10 Tips to Buying the Perfect Prom Dress - Advice From Stylist Sam Saboura
Models at the JC Penney prom season launch party. Photo: Todd Williamson/Getty Images for JC Penney
"The most common prom mistake I see is over-dressing and over-styling," says Saboura, the man behind StyleList's "My Body My Style" series. "You want to take your cues from your favorite celebrities by looking through fashion magazines, but in the end you want to look like the ultimate version of yourself."
Below, Saboura's 10 rules for doing just that.
Rule #1: Nix The Shiny Fabrics
- "Satin always tends to be a fabric women go to for big events and I think that's a huge mistake. Satin, especially stretch satin, reflects light and makes you look fuller. It also shows panty lines and ripples and gathers over any bumps and bulges. Instead, choose a structured dress that's not in a reflective fabric."
Rule #2: Place Your Sequins Strategically
- "Well-placed sequins are fabulous, but all over sequins are played out. If not done right, they look cheap. Choose a dress that has embellishment just at the waist or at the neckline and keep it simple. When sparkle is well placed it can call attention to the parts of your body you like."
Rule #3: Skip The Asymmetrical Trend If You Have A Bigger Bust And Fuller Arms
- "Asymmetrical necklines are super flattering because they cut the curviness of your body, but if you're worried about fuller arms, it's not the way to go because it puts the focus on at least one of your arms and shoulders. If you have a small to mid-sized bust, good arms and a good neckline, an asymmetrical dress is going to be great for you."
Rule #4: Bigger Girls Should Show Off Their Legs
- "Fuller figured women tend to wear too much clothing to hide their bodies. They should be buying dresses that skim the body and show off their best assets. Fuller figured women usually have great legs and good bust lines. And since getting a little coverage in the arm area is always going to be a plus, a cute three-quarter sleeve is the best way to do that and it's really cool and modern. Prom dresses are getting shorter and it's a great trend, so I would balance the sleeves out by showing some leg. As far as necklines go, look for a slimming v-neck that calls attention to the center line, but doesn't bare the breast. And fuller figured women should look for clean silhouettes that don't accentuate curves too much and go for details like flat pleating and ruching, which will hide any bumps and bulges."
Rule #5: Beware of Cut-Outs
- "I think cut-outs can be very flattering, but the rest has to be very minimal -- minimal makeup, simple hair and your shoes should be very clean because showing the skin does the talking for you. You cannot have any tummy rolls or back rolls sticking out of that dress, so the athletic, boxy body types (think Hilary Swank) look good in this style. There's a way to be sophisticated and sexy when you're doing cut-outs, but if you go over the top, it's going to err on the slutty side. Even if you have an amazing body, less is usually more."
Rule #6: Ruffles Aren't For Everyone
- "Really think about your body when choosing ruffles. If you are curvy or busty, then ruffles are probably a no-go because they're going to add unwanted volume, although you could go for ruffling on the bottom half of your body. For a woman that's small busted, boxy or athletic, ruffles work best on the upper half of the body. It adds volume to a small bust, they break up a boxy frame and they add a feminine touch to a boyish figure."
Rule #7: Work With Your Skin Tone
- "The easiest way to find colors that work for your skin tone is to find a celebrity who has a similar color and search for images of their red carpet looks. In general, women with warmer and darker complexions look great in peach, coral and earthy colors. And I think navy is prettier on African American skin than black is. Girls that are pale can look to the big pastel trend. And lavender is just a huge color this season."
Rule #8: Be Careful With White And Nude Hues
- "If you're very confident about your body and have a nice skin tone, I think white is a great thing. But anytime you put white or a light color on something, you're bringing attention to it. So if you're body isn't totally together, white might not be the best option for you and it takes a lot of care, so if you have makeup or self-tanner on, you have to be conscious of that. While white is super flattering on toned girls, you have to keep it short so it doesn't read too bridal and stick with a clean silhouette, like a long-sleeved mini dress. View it as a blank canvas that you can add accessories to. On the other hand, buffs, nudes and neutrals are a really modern way to do prom. But, again, keep the fabric matte and make sure it has some sort of detail or texture to make it more glamorous since the color isn't doing the talking."
- "Midnight blue [similar to the dress Bella wore in Twilight] is a great alternative to black and it's less serious and better for a springtime event. Moonstone or opal, like J. Lo's Armani gown at the Oscars, is a different way to do white, since it has glints of blue and pink in it and it's really pretty. Gray is also very big and if you do a dramatic black gown, you have to do it right. When you photograph black, it doesn't show anything, so if you have lots of details on it, you're going to loose all of that. Focus on the silhouette instead."
- "Accessories are really the best way to bring personality to your prom look. You don't always have to spend a lot on your dress, if you spend a little more on accessories that you are going to wear over and over again. Buying a fabulous pair of shoes or a great necklace can transform a really a simple dress into something amazing."
Can't get enough Sam Saboura? Keep clicking to find out about his uber-flattering clothing line for HSN. And teens, you won't want to miss out on this new Facebook group dedicated to avoiding duplicate prom dresses.
Filed under: Fashion, News, Best of the Season, Designers & Brands, How to Wear
Tags: prom dresses, prom gowns, prom season, prom season 2010, prom spring 2010, prom style, PromDresses, PromGowns, PromSeason, PromSeason2010, PromSpring2010, PromStyle, red carpet trends, RedCarpetTrends, sam saboura, SamSaboura, sequins, style rules, StyleRules, what not to wear, what not to wear to prom, what to wear, what to wear to prom, WhatNotToWear, WhatNotToWearToProm, WhatToWear, WhatToWearToProm
Tags: prom dresses, prom gowns, prom season, prom season 2010, prom spring 2010, prom style, PromDresses, PromGowns, PromSeason, PromSeason2010, PromSpring2010, PromStyle, red carpet trends, RedCarpetTrends, sam saboura, SamSaboura, sequins, style rules, StyleRules, what not to wear, what not to wear to prom, what to wear, what to wear to prom, WhatNotToWear, WhatNotToWearToProm, WhatToWear, WhatToWearToProm
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Bridgette, 5-13-2010, 5:51PM
I actually bought and wore a beautiful, white prom dress on my wedding day! I had been to several wedding boutiques, and all of them were way over-priced! Suddenly, I had a revelation... I'd buy a white prom dress (if I could find one! lol) at a huge prom store a few miles from my house. So, the first time I went there, not only did I find "the dress" but it was only the 2nd dress I tried on! I was 43yo when I got married, so I had to make sure that the prom dress was also age appropriate. I didn't want to look like I was trying to dress like a 17yo, and I wasn't.. No one knew, or even guessed! I would definitely recommend this to many women who are having difficulties with trying to find a wedding dress!!
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