Solutions for all of your prom-dress problems!

March 30, 2000

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Gardenia: I want to look really good at prom, but my mom says I have to pay for everything myself. How can I put a kickin' look together on small cash?

Jacqueline Azria-Palumbo: That's a very good question. You have prom dresses that are really inexpensive from a few companies like Bonkers, Hot Kiss, Wrapper, and even the big companies like Jessica McClintock and Zum Zum have dresses that are quite inexpensive. We did a whole story on that in our prom issue about all of the dresses under 100 dollars in our issue, so that would be one solution. The other solution would be to make it yourself. I had recently to answer a reader question about someone who wanted to make her own dress, and I said you can make a little tube top from stretchy fabric. Sometimes you can get the fabric already made in a tube so you can buy the fabric just enough to make a dress or a tube top - that can be a strapless dress, and it can be really nice and really inexpensive. It can be in a fabric like Lurex, really shiny, or sequins, or just shiny jersey, very stretchy. It can be really nice if you like to wear something close to the body and a little bit on the sexy side. Just a tube dress and a little choker and you can go out and you can look great.

Jenny: Do you know where I can find stylish prom dresses in large sizes (but that are still cool)?

Jacqueline Azria-Palumbo: Well, actually, more and more companies are doing larger sizes. I think I remember I used a few from Saviana and Roberta - that's the two companies that come to my mind right now. In general I think more and more companies are doing bigger sizes because I think a lot of people want to look great, even though they are not a size six. I think this is normal and the way to go, so I think a lot of designers are very aware of that. I think a lot of prom designers are doing bigger sizes, even the big designers like Roberta - they are doing a lot of great dresses. We have some in pastels, and taffetas - they were really pretty and in larger sizes.

TIGGERANGEL7: Do you know what type of prom dress could make me look thin?

Jacqueline Azria-Palumbo: Well, I would say maybe something that's not too puffy, like those dresses that would be ball gowns - those would not be a good way to go if you want to look thinner. I think you should stay more in the straight shape, not close to the body, but kind of straight - kind of an Audrey Hepburn kind of shape.a little tank strapless dress would be a shape that would be really more flattering and make you look really thinner. If you are in black, that may help even more. It makes it even more minimal and simpler and makes the silhouette even thinner. It is better to stay away from patterns and away from whites, and anything really stretchy or hugging. That would be a good solution - and no ball gowns. It is not easy to wear that either. Very, very simple lines and darker shades - that would be the best way to go. And a really pretty necklace - you would look fabulous like that.

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