Prom 2015: Inspiration from the SAG Awards

The SAG Awards took place over the weekend, and if you’re anything like us, you were glued to the TV during the red carpet. The awards show is known as being one of the more fun and lighthearted of the season, which means the fashion skews a bit more daring, too.

Here, we’re recapping our favorite looks from the evening, along with prom dresses from our store that will help you get the look yourself! (Because who doesn’t want to look like a celebrity at prom?!)

1. The Inspiration: Emma Stone looks stunning in all black (we love the pop of color from the red lip, too!). She’s also rocking a huge trend for prom 2015: The sheer train.

Get the look: With LaFemme’s black lace dress with a sheer bottom, or Sherri Hill’s simple black strapless version, below.

2. The Inspiration: Sarah Hyland is also sporting a dress with a black sheer element, but we love the fun, youthful edge the bedazzled top adds.

Get the Look: With either of these black dresses from Sherri Hill, both of which feature a beaded bodice, and sheer overlay like Hyland’s.

3. The Inspiration: How about this beautiful, striped Oscar de la Renta look on Tatiana Maslany? It reminds us of some of our favorite dresses from Sherri Hill’s prom 2015 collection (see below).

Get the Look: With these black-and-white striped numbers from Sherri Hill.

 

4. The Inspiration: Actress Julianna Marguiles’ Giambattista Valli dress is in of the most sought-after colors for this prom season: rich, royal blue.

Get the Look: Both Sherri Hill dresses, below, mimic the streamlined silhouette and luxe looking fabric of Julianna’s dress, which allows the bold color to truly stand out.

5. The Inspiration: Another look we love: This ladylike tea length stunner worn by Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams.

Get the Look: Red lace is a huge trend this year, and we love the way Sherri Hill interpreted the look with these two fun flirty dresses below.

5 Tips for Buying Prom Shoes

Once you have your prom dress picked out, the next step it to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with it. Here’s a quick guide to picking out the

1. Choose the right hue. The color of your dress will determine the shade of the shoes you buy. If you’re wearing a colored dress, for example, metallic or nude shoes will be your best bet, since it will be hard to match a shoe to the color of your dress exactly, and black can look harsh against bright colors or pastels. If you’re wearing a white, black, or neutral dress, you can’t go wrong with metallic or black shoes. Or, add a pop of color to your outfit with a colorful pair.

2. Make sure they’re comfortable. As cute as a pair of shoes might be, if you can’t walk in them, you shouldn’t buy them. Remember, you’ll be wearing them for 5 or 6 hours, and much of the time, you’ll be dancing! Prom night is about having fun and making memories, and it’s better to err on the side of comfort and have a blast, than go for six-inch pumps and have to sit at your table while your friends dance.

3. Bring them to your alterations. If you’re getting your dress altered, buy your shoes before you head to the seamstress. This way, you can try them on during your appointment, to make sure your dress is the right length when you have your shoes on.

Shop a selection of our favorite prom shoes on our website, or in our Danvers, Massachusetts store!

 

 

Prom Looks Inspired by Kate Middleton

When it comes to style, there’s few people that can top Kate Middleton’s fashion game. Whether she’s attending a Polo match or a Black Tie Gala, there’s never a moment that Kate shows up looking less than perfect (and don’t even get us started on her wedding gown because we’re still reeling over it almost 4 years later). So to give you a little dress inspiration for prom, it’s only natural that we turned to the Duchess of Cambridge to shed some style secrets. Here are 9 of our favorite prom-approved looks that KM has rocked:

1. Silver Lining
While silver might not be your first color choice for a prom gown, Kate Middleton’s Jenny Packham number stunned at the National Memorial Arboretum Appeal Event. We love the cinched waist and Grecian feel of the gown.

US Magazine

2. Blue Crush
This Jenny Packham dress with its lace accents, deep v-neck, and jeweled belt is one of our favorite looks. If you’re loving the look just as much as us, it’s super easy to recreate for prom.

via Hollywood Life

3. White Out
While white is always a bold choice for Prom, we can’t get this Alexander McQueen stunner out of our heads!

via She Is Magazine

4. Prom Perfection
This Amanda Wakeley look is 100% prom approved with its beaded straps and slimming silhouette.

via Just Jared

5. Sophisticated Chic
This Jenny Packham gown is just the right amount of sophistication for prom. With its off the shoulder design and three-quarter length sleeves, it’s the perfect combo to glam up your evening.

via Marie Claire

6. Black Tie
Leave it to the Duchess of Cambridge to pull off a black velvet Alexander McQueen gown so perfectly. While velvet might not be your first Prom choice, you can still find a similar strapless gown to get the look.

via Marie Claire

7. Fit for a Queen
It’s fitting Kate that wore this gown for her wedding reception because it screams bride-to-be! If you take away the cardigan and throw on some casual jewels a look like this will be perfect for your prom night!

via Marie Claire

8. Sequin and Sparkle
If there’s one thing we can’t stop obsessing over, it’s a full on sequin gown. 

via Marie Claire

9. Pretty in Pink
This pink number is the perfect dress to get some serious dress inspiration from.

via US Magazine

Prom Prep: Workout Tips to Get Fit For Prom

via Seventeen Magazine

Now that the holidays are over and all of the holiday treats are gone, it’s time to start getting active! Whether you’re planning on hitting up the gym or doing a few at-home exercises after school, it’s important to get into a workout routine that you’re comfortable with. Don’t worry we’re not talking about heavy-weight style bulking up, we’re talking about starting with lighter reps to tone those muscles and lean out your prom figure!

Here are some go-to workout tips to get you started along with a few key exercises that you should try out:

1. Find an activity you like
If the gym just isn’t cutting it for you, find an activity you enjoy. Whether you check out an after school yoga class or start a running group with friends, it’s all about staying active and getting your cardio on. If outside activities aren’t an option in the cool weather, try a Youtube workout video or a Pilates DVD.

2. Stay hydrated
If there’s one thing that trainers can’t stress enough: it’s to stay hydrated. Throughout the day, make sure to keep refilling your reusable water bottle and don’t substitute soda and coffee for some solid h2o!

3. Don’t forget to stretch
Warm ups and cool downs are just as important as the actual workout. Make sure to pencil in a minimum of 5-10 minutes of stretching before and after your workout.

4. Know which areas you want to work on:

Upper Body (Arms & Shoulders): If your dress is strapless, backless, or halter style you’ll definitely want your upper body to be in the best shape possible. Here’s where simple bicep curls, shoulder raises, or back lifts come in handy. Exercises like swimming, rowing, or general weight lifting are great options too.

Abs: While you always want your abs to look good, if you’re thinking about a dress with cutouts, or a crop top, then abs should be your #1 focus. Yoga, Pilates, and sit-up style exercises should be your new best friend for the next couple months so that you can get as close to Rihanna style abs as possible!

Legs: If your dress is on the shorter side, you’ll want your legs to be as toned as possible (think Victoria’s Secret model limbs here!) Running, biking, squats, and weight machines are great options to tone your legs.

 

Don’t forget to let us know what activities you’ll be trying!

 

Celebrity Inspired Prom Looks from the Golden Globes Red Carpet

Prom gown enthusiasts can rejoice—award season is here! What better place to find prom dress inspiration than the red carpet? Celebrities pull out all of the stops for the Golden Globes, so expect to see a lot of glitz and glamour and of course some jaw-dropping gowns!

We’ve narrowed down our top nine looks that’ll have you oohing and aahing all the way to find your perfect dress:

1. Amal Clooney
From the stunning floor length gown to the white gloves, this look is every bit of sophistication that we dream of in a prom look.

2. Amy Adams
We can’t get enough of the one shoulder look this year, and Amy Adams’ flawless dress is no exception.

3. Dakota Johnson
A little (or a lot) of sparkle is never a bad thing!

4. Heidi Klum
A little bit of Old Hollywood glamour is very much on trend for prom.

5. Jessica Chastain
With its plunging neckline and slimming silhouette, this look is perfect for prom.

6. Kate Hudson
No one does glam better than Kate, but her cutout white gown definitely took it to the next level.

7. Leslie Mann
We love a bold gown choice, and this strapless yellow dress is definitely eye-catching!

8. Reese Witherspoon
Whether it’s on the red carpet or on the prom floor, a shimmering gown like Reese’s is definitely one way to jazz up your look.

 

9. Sienna Miller
When it comes to prom, you want a dress you’ll always remember and Sienna’s intricate silk gown is something we’d love to emulate come May!

© All images via Vanity Fair

 

10 Crop Top Prom Dresses We Love

The crop top prom dress is one of the hottest trends for 2015. The look is surprisingly versatile – no matter what your style, consider a crop top dress this year: It can be classic, sophisticated, feminine, exotic, sultry … all depending on the color, detailing, fabric and silhouette of the dress.

To prove it, here are some of the beautiful crop top prom styles we have in our store for 2015.

1. Sherri Hill ball gown crop top dress. We love how the crop top and all-black look update this classic ballgown style.

2. Between the color and the pattern of the beading, this Alyce gown has exotic appeal.

 

3. For the glamour girl, allover gemstones and a sleek silhouette create a show-stopping moment.

4. Black lace adds a sultry quality to this simple column style crop top dress by Madison James.

5. This dress is not for the wallflower Between a fire engine red hue, a crisscross bodice and a mermaid skirt, you’re sure to make the statement of  the night in this Sherri Hill gown.

 

6. This Sherri Hill dress is  the perfect princess moment for a fairy tale prom night.

7. We love how sophisticated this dress is. A cutout instead of a full crop adds elegance to the look.

8. This dress scream “fun!” We love the electric blue shade and high neckline, which balances a crop top.

9. What’s prettier than the mint-green hue of this  embellished, v-neck style dress?

 

10.  Neutral black-and-white, lace detailing and cap sleeves keep this crop-top prom dress classy and elegant.

 

Which dress is your favorite?

How to Prep for Prom 2015: Find a Salon

via James Joseph Salon

Last time our prom tip of the month was all about gathering hair inspiration so that when the time comes to go to the salon, you’ll be armed and ready with magazine clippings, photos, and a head of hair ready to be beautified. This week we’re keeping the focus on hair with one of the most important prom steps: finding a reliable salon.

In the prom world, your hair holds just as much importance as finding your perfect dress and shoes. After all, you’ll be looking at these prom pictures for years to come, so you want to make sure your hair is at its best. That’s where the salon comes in and that’s what makes finding the perfect one so important. To make sure you’re going to the best and most reliable one around here’s a few things to consider:

Ask Around
If you don’t have a regular stylist, ask around. Whether you’re talking to the girls at school or asking your relatives and friend’s mothers, you’ll be sure to find at least a few options to consider. The best part about asking around? Word of mouth travels fast, so if there’s someone that’s a great hairdresser, people will know about it!

Scout It Out
If word of mouth isn’t getting you anywhere, try the Internet. Google reviews and Yelp reviews are often a great way to find honest reviews of places in your area. Beware: not all experiences are good, so sometimes it’s best to take the bad ones with a grain of salt if most of the reviews are positive.

Visit the Salon
It’s important to build a relationship with the salon before the big day, so whether you book an appointment for a quick trim or book a consultation beforehand, you want to make sure your stylist is reliable and will listen to your opinions. You know what they say: you never know until you try it out for yourself, so make sure you’ve been to the salon and have tried it out before booking the final appointment.