I never attended a prom. I never married. Now I am nearing 60 years old and foresee no such excitement happening in my life. I have grown accustom to waking up in the morning, taking my pills and spending the day in front of my computer, authoring articles in the hope of earning a few dollars to supplement my small social security disability income.
Yet and still, I have over the years discovered that a cure for the occasional bout of melancholy I feel over the youth I never had is to venture out to the local mall and pretend I am young again, shopping for gadgets or garments to enhance my fabulously fun and frenzied existence. For a few hours I daydream experiences in order to return home, happily re-energized, with something different to write about.
My most recent trip found myself mysteriously drawn to the formal wear boutiques. The attraction was probably because now is the time when young women and girls are out looking for the fashions they will don at their proms, weddings or other formal happenings they anticipate attending come this spring and summer. And there they were, youthful females, wading through the racks of formal dresses, verbalizing their opinions over what appears to be the trendy vogue this 2013 year.
From chic glamor to girly fun, formal dress designers have incorporated existing high fashion trends into strong styles. Styles that are sure to satisfy the diverse demands of the different personalities that comprise the formal wear market in 2013.
* Vintage Styles
* Bold Colors
* Peplums
* Lace, Brocade and Embroidery
* Sequins, Beads and Ruffles
* Sheer and Chiffon
* Sleeves
Prevalent Style
The prevalent styles that many of the shoppers seemed attracted to were those that were inspired by the 20’s and 50’s. Modernized versions of the frocks donned by the 20’s flappers and the 50’s ballroom dancers reflected the fun and glamor that has evolved into these vintage fashions.
Bright and Bold Colors
The racks reverberated with the bright colors from the brilliant side of the rainbow. I noticed that this year’s dresses were painted with bold colors. Oranges and reds that are complimentary to almost any skin tone have pushed their way into popularity.
Chic Peplums
That short flared, gathered or pleated fluttering of fabric was attached to the waist of many select dress styles that are available. The look of the peplum has been adapted by designers from the popular red-carpet look of the hottest celebrities and will be the perfect pick for those girls and young women who want to include a little “flirt” with their skirt.
Romantic Lace, Brocade and Embroidery
The addition of lace, brocade and embroidered embellishments have managed to transform the basic dress styles into gorgeous articles of apparel. While some of the trendy dress fashions showed off antique types of the formal put-ons, others displayed were intrepidly futuristic.
Sequins, Beads and Ruffles
A touch of elegance has been added to this year’s designs by the inclusion of sequins sparkle, beads, and ruffles that created a fabulous style mix. These adornments were affixed to some of the sexiest and most adventurous looks that are sure to be seen this formal season.
Sheer and Chiffon
The fabulous flow of chiffon has returned to make an appearance in this year’s designer dresses, allowing the fashions to flaunt with grace. And yes, you can certainly expect to see the dramatic look of sheer, though most were lined or beaded to protect the most personal parts of the feminine physique.
Sleeves
2013 formal dress styles are showing sleeves, sleeves and more sleeves – more than I have ever seen before. Whether it was long sleeves, short sleeves, one sleeve, or cap sleeves, the femininity that can be uniquely captured by this touch about the shoulders adorned many of this year’s youth oriented formals.
2013 formal wear dresses are vibrating with the dress designers’ modern and courageous interpretations of current high-fashion conventions. Anticipating what will be the most worn prom dresses or bridesmaid selections this year, expect to see a lot of vintage styles; bright and bold colors; peplums; gorgeous lace, brocade and embroidered detailing; sparkling sequins, beads and romantic ruffles; chiffon and sheer; and not to forget the prominence of sleeves.
