Where to Find Unique Prom Dresses

Prom is coming up soon, and while dozens of girls will be hitting Sears, JC Penny, Macy's, Belk, and several other department stores and typical places to purchase a dress. Many cities don't really have specialty formal shops, so some girls will be disappointed at how few choices they have for a prom dress. Here are several websites with different themes that have beautiful dresses for prom. Any of the dresses from these websites will set you apart from everyone else.

Unique Vintage

www.unique-vintage.com

Unique Vintage is a website that offers vintage style clothing at reasonable prices. It has a big selection of vintage prom dresses that have pretty lines, bright colors, and designs that will set you apart from others who just went for the typical prom dress. With over 300 specific prom dresses ranging from 50s formal gowns to a replication of Michelle Obama's inauguration gown, there are many more choices than the local department store can offer. Prices on dresses range from approximately $60 to $400, and they will ship domestically starting at $12 for a dress. There is a big range of prices on the site, but even the dresses in the lower price range are unique and beautiful.

Some of the dresses that caught my eye on this website are the yellow sateen Marilyn Monroe style dress for some 1950s flair, the 1930s Silver Ruched Satin and Rhinestone dress, and the Striking Pink and White Satin Charmeuse Dress. For a more fairy tale feel, there is the Lovely Halter Tulle Wedding Gown for $188, and if you love the roaring twenties and have a little money to spend, the Sue Wong Champagne Hanky Hem Lace Flapper Dress for $338.

There is also a selection of more traditional prom dresses in more muted colors, but the vintage dresses are really the highlight of this website.

Realm Collections, Gothic Wedding Dresses

www.realmcollections.com, http://gothicweddingdresses.webs.com

These are all sites that sell period clothing pieces, if that is the type of dress your heart desires. The types of dresses are many and varied, and you may want to decide what historical period you're interested in. Medieval gowns are very easy to find, while Victorian or Roman gowns might be a little more difficult. Despite its name, Gothic Wedding dresses has a good selection of medieval gowns that are technically wedding dresses, but they are priced low so they can work as a prom dress as well.

Some of my personal favorites from these sites are the Royal Queen Katherine gown for $194.99, the Royal Ball Gown for $212, and the Medieval Hand Fasting Gown for about $283. Remember if you decide to purchase one of the dresses off of the Gothic Wedding Dresses website that the products are not priced in American dollars.

Heavy Red, Rose Mortem, Velvet Garden, and Azrael's Accomplice Designs

http://heavyred.com/dresses.aspx, www.rosemortem.com, www.velvetgarden.net, www.azacdesign.com

These sites don't actually carry specifically named prom dresses, but they do carry beautiful gothic dresses of various sorts. Heavy Red has a very small selection of dresses, while the selections of the other sites are much more respectable. Any of these dresses are great choices for those looking for a gothic prom dress, and the prices on most of the sites aren't too bad.Some of the really lovely dresses from these websites are the Silene Noeturna Dress and the Coriandre Dress, both for $199, as well as the Autumnale Dress for $169. Edressmeprom's Princess Collection, American Princess
http://www.edressmeprom.com, dressnetwork.comhttp://www.edressmeprom.com,dressnetwork.com If you've always wanted to feel like a princess, in a beautiful dress with a huge skirt and elbow length gloves, you should definitely take a look at the dresses on the sites above. Edressmeprom's collection has some very pretty dresses that are floor-length with poofy skirts, but in common prom colors and designs. American Princess has lovely gowns, but they're a little bit more expensive than several of the other sites listed in this article. Most of the princess style dresses on these sites range from around $200 to over $400. My favorites out of these style gowns are Alyce Designs 5248, Alyce Designs 5251, Alyce Designs 5267, the Strapless Aqua Quinceanera Dress and the Purple Beaded Convertable Ball Gown.

If none of these sites have what you want, remember that you can always try to make your own dress. Talk to your mother or a friend that sews and see if they would be willing to make you the dress you want. There are many sites that are not listed that will make custom period, gothic, and prom dresses for you. Also, costume rental shops in town are always a good place to check for gothic and period pieces if you don't have your heart set on actually owning your prom dress. Thrift shops are another good place to check for unique dresses at low prices. Just spend a little bit of time looking, and you're sure to find the perfect dress - one that you'll know no one else will be wearing when you show up to prom.