Ladies! Believe it or not prom is a couple months away! Although it may seem early to begin getting prepared for the big night, stores are open and it’s a race to see who can get the best dress at the best price.

In case you haven’t heard, there is a new Ashley Rene’s that just opened in Heritage Square in Granger. Other hot places to shop are the local Terra Lee’s and Elegant Designs.

Senior Emma Jarrett from Elkhart Memorial and Sadie Bastardo and Mackenzie Umbaugh from Plymouth High School spent Saturday, Feb. 2 looking for the perfect dress, and they picked up a few tips along the way.

1. Keep an open mind

Now, the question is, what type of dress is for you? Tight? Poofy? There are several different styles and cuts and even if a dress may look ugly on the rack, it could be a game changer once you put it on. For example, prior to searching for dresses, Jarrett said, “I don’t want anything with too much ‘bedazzlement’” but now look at her in these dresses, totally rocking the “bedazzlement.”

2. Color matters

An important tip that you should keep in mind is the color of your dress and how it contrasts with your skin. If you have fair colored skin and don’t want to rely on a tanning bed, a darker color dress would look best on you. This way your dress will really pop due to the fact that it is contrasting against your pale skin. That being said, if you are darker complected, a lighter color will draw attention to your own natural beauty.

3. Quality comes with a price

No matter where you decide to purchase your dress from, you are going to be paying a decent amount of money. This is because store owners know that you will be wearing the dress only one time, so they think “why not make the customers pay an outrageous amount?” When you are out looking for a dress, be sure to keep in mind that although a dress may be pricey, it could be a durable fabric that makes it so your dress doesn’t rip while you’re dancing the night away. So when you’re trying to convince your parents to buy you a dress, don’t leave the part out that the more expensive, the better the dress!

Keep these things in mind when searching for your dress. Not only that, but make sure to do what makes you comfortable and try not care what other people’s opinions are. Last but not least, don’t let anyone or anything hold you back from having the time of your life finding the perfect dress. 

Check out the gallery below from Mackenzie’s, Sadie’s, and Emma’s shopping trip:

Gallery • 8 Photos

 The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the GENESIS staff. Reach Margaret Wiegand at [email protected].