Prom at Bloomingdales

If you're a high school senior, 'tis the season for pretty dresses! With prom and graduation recently coming to a close for all of the high school alumni out there, and mine being only next year, I started getting into my own fashion mode. It may be an entire year away, but...it's always good to stay ahead of the game right?

I decided to try out a department store known for classy evening dresses, Bloomingdales. This definitely is not the cheapest as far as dresses are concerned; at the same time, the prices could be a lot worse. This year at prom, I noticed that a lot of girls at my own school had abandoned the traditional long, beaded, frou-frou gowns that are typically associated with prom and instead went for chic cocktail dresses with interesting details that made them stand out from the crowd.

For my tanner skintone, I decided that white would be a good option; not many girls would be wearing it, but it would still stay true to my style palette of white, black, and beige without being too basic. I found two dresses that satisfied the criteria of being chic white cocktail dresses with enough detail to make them stand apart from the crowd. The one on top is from Lauren Ralph Lauren, and I love the detailing but I'm wary about the idea of wearing a belted dress to my (future) prom. The one on the bottom is absolutely gorgeous; the shutter pleats add interesting details while still maintaining a figure-flattering sheath silhouette.



Not counting the white dresses above, if I was dress shopping I'd probably go for a subdued colour, either very pale or very dark. The dress on top is another gorgeous find from BCBG with a very classic combo of an A-line skirt and a sweetheart neckline. To me, it's like the stereotypical poufy prom dress, reinvented. Though the dress on the bottom probably fits the graduation slot more accurately, I still can't help but love the old school halter neckline.



If, however, I decided to splash out and try a louder colour, I'd go for something without a lot of fussy details. I was able to find two dresses that incorporate a cute bow into their design, perfect for my bow-loving self. The first is a fire-engine red dress, which has a figure-hugging silhouette (perfect for little me!) and a tilted bow perched on its side. The second is a silk dress in an unbelievably gorgeous shade of blue. This one might not work for everyone, as its silhouette is sort of boxy and doesn't really flatter many figures, but it could also go both ways, as a graduation dress or a prom dress, depending on how formal those occasions are at your particular school.