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Hi ladies, I know prom season is gearing up and you’re starting to get stressed about finding a dress. As the owner of Aubony – I know A LOT about this topic! Prom dress shopping is an exciting time and should not be dreaded or stressful. Whether it’s your first or last time shopping for a prom dress, I have compiled some helpful tips to avoid stress and ensure your prom dress shopping experience is fabulous and drama free.

DO NOT TRY ON GOWNS UNTIL YOU ARE READY AND ABLE TO SAY “YES TO THE DRESS”. It’s Murphy’s Law that you will find your dream dress and chances are… you are not the only person that will fall in love with the dress. Most often someone will have seen the dress on it’s way to your dressing room or they will have seen the dress on you. That’s all it takes for them to covet your gown & make your gown – their gown! When someone else ends up purchasing your dress… It’s devastating and it is a heartache that can easily be avoided. At Aubony, we register each gown and will not sell the same dress in any color to the same school – it’s our PROMise.

P.S. Thanks to social media, they don’t even have to see the dress on you in person while you are at the store – sometimes they only see the dress on you in a photograph or you’ve shared the dress of your dreams via a photo from the internet. HELLO – 500 friends on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram are not really your friends! Neither are the people that are their friends and sometimes even the people that are closest to you aren’t really your TRUE friends. NEVER share your dream dress with others until you’ve purchased the dress!!!

PENCIL YOURSELF IN. Call the store and ask to make an appointment to reserve a dressing room! Don’t assume you have an appointment just because you called before you came or emailed us prior to leaving home, your appointment must be confirmed by an Aubony associate. Just an FYI – Weekday appointments typically receive one-on-one service. When you schedule an appointment, we’ll have a fitting room prepared just for you and a style consultant available to answer questions and assist you in finding “THE DRESS”. After seeing you try on a couple of dresses, your style consultant will be able to tell what kind of dress you are looking for and which styles look best on your body. Sometimes dresses that are ugly on the hanger are gorgeous with YOU in it!  Please be careful with the dresses you try on – the gowns are delicate so hand each one back to your style consultant to rehang after you take it off, don’t just leave the dress in a heap on the floor of the dressing room. Keep in mind each store is different and operates differently – Aubony is unique, with over 1,000 prom, pageant, & special occasion dresses in stock year round, our gown selection is unmatched! We request that you make an appointment so that you receive the celebrity service experience that defines Aubony.

BE PREPARED…

Have an idea of the look that you are going for. This requires you to do some online research into what sort of dress you want prior to your prom appointment and will help you in your quest for the perfect dress. Be realistic and flexible and find at least 5 style variations so that if the silhouette isn’t flattering on you – you won’t be disheartened. Print out pictures or save the photos of your dream dresses to your phone or iPad. This will help your style consultant pull those looks for you and also find similar styles that you may not have even considered. Do not worry if you are unsure of what you are looking for. Aubony Style Consultants are extremely skilled and will be able to help you find styles that will flatter your body type, compliment your personality, and match the theme of your prom.

Know what you are able to spend. Stay out of the “Danger Zone”. Be realistic and be truthful with yourself when deciding on a prom dress budget. If you are not paying for the dress yourself, make sure to discuss a budget with the person who is paying before entering a store. Do not set yourself up for disaster. NEVER try on dresses that are too expensive. Be fair to yourself, the store owner, your style consultant, the person who loves you that is paying for the dress, and the “too expensive delicate gown”. The average cost of a prom dress is $350. Please remember that no matter what your budget is, there are thousands of beautiful dresses out there that fit into every price range. Please know this…you are not going to get a $500 gown for $200. If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true.

Remember that size does not always matter! Try not to get overwhelmed or upset if you are jumping around between different sizes. Keep in mind that each designer cuts their dresses from a different size chart. These size charts can be different from the sizes of your regular clothes. If you wear a size 10 in jeans you may wear a size 12 or 14 in a dress, depending on the style and fabric. Remember that size is just a number and what really matters is how you will look on your prom night! Do not let it determine your mood and ruin your shopping trip. Most dresses need minor alterations, like shortening the hem or taking in the sides.

Personal Care – Dress The Part. (No facial foundation, lipstick, or deodorant – PLEASE!) If you are fresh faced, showered, sporting a gorgeous up-do, and wearing a touch of mascara chances are… you will have a better shopping trip than someone who rolled out of bed! You want to feel as beautiful as possible when trying on dresses and we always feel better when we look better! Wear the undergarments that you plan to wear the night of your prom. You will get a better picture of what the dress will look like on your big night. Be sure to eat a light meal ahead of time and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Trying on dresses can be time consuming and exhausting. Prom appointments at Aubony are scheduled for 90 minutes. Save yourself from fatigue by fueling your body ahead of time – this will maximize your energy while trying on dresses. Thus saving you from “amateur shopping status” by letting dipping blood sugar levels come between you and your dress .

Prepare to be open minded. Many times prom shoppers may have an exact dress in mind and they are uninterested in trying on other styles. We recommend trying a variety of styles on, even if they aren’t what you had pictured. An experienced style consultant will be able to pull dresses for you based on your body type, hair & eye color, skin tones, and personality –  that you may not have thought of trying before. Most often (actually 95% of the time) a dress pulled by your style consultant will end up being “the dress”! Keep in mind that dresses you have researched online may look very different in person and may not be the most flattering dress for you. Sometimes, what we like doesn’t always end up liking us back. Do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone when shopping. Be fearless and you will conquer the dress world on your quest for the perfect dress!

Bring a small fan club. Don’t go prom dress shopping with a large group. Too many people may lead to too many opinions and create a tired and stressed out you. Bring one or two close friends or family members. Invite people that you know will support your decisions while also offering honest but positive feedback about each look that you try on.

BEWARE OF ONLINE DEALS! If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. I cannot tell you how many people call or come into our store, frantic & upset – because they did not get the dress at all or they did not get the dress they thought they were getting! Yes, you can find an online bargain – but some online stores are misleading… your online bargain may end up being a cheaply made designer knock-off (Yes, they do steal the photos!) that’s the wrong size and color! When you end up having to buy a replacement dress – that bargain doesn’t end up being such a good deal. Only buy from a reputable bricks and mortar store.

Always remember to be patient and open-minded. Shopping for a dress should be a fun, fabulous, exciting, and drama free experience.

Happy Shopping!

XOXOXO

Pamela

At Aubony, we value your business!

As our special thank you for being an Aubony Customer we want to reward your continued support – FOREVER!

Be the envy of your prom in a gown from Aubony Prom!

or if you prefer to shop solo, receive 10% off your dress simply by liking us on facebook!

Discounts apply on in stock dresses only & first visit.

Send us your photos in Aubony attire and we will add them to our website under the “In The Spotlight!” section!

Welcome to Aubony Prom, your number one resource for prom, pageant and social occasion fashion, accessories, and tuxes! Hopefully you are as excited as we are….. for a FABULOUS 2010 season! 

We’ve opened a brand new store dedicated exclusively to PROM. Jammed with glitz and glamour and hundreds of dresses in stock, you are sure to find the dress of your dreams while receiving our “STAR” treatment!

A division of The Aubony Group, Aubony prom is committed to “Delivering Celebrity Service”! As part of this committment to you, we have created GOSSIP! Our prom, pageant and social occasion blog to keep you up to date on our every move! We’ll spread the word about all of our fabulous in-store events, designer spotlights, beautiful bargains, and daily deals. We’ll also share tips from the pros to make you look & feel like a “STAR” and your PROM 2010 a “Red Carpet” event!

So check back daily, because “PROM is ALWAYS ON” at Aubony Prom!