#PromPrep - Deciding What to Wear

Hi guys, I hope you're well. Here's the second instalment of the prom prep series (You can see the first one here). One of the biggest aspects of preparing for prom is deciding what to wear. Here are just a few ideas and suggestions which will hopefully make the process a bit easier for you.

Things to consider:

Accessories

Budget

Comfort

I'd say budget is the first thing you should think about. Some people spend are comfortable spending hundreds of pound on a dress, whilst others would prefer to spend a little less. I spent just £42 on this Grecian Maxi Dress from Goddiva for my year 11 prom, and £14.99 on this Long Sleeve Slit Maxi Dress from Missguided for my 6th form prom. There are also lots of websites like Girl Meets Dress and Wish Want Wear where you can cut costs by hiring a dress.

Excuse the shiny face and poor lighting in the pic on the right - this photo was taken after prom as I had forgotten to take any beforehand lol. Grecian Maxi Dress - Goddiva £42 | Red Slit  Maxi Dress - Missguided £14.99

Both my dreses were quite plain, which is where the 'A' comes in - accessories. I added gold accessories, including a torque necklace from Primark  to the red dress to make the outfit more interesting. Similarly, I bought an embellished belt from Internacionale (which unfortunately no longer exits) to jazz up the black dress. You can find lots of similar ones here. I particularly like this Accessorize one. The thing I love about accessories is that you can mix and match them with different outfits, and I can create a different outfit 'vibe' by choosing different accessories, even if I'm wearing the same dress.

You're bound to be dancing all night in close proximity with a lot of people, so comfort is key. Make sure you're wearing something you can breath/dance/eat in. You don't want waste valuable dance floor time  re-adjusting your outfit! This goes for heels too. If they're too high, they will probably come off before the end of the night. Bear that in mind and take along some fold-up flats, or wear something a bit more comfortable, like a pair of wedges.

I don't really know how I first decided I wanted a long dress, but the first time I wore one I was told I looked really tall (a major compliment for me as I'm only 5ft 2!), and alas, I chose another long one for my 6th form prom. Bearing in mind all the things above, just choose something that reflects your personality and makes you feel comfortable.

 Short prom dresses

short prom dress

Long prom dresses

long prom dress

Who says you have to wear a dress to prom? Jumpsuits and two-pieces have become more popular in recent years, and I think they're a cool way to stand out and avoid the dreaded turning up in the same dress scenario.

Jumpsuits

jumpsuit

Check out tomorrow's Wednesday Wishlist for some of my favourite jumpsuits at the moment!
Other tips

• Start looking early! The earlier you get your dress, the less likely it is that anyone else will have the same one. It will also allow you to concentrate on other, more important things (like exams!). Christmas time/January sales are quite a good time to look as shops often have lots of 'party season' stuff in stock
• One of the things the girls in my year did before our 6th form prom was create a closed Facebook group (no boys allowed!) where we all posted picture and links to our prom dresses. This ensured that nobody turned up in the same dress, and gave us all a chance to share our excitement for prom.
• RELAX I know I've mentioned it loads, but turning up in the same dress is really not a big deal. Sure you'll side-eye each other the whole night, but you will laugh about it later!

I hope this is helpful for you. Do you have a prom coming up? Have you decided what to wear?