When winter comes around and high school girls begin the search for the perfect winter formal dress, the pastels and florals floating around in their closets no longer do the trick. Although vibrant colors and patterns are great for summer nights out or even Homecoming dances, they do not necessarily fit the Holiday or winter formal theme. Girls spend hours scavenging through their own closest, friend’s closets, malls, and searching online to find the right dress. If you’re stuck and in the need for a cute dress that looks fabulous in pictures and shines on the dance floor, here are a few trends and tips to help you out.

Tip #1

Especially with the brutally cold temperatures currently happening in Minnesota, strapless or spaghetti strap dresses are often difficult to pull off. A long sleeve dress can be the perfect option for a winter dance. Long sleeve dresses are a great option for Snowball because they are comfy, warmer and there are many styles. Many popular styles that look fabulous as long sleeves are bodycon dresses or v-cut dresses that flow out after the waistband.

Tip #2

Don’t ever be afraid to accessorize. If the dress is a high neck cut, pair the dress with some dangly earrings and funky bracelet or a bold, statement necklace and studs to top it off. V-neck styles look great with any jewelry, but wearing dangly earrings with a V-neck elongate the neck and extenuate one’s collarbones.

Tip #3

Sparkles are fun, stylish and add a great statement to any dress. Whether your dress is short sleeves or long sleeves, sparkles are sure to attract all eyes towards you. Sparkly dresses are easy to accessorize as well because they are such bold and glamorous statement pieces that one does not need elaborate jewelry or shoes. For example, a sparkly gold long sleeve dress would look great with nude pumps and either studs or dangly gold earrings.

Tip #4

If you’re not into the glamorous and girly look and are looking for something edgier, velvet is your go-to. Big dangly earrings with big bangles are always a great way to accessorize an edgy look. To top it off, black closed toed wedges or wedges that lace up in the front are both popular styles. They’re edgy, stylish and will keep your feet warm as you truck through the snow from pictures to the car.

Dances are a blast not only because you can rock out on the dance floor and hang out with your date and friends, but doing your hair, makeup, and putting together the whole ensemble are all fun aspects of dances as well. If you’re stuck finding a dress, websites such as Tobi, Asos, and Lulu’s are all great sites to check out. If you are more of an in-store type of person, department stores such as Macy’s, Von Mauer and Herberger’s are all great ideas, as well as stores such as Francesca’s, Dry Goods, Bebe, and Express. Shopping for dresses can be difficult, and putting the whole outfit together can be even harder. If you’re in a stump and desperate to find something fabulous, just remember the styles above that you cannot go wrong with.