Whether it’s for a party, a dance, or any other special event, there’s a time in every girl’s life when a formal dress is an absolute necessity. While dressing up for a formal event can be fun and make you feel special, it can also be extremely difficult to find the right dress to wear. If you have an upcoming special event and have yet to find your attire, keep reading to discover seven tips for choosing a formal dress that is perfect for you.

1. Create a Budget

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Formal dresses are available at all prices, ranging from less than fifty dollars to upwards of several hundred dollars or even more. Before you go shopping, think about how much money you’re really willing to spend on your formal dress. Creating a set budget for yourself can help you prevent spending regrets later on as well as narrow your store and brand choices.

2. Don’t Online Shop

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There are thousands of formal dresses available online. While it might be tempting to try to buy your formal dress from an online website without leaving the comfort of your home, online shopping for a formal dress is a risk you almost certainly don’t want to take. Formal dresses bought online often look nothing like what you expected them to, especially once you actually try them on.

If you do ignore this advice and choose to purchase your formal dress online, make sure you order it early enough that you have time to return it and choose another dress if it doesn’t fit or look how you wanted.

3. Pick a Color

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You can make your dress shopping trip much easier by having a color that you want in mind before you go to the store. This trick can help you significantly narrow your field of vision while shopping for a dress and can make the whole process progress much more quickly.

4. Consider Your Event

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Just like formal dresses, not all formal events are created equal. Before you choose a formal dress for a specific event, make sure you fully understand the nature of the event.

Will there be dancing that requires a dress in which you can move freely? What length of dress is appropriate? These are important questions to ask the host of the event to prevent arriving in a dress that doesn’t fit with the event’s formality or lack thereof.

5. Choose a Style

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The style of your formal dress is just as important as its color. Before you start shopping for a dress to wear to your upcoming special event, begin considering what kind of style you want your dress to have.

Do you prefer a loose dress or a tighter dress? Do you want your dress to have a simple design or more detail? Consider all factors of style, including fit, length, and fabric before you head for the stores to make your shopping trip much less painless.

6. Fit Your Frame

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It is important to consider your unique body type when shopping for a formal dress. Dresses that look good on your best friend might not necessarily jibe with your different body type and shape.

A good rule of thumb for women of all body types is to choose a dress that is slightly tight and curve-hugging in order to reduce the appearance of shapelessness and make sure that your body stands out.

7. Complete Your Look

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While you might feel relieved after choosing the perfect formal dress to wear to your upcoming special occasion, buying a dress should not be the end of your shopping trip. It is important to pair your dress with complementary shoes and accessories in order to  help your whole look appear more complete.

Planning your outfit for a special event should be fun, not stressful. Before your next party, use the tips in this post to learn everything you need to know about choosing a formal dress that you love. And you can find more beautiful formal dresses on prettydesigns.com