Do you have a young lady in your life who will be attending prom this spring? Well, we have a secret insiders tip for you: Shop Now.
 
You may think that it is too early to start, but while most events take place in late spring, the best time to start looking for the perfect prom dress is in January. As with everything else, the early bird gets the worm when it comes to dresses. Many shops, including The Wedding Dress Shoppe, register each girl’s dress with the school’s prom that she will be attending to ensure that another girl isn’t wearing the same one. If you start shopping in January, your prom attendee will get her first choice.
 
Shopping early also means that if the promgoer finds an off-the-rack dress but needs it in a different size or color, there is still plenty of time to order it. A little known fact is that ordered prom dresses can take a few months to be delivered. Then, as many girls still need some sort of alterations even after a special order (even if it as easy as adjusting a seam or a hem), there is plenty of time for this work to happen.
 
Another thing to consider: If your young lady is torn between several dresses, there is no rush. She has plenty of time to make up her mind.
 
So bypass the last-minute rush and make prom dress shopping fun and carefree. At The Wedding Dress Shoppe, we want to make sure that your girl isn’t the one who waits until the last minute. We want her to get the dress of her dreams! Unfortunately, as time gets closer to prom, fewer styles are available to choose from or a designer may not be able to ship out a particular style in time. Shop early to be successful.
 
Once you’ve made the (wise) decision to start early, there are some practical things you should do to make shopping for a prom dress easier:

1. Set up an appointment. Most folks don’t know this, but scheduling an appointment to try on prom dresses really helps. This allows a personal stylist to set aside plenty of time to work with your promgoer one-on-one. Working with stylists is important as they have a vast knowledge of dresses and designers and they know what styles work best for differing body types.
    
2. Speak your mind. This is not a time to be shy. Let the salesperson know what is important. Your young lady may know exactly what she wants or she may not, but talking to the stylist about fashion likes and dislikes, as well as her unique personality, will help her find the best dress.
    
3. Keep an open mind. Encourage your prom dress shopper to try on many styles, including those she may not have pictured herself in. A stylist can pick a dress that will be incredibly flattering and the lady may fall in love with it, even though it was something she never would have picked.
    
4. Understand that sizing is different. Some designers size their dresses based on typical street size and some run smaller. Ultimately, a dress is ordered based on personal measurements (typically the largest one) and may still require alterations to be a perfect fit. For example, if a lady is larger in her hips than in her bust or waist, the dress will be ordered based on the hip measurement and will need to be taken in at the bust and waist. These are typically simple alterations and should not discourage anyone from purchasing a dress that she loves.
    
5. Bring accessories. If the young lady has a fabulous pair of heels she plans on wearing or a piece of jewelry that her sweetheart gave her, she should bring them to her appointment. Be sure she tries them on with the dress as it will help complete the look and give everyone an idea of how she will look on prom night.

At The Wedding Dress Shoppe our stylists are looking forward to working with your young lady this month to help get her in the prom dress that makes her feel as beautiful as she is.
 
Alan Perry is the president of Perry’s Emporium and The Wedding Dress Shoppe, offering a range of services for couples, from engagement through their wedding day. Perry’s Emporium is one of the largest retail jewelry stores in Southeastern North Carolina and offers exclusive brands and one-of-a-kind estate jewelry. The Wedding Dress Shoppe is a full-service bridal salon featuring distinctive and stylish bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, and mother-of the-bride and flower girl attire. For more information, visit www.perrysemporium.com and www.theweddingdressshoppe.com.