Thursday, March 23, 2017

Long Prom & Spring Formal Dresses

Prom brings back lots of funny memories. While the event itself was always fun I never thought it was quite the party that movies and TV shows tend to hype it up to be. Between the stress of “promposals” and worrying about who would be your date and which friends you’d go with I feel like oftentimes trying to find a dress became a little bit less fun. My highschool even had a private Facebook page for girls to post pictures of their dress on to ensure that no one had the same one. While all of this felt like a big deal then it is definitely one of those things that I look back on now and laugh.


Prom at my school was specifically for juniors and seniors and sophomores could go if they were asked by someone older. For my first prom, junior year, my mom insisted that we find a dress in person instead of ordering one online. Well, this was easier said than done considering I had a self imposed no sequin or cut out rule. After looking at countless places and being unimpressed I ended up getting a bridesmaids dress and essentially had to get it reconstructed to fit me. BIG MISTAKE. While the dress looked great and all ended up fine it was probably just as expensive to get it altered as it was to purchase the dress considering we had to make a size 10 fit my size 2 at the time frame. My mom was all about me finding one online and in my size the following year and I ended up ordering another bridesmaids dress from J.Crew to work as my prom dress.


Also, since prom is in the spring it was extra fortunate that we wore long dresses to prom considering I was always in season for soccer and it wasn’t uncommon for me to have a lovely soccer shin guard tan at the time. I remember junior year especially the tan lines were quite prominent which would have made a short dress out of the question without it being obvious. I guess I didn’t have the best luck with discrete ailments around prom since the next year I ended up having a bug fly into my eye during a soccer game which made the inside of my eye lid raw and subsequently made it so I couldn’t open it all the way. I was lucky that got better before prom but I look like I am giving the photographer the stink eye in our class photo since it was really evident then. Moral of the story, if a big event was coming up in highschool you could bet that I would have some sort of bizarre issue right before.


Since I know many of you will be preparing for your own proms or formals in the coming months I thought it would be fun to share one of the long prom dresses I have (that I wore to my friends deb ball here) as well as my top picks for long dresses I’ve found online. I definitely think the selections have gotten better when it comes to affordable, long dresses and I’ve listed some of the less expensive ones by price.

The dress I am wearing was such a good find as it is under $100, still available, and comes in a blush pink and navy color. The bow back is what really sold me and I was so impressed that I didn’t have to do anything with the length aside (I’m between 5’7” and 5’8”)  from put on my favorite pair of heels. I was a bit hesitant with the sheen when I first ordered it but it turned out to be less obvious than it was on Nordstrom’s site. The brand it is from has a lot of great long dresses that are all pretty much under $100 making them a great option when you’re trying not to spend too much. I wore a pair of Baublebar’s tassel earrings in blush pink to add a bit of color to the navy dress which I would highly recommend in the spring.  














Bow Back Dress // Pale Pink Tassel Earrings // Heels // Bracelets ( 1 & 2 ) // Gold and White Bracelets

It was really fun to look at a bunch of different sites to choose my picks to help y’all shop. I would definitely be wanting to wear this dress if I were attending prom this year or needed a long dress for a wedding or event. I just can’t get over the fun pink color or popover style and it fits my no sequin and cutout rule that I still have a tendency to gravitate towards. These are the best dresses I could find for y’all!



under $150: 1 // 2 // 3 // 4
orange/pink row: 5 // 6 (this would be my top pick) // 7 // 8
blue row: 9 // 10 // 11 // 12
multi color row: 13 // 14 // 15 // 16
pastel row: 17 // 18 // 19 // 20


In all honesty, I haven’t actually re-worn my prom dresses since prom since we don’t really wear long dresses to our sorority formals which is why I would highly suggest looking at dresses on Rent the Runway. I wasn’t super keen on that idea when I was shopping for dresses and since you can’t alter them the length can be a little difficult but having the option to order multiple sizes takes away from that hesitation. I’ve included a number of long dresses from their site that would make a great option to shop for prom.





I’d love to hear what you’re planning to wear to prom and if your school wears short dresses then be sure to check back tomorrow as I’ll be sharing lots of cocktail length picks then.

6 comments :

  1. You look stunning, love the colour of your dress. Makes me miss prom so much!

    Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
    http://charmainenyw.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Definitely agree that prom was portrayed more fun in the movies; same with college
    -Kate
    http://www.katekoutures.com/

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love the color blocked dresses. The pink and red one is my favorite.

    http://goldclutter.com

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  4. This dress is so pretty on you, Dorothy! I love the dresses from Rent the Runway- I'm definitely thinking of renting my dress this year!

    xoxo,
    Katie
    chicincarolina.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love the dress that you picked! I recently had to shop for my brother in law's wedding (which was black tie) and was so overwhelmed with the options! Adriana Papell is my very favorite designer right now though-her dresses are gorgeous & the price is usually right!

    xoxo, SS

    Southern And Style

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dusty rose bridesmaid dresses evoke a sense of ethereal romance. The subdued and serene nature of the color lends an air of tranquility and elegance to any wedding setting.

    ReplyDelete

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