Modestify Your Prom: Episode 2

Today we're going to talk about modestifying the price of prom. Yes, prom is an important night - honestly, it's probably the last time in your life when you'll be participating in such a unique social engagement. Sure, there are formal dances in college, but trust me - they are very different. So, yes indeed, you want prom to be special and you want to go ahead and splurge in all sorts of ways that make you feel like a princess. Or a fairy. Or a flapper. Or whatever you most want to feel like. It's your prom.

But at the same time, the expense of all this splurging can get to be overwhelming and leave you feeling more like a pauper than a princess - the little match girl left on the street. But there are tons of ways to go all Cinderella, even without the fairy godmother.

First, the dress. Here's a definitely awesome tip from Cinderella and her little furry friends: use your existing resources to make or modify an existing dress. Go through your closet, your sister's closet (if you have the sharing kind of sister), your mom's closet, and the ever-wonderful thrift store to find a dress that may not be perfect at first glance but can be made perfect with a few adjustments. For example, take a simple dress and add embellishments that will glam it up for your night of glory.

Here are some of my ideas for how to make something simple into something fabulous:



Glam it Up by CherryTree84 featuring Betsey Johnson necklaces

In this set, I used the classic tiara, some high-heeled mary janes, a multi-string necklace, and fingerless lace gloves to turn a simple silver dress into one worthy for prom. So take a second look at your Sunday dresses and try to imagine what they might be like with a little help from the accessory department.


Glam it Up 2 by CherryTree84 featuring Tarina Tarantino necklaces

For this one, I've added a splash of pink to this little black dress with some oh-so-girly pink heels and a pink beaded necklace. I absolutely adore that black lace headband which you could totally make yourself after a trip to the craft store. And of course, the clutch purse to tie the whole girly ensemble together.


Glam it up 3 by CherryTree84 featuring Carvela heels & wedges


This one is the one I am most proud of. That dress is way simple and not something you'd normally see and think "prom." But then we add some unique elements - the feather fascinator headband (again an easy and creative accessory you could make yourself), the wrap belt with the lovely bow (think long black strip of fabric wrapped around several times), some kicky heels, and finally some black fingerless lace gloves. Neat eh?

Hope this gave you some ideas on how to take something simple and turn it into something uniquely inspired, totally you, and prom-ready. Stay tuned for further episodes on modestifying the price of prom in other ways.

Modestify Your Prom: Episode 1

Love a prom dress that isn't perfectly modest? Don't worry, you have options. Here's a dress worthy for prom, with a plethora of additions that would make it worthy for you. My favorites? The metallic ruffle shrug and the red willow top (to be worn under the dress, of course). Bonus- if you like what you see here, most of these combinations would end up costing you less than 100 dollars. Being modest isn't as difficult as you thought, huh?

Post Options
You Have Options - by CherryTree84 on Polyvore.com

Prom Highlight: Good Deals at JenClothing

So, prom is just around the corner and I know that when I was in high school this is about the time I'd start flipping through magazines looking for the perfect modest prom dress. I never found one, by the way, but my misfortune doesn't have to be yours. These days, with so many options on the internet and so many resources for learning to modify what's out there, you don't have to settle for something you don't love and you certainly don't have to discard your standards.

My biggest problem way back in '01 searching for a promdress, was that I could find modest but I could not find affordable. I'm sorry, 500 dollars for a prom dress was simply ridiculous. But today there are a lot more options of the affordable variety and today I'd like to point out just one of them.

JenClothing is currently having a sale on all their prom dresses. The priciest one they've got is $150, and the majority rest somewhere around $85. Add free shipping during the month of March, and you've got a pretty good deal.

Here are a few of my picks:

It's classy, it's simple, and I have a thing for the ruched waist. It's on sale for $87.95 and you can find it here.

This one is in their new arrivals section, and it's a little pricier at $149.95, but if you're ok with paying a little bit more, I think this dress is perfectly lovely. It's modest and elegant and can make any girl feel like a princess. Find it here.

If you're going for something a little less formal, and more fun and flirty, this is a great dress. The pricetag is a modest $69.95 and you could totally glam it up with some fancy accessories. Find it here.

Jen's got tons more, so go check out JenClothing's modest prom dresses, and see if you can find your dream dress there. Good luck! :)