Category: Prom Dresses

My first prom dress came from a shop that's long gone now, a satin halterneck in a shade of blue that photographed grey, and it taught me that cheap satin has a mind of its own under hall lighting. It clung in all the wrong places and crinkled like tin foil every time I sat down. Lesson learned early: the fabric does more talking than the cut ever will.
A proper prom dress doesn't want much competition. Skip the statement bag, skip the heavy necklace, skip anything that fights for attention above the collarbone if the dress already has beading or a high shine to it. The biggest mistake I see is piling on a jacket or cardigan that hides the whole point of the bodice, then spending half the night either sweltering or clutching it closed. If you need warmth, a slim slip of a wrap in the same tone works far better than a cropped jacket that cuts the silhouette in half.
This is very much an occasion dress, built for one long evening rather than regular wear, which is exactly as it should be. Most of mine have come out in late spring, May and June, when the weather's unpredictable enough that you need something that can survive a warm hall and a cold car journey home without wilting or creasing into a crumpled mess. Satin and jersey blends cope with that swing in temperature far better than anything stiff. Stiffer structured fabrics look wonderful standing still for photographs but can feel like wearing a lampshade three hours into dancing.
Before you buy, get your hands on the fabric properly rather than just looking at it on a model. Run your fingers over the seams and check nothing's been glued rather than stitched, cheap boning in a bodice will tell you everything through touch alone, it either sits flat against you or it digs in and you'll know within thirty seconds. Check the zip is metal, not plastic, because a plastic zip under any strain on a long dress is asking for trouble at exactly the wrong moment. Look at the lining too, a dress with no proper lining will cling to tights and ride up all night, which nobody wants to be adjusting every five minutes.
This suits anyone who wants one evening to feel completely put together without needing a second outfit's worth of accessories to make it work.
Picked by Kirsty Duthie. More in Dresses.