Prom season is upon us and there are many decisions that need to be made: what shoes you are wearing, what to do with your hair and makeup, and most importantly what dress you are wearing. While looking for a dress there are many factors to consider-here are just a few.

The first thing you should do is to do some research beforehand. While this is not completely necessary, it is helpful to know what styles, colors, and shapes of dresses you like and don’t like.

Now that you are ready to dress shop you want to make sure you are wearing the right clothes. You want to wear clothes that are comfortable and easy to take off and put back on, sweatpants are always a good option, along with a pair of shoes that are easy to slip on and off.

Color is one of the most important parts of finding a dress. This year, some of the most popular colors are pink, yellow, blue, orange, and purple; which can seem like a lot but don’t get overwhelmed with all the options. Just because these are the most popular colors doesn’t mean they are what you should pick. It is important to know what colors look good on your skin tone, making sure you find a color that will not wash you out or alter how your skin tone looks is a key factor.

Depending on how early you go, your friends might have dresses before you. If they do what color their dresses are could play a role in choosing your own. You want to make sure you don’t have similar dresses, it’s good to be different and find something you like rather than something all your friends are wearing.

While dress shopping, it is important to keep an open mind and try on everything! You do not get the full effect of a dress sometimes until it’s on. Plus it can look completely different on you than it did on the hanger or someone else. The same goes for dresses you thought would be perfect when you tried it one and just ended it up not looking as good as it did on the mannequin, don’t give up on your search and just open your mind to different options.

Once you narrow down which dresses you like, it can be hard to pick the perfect one, something to help you decide is to take into account what accessories you can wear, what hairstyle would look best with the neckline of your dress, and what makeup would go well with it. You want to be able to find a dress where you are able to love every aspect of your prom look.

The most important thing is to pick a dress that you love and that you feel comfortable and confident in!