Dress Prom

Back when beauty pageants first started, they were reserved for women over the age of 18.  But recently, child beauty pageants have taken on a life of their own.  Open to girls under the age of 12, these beauty pageants have some great benefits for the contestants.

• Little girls often go through their mothers’ closets looking for fun things to wear.  We think of that iconic image of a toddler plodding around in her mommy’s high heels.  Beauty pageants let them know what it’s really like to wear pretty clothes like that.

• The different rounds in a beauty pageant can allow girls to develop skills that they’ll use later on in life.  The interview portion is probably the most important.  It helps girls learn how to be comfortable speaking in front of a group.  It also gives them an opportunity to express their opinions.  After all, many people fear public speaking more than they fear death.  Pageants give little girls a head start in overcoming that fear.

• The talent portion works in much the same way.  Each girl finds something she’s good at, and she gets to perform it in front of a crowd.  This is a great way to overcome any type of shyness.

As long as the little girls have well-grounded parents, pageants should be a positive experience for everyone involved!

Everyone’s eyes are going to be on you.  How do you handle the pressure?  What do you do to prepare?  Well, there are a few things we like to keep in mind when we think about getting ready for that big pageant.  And DressProm.net is ready to share those tips with you!

• When you’re on the stage, hold your head up high.  You’ll have great posture if you walk like you’re already wearing that crown on your head!

• Don’t compare yourself to the other contestants.  You’re being judged on how well you carry yourself.

• Perform your talent for as many people as you can.  The more advice you get, the better!

• To prepare for the interview portion, make sure you are up to date on the news.  You want to have an idea of your opinion on just about everything.  There’s nothing worse than being put on the spot.

• Think of something funny before you go on stage.  This will ensure that your smile is natural and not plastic.  (One of our friends actually carries around a picture of David Hasslehoff from his Baywatch days.  We’re not sure why, but she finds it hilarious!)

• Keep double-stick tape in the dressing room.  You just never know…

• Oh yeah… have fun!

You know us, we’re always on the lookout for great photographers. There’s such a variety of talented South Carolina wedding photographers, and each has his or her own personality, and we’re here to showcase them to you! We came across Bella Rose Photography, and their Bella Rose Photography Blog. Lisa, the lead photographer at Bella Rose Photography, has extensive experience in art, design, and photography, and is now a full-time photographer. Her and her team shoot 20-25 weddings a year, focusing on boutique style weddings that require only the most beautiful photography.

Want to get a taste of the different couples Bella Rose Photography works with, and all the different photo shoots and beautiful photos they have taken? Just visit their Photography Blog, and we’ll know you’ll just love their photos! We’re so pleased to see the fine work of Bella Rose Photography, and we wish them continued success!

Patrick Hall Photography, a Charleston Wedding Photographer, had us at hello – well, as soon as we read the quote they listed on their “About” page: “Take care of all  your memories. For you cannot relive them.” – Bob Dylan. It’s so true – life flies by, and it’s important to preserve all of life’s great memories so you can treasure them years from now. Patrick Hall Photography, of Charleston, South Carolina, has the talent and expertise to ensure your wedding and special events are photographed beautifully.

It’s one thing to be able to work a camera, and it’s another to be able to capture the emotion of the day within photographs. We hope you’ll take a look through the different photos on the site and also the Patrick Hall Photography Blog, and we know you’ll just adore them!

It happens sometimes— you break up with your boyfriend or your date gets the flu.  For whatever reason, you’re stuck going to that big dance alone.  How do you handle it?  Whatever you do, don’t sit at home feeling sorry for yourself.  Go out and have a good time!

• Get dressed exactly as you were going to before.  Get your hair done.  Make sure your focus remains on the most important thing:  You!

• Try to get together with a group of friends that might also be going stag.  Ideally, if you can get in with a mixed group of guys and girls, you can take turns during slow dances.

• What about the picture?  Okay, you have to get something taken!  Get together with a group of friends and do something silly.  You’ll want to remember how much fun you had!

• Think about it this way:  You’re free to dance with whomever you want.  You don’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings.  Make the most of that freedom!

• If you absolutely can’t imagine going without a date, see if any of your friends have brothers or cousins that you would be comfortable going with.  Make sure it’s someone you trust.

Most of all, have fun!

Every girl wants to look beautiful when she walks into that big party.  It doesn’t matter if you’re toothpick thin or fabulously curvy— you should be able to look as pretty as you want to.  The average woman’s dress size is a 14.  Seriously, Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14.  So why do most high-end fashion houses cater to that small percentage of women that are a size two?  Lucky for you, DressProm.net has a full line of plus size prom gowns to make you feel like a princess.

Don’t hide it!  Pride it!
You can’t camouflage your waistline by covering it with layers and layers of fabric.  It’s actually going to have the opposite effect you want.  Find a dress with a cinched in waist or belt.  It will actually help create curves and make you look fabulous.

Boastfully bust-full
Accentuate your bust line with a dress that has an empire waist.  It’ll actually serve double-duty.  Your waist will be defined (like we talked about before), and your “girls” will look tastefully accented.

It’s hip to be hip
If your hips are a problem area for you, then you need to pull the attention elsewhere.  Don’t wear something form fitting on that spot.  A-line dresses are the perfect style for hiding problem hips.

When you’re going to any kind of formal dance, you want to make sure you look well put together.  As a girl, you’ve got your dress picked out and your hair done up right.  You’ve carefully selected all of your accessories.  But what about your most important accessory?  No, we’re not talking about your shoes or your necklace.  We’re talking about your date!  It’s important for you to be involved in his tuxedo selection.  You want to make sure you two look fabulous together.

• He shouldn’t even think about a tuxedo until you know what dress you’re going to be wearing. You don’t want him getting a brown tuxedo to later find out that it’ll look awful with your black dress!

• If your dress is trendy, modern, or funky, you want his tux to compliment that.  You want his wardrobe to work with yours.  Check out DressProm.net’s selection of funky gray tuxedos.

• If your going for a classic or romantic look, you’ll want him in a more traditional tuxedo style.

• Whatever you do, stay in the loop.  One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to stay out of the tuxedo selection process.

School’s out for summer, and that means it’s graduation season.  And graduation season can only mean one thing:  parties!  When you go to a graduation party, you want to look your best.  Lots of people have their parties in the evening, so you’ll want to dress up a little bit.  You don’t have to go crazy— prom was last month!  Here are some tips about how to make a cocktail dress look elegant and classy for some of those graduation parties.

• Find a great pair of earrings.  You can always go with a great pair of drop earrings.  The dress is short, so your earrings can be long!

• The necklace is really up to you.  If you’re feeling funky, go with something that has a big pendant.  If not, you can just go with something simple.  But earrings and a necklace often go hand in hand, so don’t wear one without the other.

• If you’re comfortable wearing bracelets, this is the perfect opportunity!  Ideally, it would be great to wear a bracelet that matched your earrings.  A simple tennis bracelet always works.

• You’ll need a good handbag.  Hopefully you held on to your little clutch purse from prom.  It’s great for times like this.  It’s just big enough for the essentials.  With a cocktail dress, you want to avoid any purse with a strap.  It just ends up looking bulky.

• You can wear cute ballet flats with your cocktail dress.  If it’s a casual party, you can even get away with a nice pair of flip flops!  It’s all about looking cute and being yourself.

Have fun this graduation season.  Everyone here at DressProm.net congratulates you on a school year well done!

Whether you’re a seasoned pageant girl or you just like to watch them on TV, I’m sure you can all agree on one thing:  Rima Fakih’s reaction to winning the 2010 Miss USA title was priceless.  Seconds after she was announced as the winner, she was asked how she felt about winning the crown.  Obviously overwhelmed by the whole experience, Fakih said, “Ask me after I’ve had a pizza!”
Now that’s an All-American answer!

Fakih pulled out a victory after nearly stumbling in her evening gown.  Her near-blunder was replayed during the broadcast.  She almost tripped over the length of her train.  She managed to keep her balance and go on to win the pageant.

“I did it here, I better not do it at Miss Universe,” she said.

Rima Fakih really seems like she’s got her act together.  After her stint as Miss USA 2010, where she’ll represent the USA in the upcoming Miss Universe Pageant, she plans to attend law school.  She also hopes that her position will help break some negative stereotypes about Arab-Americans.  She said that she wants to “show the world that there are Arabs who are beautiful, not only in looks but also on the inside.  There are Arabs that are caring, that are good people, and who love the country they live in.”

She’s an inspiration to all of us, and we hope she represents us well in the Miss Universe Pageant.

We all know that your prom is a “formal” occasion.  Girls are supposed to wear gowns (or some other suitable fancy dress), and guys are supposed to wear tuxedos.  But what do you where to something that’s designated as “semi-formal”?

Many high schools have semi-formal dances in the beginning of the school year, so it’s not too early to start thinking about this now!

The basic rule of thumb is that semi-formal falls somewhere between “casual” and “formal.”  That means that guys can’t go in khaki pants and polo shirts, but they don’t have to wear tuxedos, either.  A suit with a nice button-down shirt is appropriate for something semi-formal.

But what about girls?

• Fashions change, but some basic rules stay the same.  Generally, a semi-formal dress can range from a cocktail dress to something along the lines of a tea-length dress.  So you want the hemline somewhere between 1″ above the knee and 3″ above the ankle.
• Any silky fabric is appropriate.  For something semi-formal, it might be a little overboard to wear something overly-poofy or princess-like.  (Save that for prom!)
• There’s also some freedom as far as shoes are concerned.  Dress heels are appropriate, but you could also get away with something flat.  Just stay away from flip flops!