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How to Find the Perfect Prom Dress

Finding the right prom dress can be very difficult. With so many designers and styles to choose from, not to mention the plethora of stores, the choices have never been more confusing. Pricing needs to be just right and each store has a slightly different price range and selection. And what if the current fashion styles don’t accommodate your fashion sense? Well, here are a few tips to finding your perfect prom dress.

Start early. Finding your perfect prom dress won’t do you much good if you find it in July. Give yourself plenty of time, even if you aren’t sure you have a date. Remember ladies, it’s up to the man to match you, not the other way around. Any good date will go along with whatever you pick out, loving your taste in clothes as much as they love you. So, feel free to shop early and not worry about picking the wrong thing. If you like it, then they will love it.

Do research. Don’t worry; this can be fun. Grab a group of friends that you trust to be honest with you (or even a few friends that will always tell you that you look great just for ego purposes), and have a shopping day. Go to the malls and local dress stores and try on anything and everything you can, even if you know it will look terrible. Sometimes, while the dress itself might not be the right one, you find yourself liking a style you didn’t know you would.

Take pictures. Have one of your friends use a camera phone to snap shots of you in each dress while in the changing room. While this might seem silly, it will greatly assist you in choosing the right dress later. In fact, after a long shopping day, many women remember liking certain dresses, but can’t remember why. Taking pictures will save you some confusion. It will also allow you to share what each dress looks like with your friends who are unable to come, giving them an opportunity to help you choose the right dress… not to mention helping them to see some of the dresses they could buy!

Don’t buy the first thing you like. With so many dresses to choose from, it would be unwise to limit yourself. If you think you have found the dress of your dreams, ask the store to hold it for you (just in case) and then go home and look it up online. You can buy the dress from the store later, especially if it is coming down to the wire and prom is only a week away. But most of the time the stores are over-priced and you can find the same dress for a much better deal online.

Use your research and shop online. This will likely save you quite a bit of money, since online purchases often cost less. Take the pictures you have stored in your camera and the recommendations from your friends and look for a dress that perfectly matches every detail. Don’t settle for something that is “okay.” Go for the perfect dress to match your personality. Shopping online allows you to look at all of the different designer dresses, and most websites will allow you to see each dress in multiple colors. From your online searching, you should be able to find a designer that you like, a style of dress that fits your body type, and the perfect color dress for your skin tone.

Try it on. When the dress comes, try it on and make sure it fits well. Your bedroom will become your own personal changing room. Often times it won’t cost much to have a few parts of the dress altered, especially if you know someone who can sew. So, if it is a bit too long or requires a new button, don’t just send it back. These things are superficial and can be fixed quickly. However, if the dress is too big, too small, too revealing, not revealing enough, or just not for you, it is best to return it and try again.

Don’t limit yourself. The best part of buying a dress online is that you’re not limited to this year’s fashion. For instance, if the cuts from this year don’t fit your body type, you can look at different cuts from different years. Don’t limit yourself to what everyone else will be wearing. Wear what looks beautiful on you; everyone else who compromises their beauty for the whims of this year’s fashion will just look foolish.

About the Author

Paige Mastingten is a college senior with an eye for fashion. After multiple years of choosing Jovani dresses, formals, and dances, she knows a thing or two about finding short prom dress with designer labels. Her favorite site is findmypromdress.com, and she shops there each time she goes looking for prom gowns.

Vogue Girls Jacket/Dress Sz L-XL #V7818 $7.00

Beautiful Historical Civil War Dress Patterns 14-20 $19.99

Are you going to design school? If so, you'll have access to industrial machines, and you probably won't use your own home machine for much more than buttonholes and maybe blindhems once you have learned to use an industrial. They're so much faster and the stitching tends to be of higher quality because of the excellent presser foot pressure.

Some background reading for you: http://www.fashion-incubator.com/category/machines-equipment/

If, however, you do not know how to sew now and are trying to play catchup before starting school (a distinct possibility -- people who come in not knowing the rudiments of sewing often lag the rest of the class severely), then here's my standard beginner sewing machine advice:
Take a look at Kate Dicey's essay on choosing sewing machines at
http://www.katedicey.co.uk (and take a look around at her site...
there are a lot of nice little tutorials there!). The FAQ she
refers to is at http://preview.tinyurl.com/l5rzu6 now.

What I want for beginners in sewing:

- a machine that doesn't scare you

- a machine that isn't balky (cheap new machines are often very
balky or need adjustments often and are rarely repairable -- just
too frustrating to learn on!)

- very good straight stitch

- good zigzag (4-5 mm is fine, more than that is gravy)

- a method of making buttonholes that makes sense to you

- adjustable presser foot pressure (which helps some fabric
handling issues)

- accessory presser feet that don't cost an arm and a leg
(machines that use a "short shank foot" typically handle generic
presser feet pretty well. Some brands of machines use proprietary
or very expensive presser feet)

If the budget stretches far enough:

- blindhem and stretch blindhem stitches

- triple zigzag (nice for elastic applications)

- a couple of decorative stitches (you won't use them nearly as
much as you think)

- electronic machine because of the needle position control and
because the stepper motors give you full "punching force" at
slow sewing speeds -- mechanical machines often will stall at
slow speeds.

Please go to the best sewing machine dealers around and ask them
to show you some machines in your price range, *especially* used
machines you can afford. You'll get a far better machine at a
specific price buying used than new and a good dealer is worth
their weight in sewing machine needles when you get a machine
problem -- often they can talk you through the problem over the
phone. While you're trying things out, try a couple of machines
(sewing only, not combo sewing-embroidery) over your price limit,
just so you can see what the difference in stitch quality and
ease of use might be. You may find you want to go for the used
Cadillac. Or you might want the new basic Chevy. Might as well
try both out.

Suggested reading: John Giordano's The Sewing Machine Book
(especially for used machines), Carol Ahles' Fine Machine Sewing
(especially the first and last few chapters) and Gale Grigg
Hazen's Owner's Guide to Sewing Machines, Sergers and Knitting
Machines. All of these are likely to be available at your public
library.

Used brands I'd particularly look for: Elna, Bernina,
Viking/Husqvarna, Pfaff, Singer (pre 1970), Juki, Toyota

New "bargain brand" I'd probably pick, if new, decent and budget
was my choice: Janome (who also does Kenmore).

If you're willing to spend the money, you might consider the Juki TL98Q, a straight stitch only machine meant for quilters but which will take standard industrial feet and folders and isn't quite so intimidating as the older industrials that seemed to have only two speeds: off and zoom.

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Sew Beautiful with Martha Pullen (Video X) $19.95 VHS Video covers: 1) Smocking by Machine 2) Pleating for Smocking 3) Embellishing and Scalloped Piping 4) Organdy Madeira Windowpane 5) Simple Dress Placket 6) Linens to Clothing 7) Tips for Fitting. Sew Beautiful is devoted to providing instruction and inspiration to stitchers of all skill levels in machine and hand sewing....

Clotilde's TV Teaching Segments Series #3 (A Sew Smart Video) [VHS] Clotilde's tips for sewing the "$500 Look," including: Correct buttonhole placement and solutions to other buttonhole problems, designer finish for unlined jackets, perfect double welt pockets and flaps, how and why to reduce sleeve cap ease and how to control the remaining ease, designer all-in-one tailored sleeve vent for blouses, tucks and pleats - marking and stitching for perfection and how t...

Antique Sewing Machine Decorative Switchplate Cover $4.99 Handcrafted to the highest standards using the artistry of the decoupage technique, artwork is triple sealed with a special sealant to ensure durability,easy cleaning and obtain an enamel like finish. Artwork will not fade. Our switchplates are heavy duty plastic nylon that is virtually unbreakable and hardware is included. A cinch to install. Each one of our switchplates is handcrafted with great...

La Robe Orange - 24H x 16W - Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won't damage your paint or l...

Shabby Chic Fabric Dress Form Table Lamp $190.00 Way, way back, when clothes were made by hand, a lot of homes owned a dress form. This fabric stuffed, scaled down replica is mounted on a rod and is a unique lamp for a seamstress....

Beautiful Historical Civil War Dress Patterns 14-20 $19.99

VTG Butterick #9584 Costume Dress Pattern Sz 16 UNCUT Centennial Frontier $8.99

2 5/8" 1 Yds Silk Chiffon Roses Tulle Doll Dress Trim G $2.99

Butterick Sew Pattern 3369 Adrianna Evening Elegant Bride Maid Party Gown Dress $12.00

Butterick Sew Pattern 3369 Adrianna Evening Elegant Bride Maid Party Gown Dress $12.00

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McCall's 3506 Misses' Dress & Tie Belt Pattern 12-14-16 $14.44

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McCalls Womens Elegant 2-PC DRESS Sewing Pattern 2393 $10.29

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Vogue Misses Michael Kors Dress Sz 4-10 #V1117 $14.00

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Simplicity 1925, Girl's Dress, Size 3-8 $3.75

Butterick B5719, Misses; Evening Dress, Size 6-14 $3.75

Simplicity 1939, Misses' Dress, Size 14-22 $3.75

Simplicity 1908, Misses' Dress, Size 4-12 $3.75

Simplicity 1924, Girl's Dress, Size 4-8 $3.75

Simplicity 1924, Girl's Dress, Size 1/2-3 $3.75

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Simplicity pattern # 8547 sizes 7,8,10-girls pullover dress in 2 lengths-uncut $2.50

VTG McCall's 6235 Womens PULLOVER DRESS Sewing Pattern $14.99

VTG.1950'S SIMPLICITY DRESS & CAPE PATTERN 2042 MAD MAN STYLE FIT 24.5" BUST 45" $38.00

SIMP. 6452~VINTAGE '74~RUFFLED DANCE DRESS~SZ 14~NEW-FF $7.02

VTG McCalls 5799 Women PULLOVER YOKED DRESS Sew Pattern $14.99