So let's say you receive a gown and wish to

Prom Dresses Guide Find The Prom Dress That Flatters Your Silhouette

Prom time is almost here and choosing from so many styles and shapes of prom dresses isn't easy. It takes time and patience to try on all those prom dresses, hoping to find just the right dress for your special evening. You should first find a prom dress that flatters your body type, or silhouette. Use the guide below to find out what type of body shape you have and which prom dress will best complement your shape.

Determining Your Body Shape

It's important to determine your body shape before you start shopping for prom gowns. Once you know which types of prom dresses will best suit you, you won't waist time trying on those that won't.

Are you Thin and Tall?

Here's a way to tell: Your body is straight and slender, has few or no curves, and your bust is average in size. Your height is 5' 6" or taller. If you meet these criteria, you'll want to buy a prom dress style that adds curves, shows off your long legs, flows gracefully to reveal your slim silhouette, and adds fullness to your chest.

Try on dresses with several different neckline styles including v-neck or an open neckline to see which looks best. Also, dare to try a dress with a cutout back. Some prom dress styles to consider are empire, sheath, ball gown, and a-line.

Are you black dresses for girls Petite?

If you are 5' 3" or shorter with a small build and an average sized bust, you'll want a dress to complement the petite such as an empire, sheath or a-line prom gown. With a slit, you can make your legs appear longer. Or, you can look much taller by wearing a dress with a short hemline. The hemline might be ruffled, handkerchief, hi/low, or asymmetrical - whichever best suits you. There are also a-line and empire styles to take emphasis off your waistline if you are short-waisted. Your neckline could be sweetheart, halter, or v-shape.

Do you have an Hourglass, Pear, or Apple Shape?

With an hourglass shape, you are curvy with a medium-to-large sized bust. Your bottom is rounded and you have curvy hips. You can show off the curves with a sheath dress or de-emphasize them somewhat with a ball gown or a-line dress. To place more black and white evening gowns emphasis on the upper portion of your body, choose a dress with an embellished neckline.

With a pear shape, you are probably bottom-heavy, meaning your hips, thighs, and bottom are larger than the upper portion of your body. Choose prom dresses that flatter the upper half of your dillards evening gowns body such as a-line, empire, or ball gown dresses with a circular halter neckline. Or, a strapless dress might do the trick.

If your body is apple-shaped, your mid-section is probably heavier or thicker than other parts of your body. Maybe your tummy is larger than you would like. Choose dresses that take the emphasis away from your mid-section. An empire gown might work best with this type of figure. An a-line dress can work well too if you have a bodice with boning to give it a slimming effect.

Are you Athletic? Do you have a Large Build?

If you are muscular, have broad shoulders, or a large bust, choose a prom dress that will give you a feminine shape such as a ball gown or empire style dress. The full skirt will immediately add shape at your waistline. With broad shoulders, you might find that trying to cover them with wide straps or sleeves will make them look even wider. Try on a few strapless prom gowns first. You might be pleasantly surprised!

If you have a large bust, be sure your prom dress offers proper support. Choose v-necks or halters and either an a-line or ball gown. To draw attention away from your chest, wear a prom dress that has eye-catching details at its hemline.

With a full figure, there are more styles today than ever in plus size prom dresses. Don't feel uncomfortable on your prom night by trying to squeeze into a smaller gown. Find a dress that fits your body size and flatters your figure.

More "Accentuating" Prom Dress Ideas

There are even more ways you can accentuate certain areas of your body. Prom dresses can also come with stylish features such as beaded panels, a fully beaded bodice, accordion pleating, a jeweled beltline, embroidery designs, sheer overlays, trains, and removable skirts.

Use these tips to get an idea of what style will work best for your body type before you start shopping. Check online to look at various styles and colors. Most online stores carry a variety of dresses including prom dresses, evening dresses, and bridesmaid dresses, so you'll have no problem finding just the right dress.

Prom Dresses From Overseas Auction Sellers Five Things You Need To Know

Browse online auction sites and you're sure to be amazed by the number of bargain prom dresses being advertised. However many people fail to factor in shipping charges, customs duty and VAT before purchasing a gown and end up with a prom dress which costs more montage boutique by mon cheri than they expected. In addition to this, buying overseas may make it harder to get a refund if you receive a gown that does not match the description.

The purpose of this article is to highlight some of the things to bear in mind when buying prom dresses from overseas auction site sellers.

1. They may be making money on the shipping charge, not the purchase price

Does the price of the gown seem too good to be true? Many sellers offer a very low price on prom dresses and make their money from charging very high shipping charges. They do this because they know that many consumers will focus on the purchase price, treating the shipping price as an incidental cost. In some cases, by the time you've added on shipping costs, you can end up paying more than three times as much as you expected.

What to do: Many people focus on the bargain purchase price and try to put the postage price out of their mind. When ordering a prom dress from overseas the cost of shipping becomes part of your cost of purchasing the item. Always check the postage price and calculate the total amount that ordering this dress will cost you before making black lace cocktail dress the decision to buy.

2. Overseas Prom Dresses will cost you 30% more than you think

If you're importing a prom dress into the UK from a county outside of Europe you will be charged VAT and Customs Duty by HMRC if the amount you pay (for the item, shipping included) is over ?0. VAT and Customs Duty are calculated based on the shipping and purchase cost. Once added on these taxes will normally increase the price of prom dresses by around 30%. This means if you pay ?0 for the dress and ?0 for delivery the total you will end up paying will not just be ?20, it will be close to ?60.

What to do: Contact HMRC for advice on how to work out the VAT and customs prom dresses attract.

So let's say you receive a gown and wish to return it. What are your options with regards to prom dresses which don't fit or dosn't meet their descriptions?

3. It will cost you money to return the Dress

If the seller agrees to let you return your prom gown then don't forget that you'll be the one who has to pay out for international postage to send it back to them.

What to do: Ensure that you bear this risk in mind when purchasing your gown.

4. You may find UK law unenforceable

What happens if the factory refuses to allow you to return an item? If you were buying from a UK seller you have the options of contacting Trading Standards or taking the seller to small claims court. However, while UK law is enforceable in the UK, you may find it very difficult to enforce if you've bought prom dresses overseas.

What to do: Be aware of the risks involved; the greatest protection you have are therefore the threat of negative feedback or using a protected payment method.

5. Raising a dispute may not be successful.

If worse comes to worst and the seller won't refund your money for a dress which doesn't match the description then you have two options. You can either threaten the seller with negative feedback or (if you've used a secure payment method) you can raise a dispute. However do bear in mind that such disputes are often difficult to settle and it is by no means a guarantee that you will definitely get your money back.

Buying prom dresses overseas from online auction sellers not only has hidden customs and VAT costs, it also has inherent risks. Be aware that buying abroad often means paying high shipping costs, customs duty, VAT and can affect your ability to return an item with which you are not satisfied. With this in mind you will be in a position to make an informed decision about whether the costs and risks involved in buying from an overseas seller make it a good option for you