Prom Dress – Getting the Ideal Fit

The truth is that most of us don’t fit the ideal of beauty that’s often set forth in magazine or television ads. We’re not super models, but each of our bodies is beautifully designed in a unique way. What does this mean when it comes to buying prom dresses? Alterations! If you need alterations for your prom dress, don’t worry. Many girls have to get alterations for various reasons. Maybe the waistline is a little too short or too long. Maybe the hemline is too long. Perhaps the bust area needs to be taken up or expanded. Alterations are a natural part of buying a prom dress, wedding dress, or any other type of formal wear, so you’re not alone.

Even if you’ve taken all the right measurements in all the right places, alterations may very well be a reality. Or, even if you’ve shopped around for the perfect material and colors for you, and even if you’ve tried on a similar dress before buying online – you might have to get alterations no matter how much you’ve tried to avoid it.

Think of eveningwear alterations as actually custom tailoring a prom dress to get the perfect fit for you. This doesn’t mean your body has an awkward size or shape. It simply means that prom dresses are often designed (or molded) to fit a certain body type, and no two persons are exactly alike.

When buying eveningwear online, take accurate measurements beforehand to reduce the number of alterations needed later. You’ll save time and money by requiring fewer alterations. This is money you can spend on prom dress accessories such as jewelry, shoes, hairpieces, make-up, gloves, etc.

Alteration Tips for Formal Dresses

Prom dresses are defined by their material, style, and ornamentation. The first thing to do if you need alterations is to find a tailor that knows how to work with the specific material of your prom dress. For instance, if your prom dress is made of silk, you’ll want an experienced tailor that knows all about working with silk material. Choose a seamstress that specializes in prom dress alterations for the best results. If your prom dress has special accents such as embroidery, beadwork, lace, floral patterns, or ruffles, be sure to ask how the alterations will affect the overall design of the dress. Some types of alterations can cause the patterns to look uneven, but an experienced prom dress tailor will know how to work around it.

Get a quote in writing before leaving your dress with the alterations person. A seamstress should be able to give a definite dollar amount before getting started. Alterations for formal dresses can be expensive, but getting a price up front will help you avoid a higher price later if complications arise.

For your alteration fitting, wear your prom shoes and the undergarments you plan to wear with your dress. This will allow the seamstress to obtain appropriate measurements without guessing. Take photos of your prom dress (front and back) before leaving it with the seamstress. This eliminates any possible accusations against you if the seamstress were to cause damage to the dress while it’s in her care.

Many online stores sell gorgeous prom dresses, homecoming dresses, gowns, formal dresses, and other types of eveningwear. Use your measurements to find a prom dress with the perfect fit – and don’t fret too much if you do happen to need alterations!

The High Priced Shoes – Manolo Blahnik

Who in their right mind would pay $500 for a pair of shoes? Apparently, a lot of women are willing. I am as crazy about shoes as the next woman, but how can something made of wood and leather cost so much? Isn’t a shoe just a shoe? But that doesn’t seem to be the case when one is discussing or wearing a pair of Manolo Blahniks. In the beginning when Manolo was just an upstart designer with Ossie Clark, only the most upper-class ladies wore them, but then a little show called Sex and the City and a nicely-heeled character named Carrie Bradshaw came along and opened the floodgates about expensive foot apparel. Carrie was happily obsessed with Manolo Blahniks and now so are we.

As it seems to happen to a lot of famous people, Monolo Blahnik wasn’t thinking about shoes as a career when he first started out. He had wanted to be a set designer for the theater. When he had a chance meeting with Diana Vreeland it gave him the opportunity to show her some of his theater sketches – and one of the sketches was a whimsical shoe design of his own making. “Go with the shoes,” Diana advised. “And forget the rest.” Manolo took her advice and by 1972 he had his first shoe collection. By the mid-seventies everyone knew about his shoes. Everyone in high fashion that is. Bianca Jagger, Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis and many other celebrities would all become faithful followers, but he was little known to the ordinary shoe-wearing American woman. It wasn’t until a certain quirky character named Carrie Bradshaw walked into television history in a pair of very high-heeled Manolo Blahniks that anyone West of Manhattan even knew what these shoes were. And once Carrie got mugged on the street by a thug who snarled, “Give me your purse…and your Manolo Blahniks!” audiences knew something must be special about those shoes.

But again I ask, “Is there any kind of shoe truly worth $500?” I don’t think I can answer that question. One who has the cash would say yes, but another with limited funds may ogle and fantasize about a classic pair of Mediterranean mules, but cannot and will not buy them. I believe the difference comes in workmanship. Manolo likes thing personal. He likes to look over and approve every shoe that is designed. He even has shoe lines dedicated to celebrity women. There is something quite compelling about a man who gives this much love to his art. Laugh if you want, but every detail of every shoe is given special attention. His philosophy for his shoe collections is simple, “occasional avant garde looks for the affluent few” and “good solid looks that will wear forever.” Perhaps that explains the price tag. Quality and attention rarely come cheap.

Another surprising fact is that for someone as well known as this designer it is rather amazing that he only has two shops for his shoes: one in London and the other in New York City. As you can probably guess, you will not see Manolo Blahnik with a line of shoewear at Target anytime soon. But this does not come from snobbery so much as it simply a part of Blahnik’s personality. He is not in this business for the quick fad or the shoe that will fall apart in a year’s time. He believes that it is unfair to have a woman pay for a shoe that she will not be able to wear next season. What Manolo does he does with love and true dedication. And it is that kind of quality in both the man and his shoes that makes the price tag a little easier to take.