dress code?
Assuming that you already have these questions answered, it’s now time to go shopping. If you have a checklist for the dress you’re looking for like the ones we just answered above, then the shopping process should be faster.
Most boutiques today sort their dresses by event, fit, style, color, designer, and even by budget. So if you are under a certain budget for a prom dress, you can easily see the selection of dresses available in the price range that you can afford. Boutiques like the Prom Dress Shop have on sale prom dresses for 2016 that you might want to take advantage of.
If you have a general qualification for a dress, going to boutiques that sort their dresses like this is a good start.
If you are at a boutique, you may want to hand a photo of the dress that most closely resembles the one you and your daughter are looking for to the sales attendant. They are knowledgeable of the inventory and should be able to show you a couple of dresses that match your requirements.
Take note that you may come across dress styles that you and your daughter have not talked about. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Who knows, it might just look even better than the style that you both have originally agreed on.
Now onto color. If your daughter has a similar skin tone as you then this should be easy. You’ve already known your whole life which tones look best on you so the same formula should apply to your daughter. But for mom’s who are misguided on colors that best compliment skin tones, here are some reminders:
- Summer skin tone (blue, red, or pink undertones with hair and eye color that has a little contrast to your skin) – lilac, pale blue. Anything pastel colored
- Winter skin tone (blue, red, or pink undertones with hair and eye color that has great contrasts to your skin) – white, black, navy blue.
- Spring skin tone (gold, cream, and peach undertones) – peach, ochre, coral
- Autumn skin tone (gold, warm, and yellow undertones) – coffee, beige, green
Now let’s assume that after you’ve already picked a dress in a style, color, and fit that you and your daughter love, what’s next?
Try them on again! Let your daughter try on the dress again a month before prom night. This so you know if there need to be some alterations made to the fit. If there is, take the dress to the seamstress so it can be altered right away.
Once the dress has been finalized, it’s time to look for accessories. Let’s start with shoes. If your daughter will be wearing a long dress, it’s alright to not take too much time on the shoes. Aside from style, your daughter’s comfort is important so get her a pair that she can walk in comfortably.
Next is the jewelry. You can dig around for jewelry in your collection or you can purchase a brand new set of accessories especially for the dress alone. Most prom dress shops will have accessories for sale to go along with their prom dresses so it doesn’t hurt to check out their selection first before exploring other jewelry stores.
If you’re set on buying the accessories from the jewelry store, make sure to pick wisely. Choose one that your daughter won’t only be wearing at prom but also in other formal occasions. Jewelry tends to be expensive so it helps to get one that you can use more than once.
That’s it! We hope this has helped guide you in the tedious but fun process of shopping for a prom dress with your daughter. At the end of the day, all that matters is that you were there to help create an experience for your daughter that she will remember.
What do you moms think of the experience? Any insights you want to share? Let them be known in the comments!
If you’re set on buying the accessories from the jewelry store, make sure to pick wisely. Choose one that your daughter won’t only be wearing at prom but also in other formal occasions. Jewelry tends to be expensive so it helps to get one that you can use more than once.
That’s it! We hope this has helped guide you in the tedious but fun process of shopping for a prom dress with your daughter. At the end of the day, all that matters is that you were there to help create an experience for your daughter that she will remember.
What do you moms think of the experience? Any insights you want to share? Let them be known in the comments!
This article is contributed by Katrina Fernandez
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