Who You Should Bring Shopping for Your Formal Gown

Shopping for a formal gown on your own may leave you at the mercy of the sales people who may not always be completely honest when trying to nab a sale. You want to instead bring someone who is completely up front about your gown choice, but not so overbearing that they try to talk you out of choosing the gown that truly suits you.

Your best friend, mom or boyfriend can be good choices for people to bring along, as long as you keep a few possible characteristics in mind.

Best friend. A good choice for picking the grooviest gowns, but your BFF may be too nice to want to hurt your feelings if you actually look like a fool in a particular gown. She may also not have the wisest input on the fine line between looking fancy and looking like you’re heading for the red light district. (Leave your frenemies at home!)

Mom. Unless your mom is Cher, moms may tend to lean on the conservative side when it comes to formal gowns, especially if she’s the one paying. Her choices may make you end up looking more like Cinderella’s 8 year old sister than Cinderella herself.

Boyfriend. If he’s like most guys, he’s going to want low cleavage, high slits and tight-fitting fabric all over. Once again you may look like you’re heading for the red light district instead of a prom.

The answer? Bring all three. Or find one person you know will tell you the truth about how beautiful or kooky you look in your gown. Then, make up your own mind and have a great time at prom!