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Types And Styles Of Prom Dresses - Terms And Definitions

Are you bewildered when it comes to shopping for prom dresses? With all the types of formal gowns and dresses available, there are also many terms that describe the length, design, neckline, and style of a prom dress. You might feel overwhelmed when speaking with a sales clerk at a formal wear shop or even while shopping online for prom dresses. Below we've put together some helpful terms and definitions to help you be an informed shopper for prom dresses and other prom-related items of women's interests.

Prom Dress Styles

Some of the prom dress styles you might see include the ball gown, A-line (princess), sheath, lace-covered, high-low, baby doll, chiffon, one-shoulder, empire, golden glamour, modest, and halter.

Ballroom Gowns and A-Line custom bridal gown Prom Dresses

A ballroom gown has a very large skirt that billows out from the waist to the mid-calf or ankles. It might have a fitted waist and top or a corset type top. The A-line or princess dress flares out to the hemline and is narrow near the waist. It forms an "a" shape as it fits to your body from top to bottom.

High-Low, Lace-Covered, and Chiffon Prom Dresses

The high-low dress zigzags vertically at the hemline so it is short in some spots and long in others. The sheath prom dress is one that clings to the body and hides nothing concerning your figure. The lace-covered dress can be a satin or satin-like material underneath with lace as a top layer. Chiffon dresses look similar to a fancy night robe worn by the women of Rome or Greece. With a high empire waist, the dress is long and flows from the hips down to the ankles. It is great for almost any figure.

Baby Doll, One-Shoulder, and Sleeveless Gowns

The baby doll prom dress is typically very short and cute. It usually fits at the top and flows at the bottom with a high waistline in between. Baby doll dresses usually come with a tied ribbon or belt around the stomach area to give the "baby dress" look. One-shoulder prom dresses have only one shoulder strap, of course, with the other side being sleeveless. These are usually long and elegant gowns. There are also completely strapless formal gowns and prom dresses. These can be worn with or without a jacket or wrap.

Halter, Golden Glamour, and Modest Prom Dresses

The halter prom dress looks similar to a halter top at the sleeves and then flows toward the knees. It is usually no longer than just below the knees and may look similar to a high-low dress at the hemline. The golden glamour dress is usually shiny gold to appear like "Hollywood" style apparel. The modest prom dress is beautiful, simple, and modest. It covers everything while still giving the wearer a touch of glamour and elegance.

Types of Sleeves

Cap sleeves are short and cover only the upper arms and shoulders. Juliet sleeves are puffy at the shoulders and taper all the way to the wrist. Some sleeves start below the shoulders or appear to "hang off" the shoulders. Also, spaghetti straps are thin straps with no sleeves.

Necklines

Necklines are also important when choosing a prom dress. The empire neckline scoops out and then connects with a very high waistline. A sweetheart neckline looks like the top of a heart. A jewel neckline is simple and round, located just above the collarbone. The boat neckline (Bandeau) comes around to each collarbone, similar to a sailor's suit.

Other Prom Terms bridesmaid gowns under 100 to Know

There are also handbags, or small purses, and clutches that can match your prom dress. Clutches are small hand-held bags with no straps. Shawls and wraps are not jackets but fit around your shoulders loosely. You can wear them when outdoors during cold weather and easily remove them for dancing. A tiara is a princess-type hairpiece than can be worn with your hair up or down. There are elbow gloves and wrist gloves. Elbow gloves reach to your elbow, covering the bottom part of your arm while wrist gloves only cover the hands.

Before shopping for a prom dress, know what styles and accessories you are looking for so you can save time. Also, go online to view all the different styles available. You can even find great deals online on prom dresses by designers such as Mori Lee, Jovani, Clarisse, Niteline, Dave and Johny, Paris, Riva and Alyce Designs. There are often beautiful dresses online for the prom, homecoming, and other formal events that a local formal wear shop might not offer.

Making Your Wedding Dress Unique

Every bride wants to look and feel fabulous on her wedding day, and the wedding dress has a big part to play in making this happen. The dress must fit beautifully, flatter her figure and be totally unique. However, not everyone can afford to pay for a designer to make that unique wedding dress to measure, so what are the alternatives?

The simplest solution is to buy a ready-to-wear wedding dress, and then customise it to suit your own taste.

When buying the wedding dress, go for a simple, plain style that fits well because a good fit is more important than features at this point. The dress should flatter your figure, so your basic body shape will go some way towards dictating the dress style. If you are lucky enough to be tall and slender, more or less any style will be flattering to wear. If you do not have a perfect figure (and few of us can claim to have achieved perfection), then choose a style that maximises your good points and minimises the bad ones.

Having bought the wedding dress, you can now start to customise it. If you are skilled at sewing, you can do this yourself, but most people will probably need to work with a professional seamstress to ensure they achieve the best results. It is worth spending money on getting a professional finish after all, you will have saved some money on the cost of buying your wedding dress, as ready-made dresses are certainly cheaper than made-to-measure!

Any of these wedding dresses would make a great starting point for customisation.

One of the simplest ways to customise your wedding dress is to add lace either as a sash around the waist, a wrap around the shoulders or lace appliques added to the skirt and train. A deep lace trim added to the hem of the wedding dress can be red homecoming dresses particularly effective.

Are you planning to wear crystal jewellery? If so, crystal beads added to the straps of a spaghetti strap dress or scattered across the bodice and train will add sparkle and catch the light as you move. Ready-made crystal beaded trims are available, and these will add drama to the wedding dress if fitted to the waist or neckline. Crystal buttons could also be added down the front or back of the bodice or on the sleeve cuffs the buttons dont need to be functional, so this is an easy adjustment to make. Why stick to white? You might like to consider adding subtly coloured beads or crystals to give a really dramatic and unique effect.

Another idea is to overlay the skirt with a light fabric such as tulle this will probably need to be done by a professional seamstress to ensure it looks good, but can transform a simple wedding dress into something much more romantic and impressive. This is also another opportunity to add some colour to your wedding dress use subtly toned materials in soft feminine colours such as pinks there is no limit to what you can achieve at moderate cost with a little imagination.

This is your big day, so go ahead and enjoy yourself the results will be worth it.