Prom Styles For 2006 Offer Something For Everyone

By Susan Coney

Four girls scouring Fairfield County searching for a dress for the senior prom reported on their quest for that perfect prom gown when they recently met at a friend’s house to share their findings. Longtime friends and Newtown High School seniors Stephanie Corleto, Elisa Van Buskirk, Alana Wenick, and Katie Rose Crevier each ended up selecting a totally different style of dress for the much anticipated prom night, scheduled for Friday, May 19.

This year prom styles offer a wide variety of looks to flatter almost any figure. With so much variety in style to choose from making the selection is more of a matter of personal preference and also what’s comfortable for the pocketbook. The girls said that the dresses they purchased ranged from $100 to $250; however all of the girls said that if the budget was tight there were more reasonable buys available and other alternative ways to find the perfect dress, such as the prom dress exchange held at the high school every spring.

Stephanie Corleto chose a dramatically bold black dress, with a keyhole neck and flared train that she plans to accessorize with gold jewelry and shoes. She found her dress by chance and had no preconceived ideas of what she wanted to purchase.

Elisa Van Buskirk approached the purchase of her prom dress in a more practical manner. She looked for something basic that she could definitely wear again and ended up buying a classic, black halter style with a handkerchief hemline. For her next shopping trip, Elisa will be on the lookout for the perfect pair of pink shoes to accompany the dress. She said it was her date’s idea to go with a black and pink theme and she expects him to select something a little outrageous to wear.

Alana Wenick purchased a beautiful, robin’s-egg blue, strapless gown with a crisscross back and elaborate beading on the bodice. Alana portrayed the classic, elegant prom beauty when modeling her new dress in front of her friends. Her grandmother had to shorten the dress and used the extra material to make a matching handbag to complete the look. Alana plans to be comfortable by wearing flip-flops, which will remain well hidden beneath the full skirt.

Katie Rose Crevier chose a flattering turquoise dress with a halter top and full skirt, sprinkled with sparkling accents. Katie knew she wanted a long dress and wanted to steer away from the hot colors that are popular this year but had no predetermined style in mind when she went shopping. Katie also selected a delicate necklace with diamondlike stones and chandelier earrings to accent her dress.

From scouting the store selections the girls stated that basic black as well as bright, tropical colors in lime, orange, and red seemed popular this year. The girls said that there were almost endless styles to choose from but that puffy sleeves where the only definite no-no of the season.

Melanie Allen Mattegat, the owner of Julie Allen Bridals in Newtown, said that she does have girls come into the bridal shop to special order bridesmaids dresses in the color of their choice for the prom. Ms Mattegat stated that trends this season show several styles of dresses. She said that very beaded, detailed styles are popular as well as full satin dresses with pickup skirts and ribbon sashes. “Girls are either picking structured dresses with beading or the ballroom look or a sleek dress. There is a lot of color being used this year. Reds, navy, browns, pinks, and black are in style but no one is selecting white or ivory this year. The really good, ornate jewelry to give sparkle are popular and strappy sandals to show off those pedicures,” she said.

Jay Mattegat, who often assists young men in selecting tuxedo styles for the prom, said, “The kids for the past five years or so have been dressing very conservatively and I’m seeing that again this year. There are a lot of pinks this year but the guys are doing very little matching with the girls’ dresses; obviously they are not going to wear pink but will pick up the color with a simple pink rose boutonniere on a basic black tuxedo.”

For accessories such as handbags and jewelry, the high school friends recommended shopping at the Fashion Exchange, which is a consignment shop located on South Main Street. The shop is loaded with one-of-a-kind items and has shawls, gloves, and tiaras, as well as a wide assortment of jewelry and evening bags.

Sales consultant Jean Curry said, “I always encourage everyone to start here first. We have all sizes and styles to suit everyone. We do cater to the needs of our clients and have a whole room full of black tie and eveningwear accessories. We are very affordable from $20 to $189 for higher end hand bags.”

When shopping for dresses, think about the type of look you want to achieve for that special evening but keep in mind your body type and what style of dress and color will be most flattering. Remember that most formal dresses are not returnable so be certain when making your purchase. Experts agree it is always beneficial to take another person along who will provide an honest opinion when you are staring into that three-way mirror.