Many teenage girls see a designer prom dress online or in a magazine, fall instantly in love with it, buy it, only to try it on later and discover that the gorgeous dress just looks awful when they wear it. In desperation, with little time remaining, they have to go out and buy a cheap department store gown. Their dreams of looking stunningly beautiful for the Prom are shattered. But, this is so easily avoidable. You just need to pay attention to your body shape.



The reason a beautiful designer prom dress can look awful when worn is because it doesn't fit your body shape. Designer gowns aren't made to fit all; they've been crafted to complement a certain type of figure. Different gowns will fit differently. And, some fashion houses make just the one type of dress, while others have a wider collection of styles. So, before selecting a particular dress, you need to know what body shape you are and what style of dress will complement it.

There are four basic body shapes. The Pear, as you might guess, describes a body that is slim on top and wider at the bottom; wide hips but narrow shoulders or a small chest. This is the most common of body shapes for women.

The Triangular is the opposite of a Pear body shape; large bust with small or boyish hips. The Willow body shape describes a woman who is thin all over; narrow chest, small bust and small, boyish hips. The Hourglass figure is often thought of as being the ideal figure for a young woman though very few actually have this body shape.

Now let's talk about what styles of designer prom dresses suit each of these body shapes.

A-line or Empire dresses look beautiful on a Pear. With an A-line dress the skirt is A-shaped and flares out from a natural or dropped waist. An Empire dress is one in which there is not a defined waist; instead the skirt begins right under the seam of the bust and falls away to the. These styles work because they emphasize the smaller bust area but de-emphasize large hips.

For those with a Triangular figure or an Hourglass figure with a large bust, sweetheart necklines might be best avoided, as emphasizing the bust can result in a Dolly Partonesque look, which can make many feel self conscious resulting in a loss of confidence. Instead, a V-neck can draw attention from a large bust as it guides the eye inwards and down the midline of the dress.

The Hourglass figure can look great in most gown styles. A Column style has sleek modern lines and is usually quite figure-hugging. For those that want to emphasize more of their body's natural curves, a Mermaid or Fishtail is an excellent choice. These styles are often cut on the bias and hug the figure before flaring out at the knee. A Fishtail dress is usually flatter at the front than the Mermaid but flares at the back and sides.

The Willow shape can look divine in a figure hugging dress such as the Column. This dress style also looks just as good for petite or tall women. For those that are slightly self conscious about tight dresses, choose an A-line dress instead. It may also surprise a Willow shaped women that a strapless dress can make them look stunning - even for women with smaller busts.

There's no doubt that a designer gown can make a girl look unique and beautiful on her big night; the secret is to choose the best designer prom dress for your body shape.