How To Find the Perfect Dress

The "perfect dress" is actually perfect in several ways:

1. It is perfect for YOU - your body shape and size, your personality, your age, your hair, etc.
2. It is perfect for THE OCCASION - it doesn't matter how great you look in that long white dress. Wearing it to someone else's wedding is decidedly not perfect.
3. It is perfectly IN PROPORTION with the rest of your outfit (e.g. accessories, shoes), your body size, your date's attire (if applicable), etc.

In order to find the perfect dress, you must strive for perfection in all three of these categories, and that goal is 100% attainable. Read on!

Knowing Your Style

You are the only person who can decide if a dress really is perfect for you. For instance, if purple looks great on you but you hate the color purple, the dress will never be perfect for you because you are not 100% comfortable in it. No one can tell you if a dress fits your style - you must know yourself and know your general style before you can find the perfect dress.

"Knowing your style" does NOT mean complaining about everything you see in the store. A little bit of open-mindedness goes a long way. Here are some sample thought processes:

• Bad: "Ooo, that dress is such a pretty color! But it's a halter top? Eww, I hate halter tops!"
• Better: "Ooo, that dress is such a pretty color! But it's a halter top? ... I'll try it on anyway to see if it looks good on me. You never know until you try, right?"
• Best: "Ooo, that dress is such a pretty color! But it's a halter top? I know that halter tops show off shoulders and back, but my shoulders are not my best feature and my back sometimes has baby fat rolls that I would rather not display. Can I wear a cardigan over this dress? If not, I'll keep looking."
  

In addition to both "knowing thyself" and open-mindedness, there are a few basic guidelines that you can keep in mind when looking for your perfect dress.

Fit

The most important thing about the perfect dress for you is that it fits you perfectly. If a dress does not fit, it is not the perfect dress.

Ignore size numbers. There is so much psychology wrapped up in "what size you are," it can prevent you from finding the perfect dress. You could be a size 8 for one brand and a size 16 in another. Repeat, ignore the size of the dress. Sure, have a ballpark number in mind for when you first walk into the store, so you can pick up dresses that are at least the ballpark of what you are looking for. Then, forget it. If you need a size up or a size down, get the next size up or size down. Forget the number or letter.

No one will care what size your dress is when you walk into a room looking fabulous. They will care that you look fabulous, because your dress fits perfectly.

Also, a dress that fits does not necessarily mean that the dress is skin-tight. Fit means that the cut of the dress lies on your body as it was originally intended. If it was meant to hug the body in some places, skim the body in others, and flow away from the body in others, then that's the way the dress should hang on you.

There is a difference between dresses that fit perfectly off the rack, dresses that will fit perfectly with slight alterations, and dresses that do not fit at all. Know a good tailor so you can tackle dresses that fall into the middle category.

Examples of fixable issues: wrong sleeve length, straps too long, hem too long, slight bagging around the bust, waist, or hips area, etc.

Examples of non-fixable issues: buttons that do not close, zippers that do not zip, inability to walk or sit down in the dress, "the girls" spilling out of the dress, possibility of being cited for public indecency while wearing the dress, etc.

Cut

The cut of the dress has a lot to do with the fit, but is a little more specific to your body. All perfect dresses will fit you perfectly. Not all perfect dresses have the same cut or shape.

There are some great guides on the internet that can talk about which cuts of dresses generally look better for which body types - see the links for a few. A few key takeaways from these types of guides:

• Focus on the parts of the body you want to draw attention to. Pay attention to this rather than "camoflaging" parts of your body you don't want to show off. This is a more positive approach that will help you find more fabulous dresses.
• Structure (e.g. seams, darts, quality fabrics, boning/piping) gives shape to a dress. Only the super-skinny can wear dresses with only one seam up each side of the dress. The more seams, the more shape and structure. Which shape you need from a dress depends on many factors, but in general look for a shape that highlights your waist.
  
• Pick dresses with features that create an "hourglass illusion." Very few women are actually "hourglass shaped," but the perfect dress will give the visual impression that you are an hourglass. Highlight and/or define a waist - the skinniest part of your body in the middle. Having a waist is much more important than giving the illusion of a bigger bust or smaller hips.
  

Color

Pick a color you love that complements your features (and is appropriate for the occasion - see below).

Neutral colors (black, brown, white, navy blue, metallics) look good on everyone and are appropriate for just about any occasion.

Primary colors (red, yellow, blue) can look either fantastic or terrible. Red and blue are great standby dress colors that look good on just about everyone - and a red dress is a great feminine standby. Yellow is a happy, bright primary color, but not everyone can pull it off since yellow often clashes with the undertones in skin. As a result, yellow usually looks better on darker-skinned women than lighter-skinned women - but not always.

Secondary colors (orange, green, purple) usually look fantastic. Orange sometimes has the same problem as yellow, as it can clash with skin tones easily, but not always and not nearly as often as yellow.

Patterns can be great for dresses. Make sure that all the colors in the pattern go together (yes, patterns exist with internally clashing colors) and that the pattern is in proportion to your frame and your outfit - see below. All except the super-skinny should avoid horizontal stripes - they make you look wider than you actually are, since they draw the eye sideways.

When in doubt? Go for colors that complement your eyes. Some classic color combos:

• Green eyes: purple
• Blue eyes: pink
• Brown: green or blue
  

Choosing the right dress for an occasion can be tricky. RealSimple has a great guide to picking outfits for specific occasions.

Here are some basic tips for choosing an appropriate dress:

• Is the event formal, semi-formal, business casual, casual, or somewhere in the middle?
• Will the atmosphere be conservative, anything-goes, or somewhere in the middle? Keep in mind the guest list when deciding how much skin you intend to show.
• Will you need to move around a lot at the event, or dance? Or will you mostly be sitting or standing for the duration of the occasion?
• Will there be food - and can your dress stand up to stains?
  
• Most of the old etiquette about dresses was thrown out the window years ago. The only rule that has stuck around? Unless you are the bride, do not wear white to a wedding!
• When in crippling doubt, ask your host/hostess about appropriate attire for the occasion.
  

What does it mean for a dress to be proportionate?

• Proportionate to your outfit.
  
  • A blazing red mini-dress does not call for wimpy shoes. Conversely, a modest gray shift dress you would wear to a funeral would not be in proportion with pink-and-purple patterned platforms.
  • Handbags should also be taken into consideration. Large or showy bags can overwhelm a small frame or a simple dress, whereas a bag that is too small or boring can drag down an outfit that includes a fabulous dress full of interesting detail.
  • Jewelry should complement your dress. Take into account size, amount, placement, and color of jewelry. Pieces of jewelry should also be in proportion to each other - for instance, huge dangle earrings and a huge tiered necklace can overwhelm your dress.
    
  • Your shoes and accessories can make or break your outfit - choose them well.
• Proportionate to you. The perfect dress should not overwhelm or underwhelm you or your personality. For instance, larger prints and patterns are more in proportion to larger people, and small prints are more in proportion to smaller people. If a dress is a "loud" primary color and you are not a "loud" person, than the dress is also not in proportion to you. Likewise, pastel colors often wash out bubbly or energetic people. Knowing your style (see above) can solve these proportion issues before they start.
• Proportionate to your date. If you will be bringing a date to the event in question, and the event is formal or significant enough that you would discuss coordinating colors, make sure your outfit is "in proportion" to your date. This is a somewhat vague, abstract concept, but one can still notice when it goes wrong. The primary thing to consider is your relative statures. If you are much bigger than your date, do not wear colors, patterns or accessories that will make you look even larger than comparison. If you are much smaller than your date, do not wear washed-out colors and go minimal with the accessories, or you risk being dwarfed. Also, make sure you and your date are prepared for about the same level of formality.
  

Why is a little black dress so awesome? Because more than any other dress, it can be the perfect dress for you.

1. Perfect for you - black looks good on everyone, dresses look good on everyone, and the "little" of "little black dress" can be almost any height above or below the knee that flatters you.
2. Perfectly appropriate - for any event with almost any level of formality/seriousness in just about any season or type of weather, an LBD is the quintessential "appropriate dress."
3. Perfectly proportioned - the LBD can be a solid foundation for just about any outfit, never overwhelms or underwhelms your body, and can go with any attire your date may choose.

When in doubt about what will be the "perfect dress" for you or your occasion, pick your LBD. It is a woman's wardrobe's best friend and the ultimate classic.

Above is one of many Internet videos about how to select a little black dress - all the above guidelines apply.

Now you know how to find the perfect dress for you. Enjoy being fabulous!