Ask Bonnie

It’s all over in just one night. But the planning, contemplating and big decision making fills up many prior hours, days, weeks and even months. What is the big occasion? It is only the biggest formal event in high school — Prom.

For many schools, Prom is only for seniors. However, at some smaller schools, the junior class is also invited. The guys and girls play out their fantasy night dressed to impress from head to toe. While there are some new fashion trends, Prom definitely hasn’t gone out of style. And the most talked about topic during the prom season is the dress.

You might be surprised by this year’s “in” colors — moss green is a new hot color for the 2007 prom.

Green, the green family has really come alive. Lime green was always popular. But one of the No. 1 colors and styles this year is a pick-up skirt and the shimmer moss green.

Along with some unique colors, she also pointed out some of the different styles of dresses girls are slipping into this year for prom.

The newest trend is what we call the pick-up skirt. It’s where the girls have a fitted torso and the little tucks in the bottom.

This elegant-style dress is one of thousands of prom dresses to choose from at Universe. The dresses are in stock, and the store carries dresses from top designers. Another popular dress is the ball gown, still a prom favorite.

We stocked a couple thousand of the different ball gowns this year. A lot of the designers worry every year that the girls aren’t going to want a certain look. But they’re still the staple. And every girl wants to look like a Cinderella princess.

Black, white and red are still very trendy. These colors will never go out of style and will always be classic prom dresses. But with new colors and styles popping up this prom, a simple reminder to those who might be weary of the fashion.

It’s all about the kind of look you want to have. A lot of these dresses on the hanger, they’re done no justice. The girls really need to get them on.

Before shopping for that dress, remember the school’s dress code. And anyone looking for a two-piece prom dress, might find it tough to find one. A backless dress or one with the side cut out might be a better option for a more revealing dress.

A lot of the girls are able to wear the low backs,but they can’t wear anything with these sides cut out. It’s come a long ways the last three years when we used to have the two-piece prom dresses. I think what happened is that a lot of schools started to put restrictions on them and then the designers and manufactures followed suit and made very few two-piece dresses.

When going shopping for that perfect gown, have a price already range. The average price spent on a prom dress is about $300, but can start at $100. The average cost of a tuxedo is almost $200 cheaper.

A guy going to prom needs to order his tux three weeks prior to get the best selection. It’s also recommended that he make sure to try it on one week ahead so if there are any mistakes when the tux arrives, there’s enough time to fix the problem. However, if anyone comes in the day before she can still get him a tux for prom.

The closer you get to your prom date, the less selection there is. You can come in the day before and still get a tux. You’re not going to have anything to pick from, but the sooner you get in the more choices you will have.

For the guys, make sure you know the color of your date’s dress so you can coordinate. Pick an accent color from the dress for the guy’s vest and tie.

The rule of thumb if your matching, is to find something that is a shade darker. You don’t try to go with the main color of her dress, you go with an accent [color].