New York, Milan and Paris Fashion Week brought us so many new dress designs and styles that we can hardly take it all in. We can’t help but be mesmerized by the luscious textures, glitter, sparkles, and sequins, not to mention the stunning colors. This year we noticed a whole palette of tertiary color mixes that we have never seen before; it was as if the designers were working with tubes of oil paint instead of the trusty Crayola 64 box. Some with names like Posuolli Earth and Pthalo Blue. Hey? But we love them anyway, even if we can’t pronounce them!
Now that all the runway reports are out, thanks to our very own Redcat, we can’t wait to see what awaits us when we go shopping for our 2012 prom dress. From the looks of it, I guess we’ll be back to one more look. sophisticated, dresses that take us back to the glamorous days of early Hollywood, where men wore suits and women wore dresses even during the day. ! That was glamorous!
Nowadays, the girls at the dance are lucky. No longer do you have to wait for entire seasons to pass before you start seeing the latest trends in formal wear, from cocktail dresses to wedding dresses and everything in between, especially prom dresses!
Here are some of the trends we look forward to trying out in 2012 prom season.
the peplum
Sometimes attributed to Victoria Beckham, the peplum is a flared ruffle attached to the waist of a jacket, bodice, etc. It was widely used in Victorian lace blouses with a cinched waist, allowing the blouse to be tucked into the skirt. It was also a much-loved fashion trend for women of the 1940s who sought to feminize the traditional suit by cinching the waist of the suit jacket and wearing seamed stockings and high heels.
The peplum style is a great prom dress style for girls who want to hide a large tummy area or simply want to accentuate their hips and make their waist look smaller at the same time.
The gala dress
The party dress is back with a flourish. This will be a hot topic once again in the wedding industry after years of slender yet casual columns from previous years. And that makes our day, as we never felt old enough (or warm enough) in last year’s short, voluminous babydoll dresses. Prom 2012 is sure to see a variety of prom dress styles once again; It would be a shame if prom girls didn’t take advantage of this opportunity to go completely formal without the stress of planning a wedding!
If you’re a romantic type, you’ll enjoy wearing all the luscious layers of silk, satin, and taffeta fabrics that are recommended. Chiffon or camisole simply won’t work if you’re trying to achieve the ultimate in fullness.
The high-low trend
We have reason to believe that the high-low trend will persist into the upcoming prom season, if only to showcase the incoming prom dresses, as mentioned above. At best, a prom dress can be a tricky prom dress to pull off, especially if you’re wearing high heels for the first time!
A prom dress with a high front hem and a low back hem gives today’s prom girl the best of both worlds: it’s stylish and functional! I mean, who wants to go to prom in a prom dress you can’t dance in?
This prom dress trend will work great if you want to go super formal and show off your gorgeous legs at the same time!
Flowers
Much less the curtains in your mother’s kitchen. Betsey Johnson already brought us the cute bouquets of all her favorite crazy quilts, but this year she and many other designers up the ante with splashes of neon-hued watercolor that say bold and confident, just like us!
We can also expect to see the floral motif, in embellishments, such as drapes, lace embroidery or digital prints,
sequins
Sparkles and glitter will rule the dance floor this year!
Fairy lights, oh how we love them. And this year we will have more options than ever, don’t be surprised when you find them on collars, belts, embellishments on the shoulders, on the hems, in the form of sequins.
For anyone who wants to sparkle all night long, a sequined dress is the way to go. Keep in mind, though, that any dress that’s sparkly will show off your every curve, so this is a perfect choice for slim girls who want to add a little oomph to the party.
Fingerprints
I have a feeling that deciding which prom dress to buy will be even more of a challenge this prom season, due to the abundance of wonderfully elegant textures that are created by printing patterns onto the fabric. I have already seen prom dresses that are as artistic as any modern painting or as intricate as any lithograph.
Patterns that evoke images like “crystal snow” and “mercurial atmosphere” are sure to be popular with creative and insightful dance girls who want a look that says “I’m unique.”
party dresses for 2012
When spring rolls around, ready-to-wear designers will no doubt be trying to convince you to buy their next hot item, believe me, but we want to let you know before prom dress season crushes you, so you have time to determine beforehand what styles you think you should wear, since you really want to look fabulous on prom night. Something designers don’t have the time (or inclination) to deal with.
Well, we think that’s wrong. That is why we want to present some of the most prominent trends that you are likely to see and unravel the whole concept of what is hot and what is not. In the end, all we want is for you to know what looks good on you! I mean, wouldn’t you rather look sexy than not?
These days, with the universal use of news sources, blogs, and videos, the savvy shopper learns about trends in an instant and doesn’t want to wait until they hit their price range. And retailers are quick to respond to demand, by the time the runway collections are released, inspired ready-to-wear versions are also available, sometimes on the same day!
So the lucky prom girl can now shop for a runway-style prom dress while she’s still at the top of her game, not a few months later like it was just a few years ago when I was shopping for my first prom dress!
