Macys prom dresses make prom shopping a fabulous, fun, rite of passage
I couldn’t wait to take my daughter prom dress shopping for her senior prom. This girl puts her heart and soul into the quest for formal wear. You would think she was prepping for an episode of Say Yes to The Dress, with the passion she put into her quest for prom dress perfection.
This is also a young woman who never wanted to take off her Disney Princess Dresses as a little girl. Her perfect prom dress, she admitted to me as we went out to shop, might be a more adult version of her beloved Belle Disney dress that she had when she was 5. But she was open to other colors besides buttercream yellow, and to drawing inspiration from Cinderella or Tiana. As long as her prom dress made her feel like a princess.
The bar was set high. She had the most gorgeous dress I’d ever seen for Junior prom, making it even tougher to find “The Dress” for her final prom year. How would we ever top the gorgeous dress from the year before? Easy. We headed directly to Macy’s at South Coast Plaza for prom dress shopping.
Shopping for Prom Dresses Starts at Macy’s
My friends call Macy’s the formalwear mothership. Weddings, gala balls, proms… If you need a dress, a serious dress, you need to go directly there. Don’t waste your time at ten other understocked, overpriced stores. I should have listened to them the first time. We wasted a lot of time at other malls, other stores, all in fruitless pursuit. But within ten minutes of shopping at Macy’s, we were overwhelmed for choice.
Macy’s has the greatest variety when it comes to styles, sizes, and price. No matter what your shape, personal style sense or budget are, you are going to find a dress. Finding a dress there is not the hard part. The hard part is choosing just one.
We initially headed to the Macy’s store at South Coast Plaza, in Costa Mesa California on a reconnaissance mission. We needed intel. This would require a preliminary shop. Maybe we would get lucky and find the dream dress there right away. But no worries if not. You can’t expect to walk into the store and see your size and style hanging at the front of the rack, with a price you can afford.
The nice thing about shopping for a prom dress at Macy’s is that even if you have no idea what kind of dress you want, or what size you wear, you can start to narrow it down here.
Once you have a better idea, their online system makes it simple to order the perfect style and size and pick up your dress in store.
Start prom dress shopping early to avoid disappointment
There is nothing worse than last minute prom dress shopping, and picking over the racks of lipstick stained and torn second-choice clearance rack goods in desperation. I learned that lesson the hard way the first year we went prom dress shopping. I felt like *I* needed a fairy godmother to get me through that experience. We were practically in tears as we went to store after store. The ones that had dresses we loved, didn’t have them in the right size. The ones in the right size were all wrong and there was no ordering anything at that point. It would not arrive in time to be tailored, even if it was still in stock.
Shopping Macys for prom dresses was a completely different experience, however. Particularly when we started early.
You definitely want to allow time to order a dress in the right size and to get the length tailored. Popular choices might sell out, so the sooner you start to shop, the happier you will be with the results!
Consider different styles when you shop for Macy’s prom dresses online
If you are unsure what style prom dress you want, or what style dress will best flatter your figure, Macy’s has a great style guide on their website. It’s a good idea to check this out before your first prom dress shopping trip, so you know what to look for and can prioritize what you will try on.
This guide breaks down some of the most common dress styles and explains who might want to look at each of them. It’s a great rule of thumb, but it’s also important to try things on. Even if the dress you fall in love with is not the top style recommended for your figure, try it! You might be surprised and it’s great to have more options.
Some popular prom dress style choices from Macys include:
Gowns and Ball Gown Style Prom Dresses
These dresses are best for girls who want to feel like a princess (like my daughter). They are dramatic and usually full length. They can be fitted or flared and work for many figure types.
Fit & Flare Dresses
Fit and Flare prom dresses are more fitted at the bust and flare out at the bottom. They can be long or short in length. They are great for highlighting a small waist, and because they skim over the hips they are very forgiving – giving everyone the right kind of curves.
Off-The-Shoulder Prom Dresses
Possibly the most dramatic type of prom dresses are ones that are one shouldered or off the shoulder. These dresses dare to bare back and shoulders, and are a great way to show off an athletic figure.
Halter Dresses
Halter styles have a retro and elegant feel to them. They draw the eye up to the face. Many of these style dresses feature jewels and decorative embroidery at the neckline, which is like built in jewelry. Halter style dresses are especially flattering on women with an hourglass shape.
Two-Piece Dresses
Two piece prom dresses are a relatively new trend. They are a bold and fun loving choice that is perfect for those with a unique sense of style. There’s a variety of crop top and skirt styles, literally something for anyone.
More important things to consider when prom dress shopping
- Looks are not everything. The right prom dress not only looks great, but also feels great. You will want to dance the night away in the right dress
- Leave time for alterations. Even if the dress fits like a dream, right off the rack, you might want to get it shortened
- Plan a separate shopping trip for undergarments immediately after you select your dress, bring it with you to try on with bras etc, to make sure it all works together.
- Bring your dress with you when you shop for shoes. Buy the shoes before the dress is altered, and bring your shoes and undergarments with you when you go for a fitting. Your shoes and even your bra will affect the length and fit of the dress
- Coordinate with your date! For maximum style impact, aim to coordinate flower and accessory choices
- Leave ample time for photos, and scout out locations for photos near you. Coordinate this with your friends. Consider asking a friend or family member who has a good camera to take high quality photos for you, or even hiring a photographer. You’ll want to remember this moment with something a little more formal than a selfie, and you won’t want to feel rushed or stressed.
- Have fun!
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