Get a Beautiful Prom Dress on a Budget

You do not need to dip into your college funds to have a great dress for your prom. You do not need to be a tailor either. Here are some tips you can use to have the best dress at the prom inexpensively.

Purchase the Dress:

1. Search your local discount stores for Prom dresses. You will be amazed to find that there are stores near you that sell great formal dresses and gowns for $40.00 or less. You can have great success at Ross Dress For Less, Burlington Coat Factory, or Macy's Clearance Centers, to name a few. Look for store in your area that sell clothing that did not previously sell in department stores. The stores are usually a bit messy and unorganized. However, being patient in your search will give you several great dresses from which to choose. You will get your best price at these stores.

2. Online Auctions like EBay are great for finding prom dresses in your size and preferred style that have never been worn. Before you got to EBay though, be sure to check the stores already mentioned because they are where many EBay sellers purchase their clothes.

3. Your last resort for you prom dress search should be consignment dress shops. You will find dresses that were worn only once or twice before, but in excellent condition. These stores take special pains to examine clothes they accept for consignment.

Personalize the dress: Although the dress you find may very well be gorgeous, there is still a chance that someone may have a similar dress at your prom. Personalizing your dress will help you to stand out as an individual.

1. You can purchase a two-piece dress with a separate halter like top and full skirt, and then mix and match it with a separate item. The long full skirt from the green dress set you purchased will look awesome with a black sequenced halter-top. On the other hand, the top to the beaded two-piece prom dress you purchase will pair well with the full organza skirt you already own.

2. You can alter the style of the dress. If your dress only cost $20.00 or $30.00, why not take it to your local tailor ad have it altered for another $25.00 or so. You can have sleeves removed, a slit added, or closed, an organza layer added beneath your skirt, or you can change the neckline or hem length of the dress. Another neat trick is to take a full skirt and gather it on one side showing off more leg and drastically altering the design of the dress.

3. If you can sew, or handle a bedazzler, you can add pearls, sequins or gemstones to an otherwise simple dress. You can pick a simple dress with the right shape and fit for you very inexpensively, and add the expensive embellishments at home. You can add decoration in key places like the neckline or all over the bodice and skirt.

Wear it with confidence: The most important aspect of a prom dress is how you wear it and feel in it. A great fit will make your dress look more expensive, and an improper fit will whittle away at your confidence while you are wearing it. Before you wear the dress, you also need to make sure you can walk and sit in it comfortably for an extended amount of time. Practice walking in it and sitting in it (in front of a mirror) for at least an hour before you have it altered. This way you can tell the tailor your concerns and they can fix it for you. To make sure you look good coming and going, have someone videotape you when trying on the dress, or at least take pictures because the mirror can sometimes be deceiving. These steps may seem like a lot of work, but knowing the dress fits well, and that you look good in it, will allow you to shine on prom night.