Prom Night is a milestone in our lives, especially in a young woman's life. So, every girl wants it to be special, a night that she'll remember for the rest of her life. But, every girl wants to stand out; to be the 'queen of the ball'. A designer prom dress will help you stand out from the crowd and there'll be a design that will perfectly match your figure and personality.

The problem with a department stored bought prom gown is that these garments are mass produced for the masses. The designers have taken a 'one style suits all' approach. This may be fine for most girls but many will want a dress that is as unique as they are, and a mass produced frock simply isn't good enough. Many young women spend a great deal of time looking for clothes that suit not only their figure, but their personality, so why shouldn't it be the same for a prom dress?

If you won't something that's original, different and is perfect for you, then you really should start looking at designer prom dresses. These garments have been designed by the world's leading fashion designers using the best fabrics, cutters and stylists. Unlike a department store that views prom gowns as just a seasonal piece of merchandise that comprises only a small part of their business, boutique prom fashion houses live, eat and breathe Prom Night; for them it's an all year round business. They put enormous effort into their new collections of prom dresses; not just to make money, not just for their own prestige, but because their business relies on the young women who purchase their designs, and they are all too keenly aware that each women wants something that is unique and beautifully made.

Each fashion designer has a penchant for certain styles of prom dresses. This is a good thing as they concentrate on making that style of dress more beautiful and different to other designers. If you know what style of gown you want, go and find the designer that specializes in that same style. A department store can also offer a large range of styles, but they won't have the 'depth'. If you like contemporary, short prom dresses, they may have them, but they will be in limited numbers, whereas a boutique that specializes in that style will carry a large collection. This gives you much more choice and you'll have a much better chance of finding the dress that is just perfect.

If you don't know where to start looking, here are some designers to get you started.

The Jessica McClintock prom dress has been a popular choice for decades. Jessica's designs have one main inspiration behind their design: romance. She has a large selection of styles, from traditional, modern, short, sexy and contemporary, but each is underlined with elegance and romance.

Tiffany prom dresses are for those who love the more traditional designs though each has a touch of styling that keeps them up-to-date. The philosophy of this design house is that a girl should not only look exquisite on Prom Night, but that in twenty years time, when she looks at photographs of her self, she won't cringe because her gown looks out-dated, but will only think at how beautiful she looked that night.

But if you're a thoroughly modern, confident girl looking for a dress that reflects your personality, then take a look at an Xcite prom dress. Their outfits have caused quite a stir as they show off a lot more than traditional designs and would look just at home being worn to a cocktail party or a Hollywood party.

These are just three to get you started. Others you should take a look at include Jovani, Flirt, Mori Lee and Joli.

If you really want a gown that is as unique as you are, then go for a designer label. The secret to getting the best designer prom dress is to first know the style you want to wear. Then you can narrow your search on fashion designers that make those styles.