Making Prom Dreams Come True

"My name is Katina F. I went to the women’s boutique today and I bought a dress Sydney's Closet donated. I just want to say “Thank you so so much” . I really love it. It’s red, and I wear a Size 22W. It was really hard to me to find my size for a good price cause my parents really didn’t have the money. I just want to say “Thank you so much” …because this is my first Prom ever.
Sincerely, Katina F."

Katina, you’re very welcome! PROM-ise to send us a picture of you looking very glam at Prom 2011. We hope to be able to help you for your next Prom!
Sydney’s Closet loves nothing more than making dreams come true for deserving girls who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford a plus size Prom dress.
We work with several exceptional organizations in St. Louis and across the country whose network of talented volunteers work year-round to collect gently used or new Prom dresses that they either giveaway, lend or sell at a nominal price.

Prom Dress Trend # 10: Painterly Prints

Want to rise above the rest of the crowd at Prom? Show your creativity wearing a Prom dress inspired by an artist's canvas. Modern art your thing? Go for a bold abstract print that is sure to pop in any color. If clean lines aren't for you, consider a Prom dress splashed with flowers. Any flowers work from tiny buds favored to full blooms. A romantic at heart? Borrow the color combination artists capture when they paint a rainbow. In any design, the art of Prom dressing can be a stroke of fashion genuis.
This is the 10th and last trend in our series of the Top 10 Prom Dress Trends. Which ones do you think are winners. Which ones are loosers? Any trend so strong you think it can survive for another Prom season. Tell Sydney what you think. Just leave her a comment below. She'd love to hear from you!
And remember, PROM-ise to send picture of you looking glam at Prom 2011.

Prom Dress Trend # 9: Rosey Disposition

Looking to make a dramatic fashion statement at Prom 2011? Wear a Prom dress embellished with floral rosettes. The trend, ripped right from the runway, adds an oh-so girly detail. Nothing is more feminine than flowers.
The rosette detail adds a fresh 3-D look to what otherwise might just be a boring dress way too plain for a night as big as Prom. Rosettes work on an fabric from chiffon to taffeta and come in just one color or a combination of colors for an even stronger fashion statement.
You'll never know where a rosette will bud! This year the twirls of fabric fashioned into flowers are all the rage on straps of one-should dresses. But they don't stop there. Rosettes are also in full bloom on skirts and even trains to create a real red-carpet look coming and going.
Just because you're wearing a Prom dress decorated with rosettes, doesn't mean you have to give up fresh flowers. The trick is to pick a flower from Mother Nature that's simple and doesn't compete with fabric rose on your dress.
Check back tomorrow when we wrap up our series of the Top 10 Prom Dress Trends. This time we shine the spotlight on the Painted Lady. You won't want to miss this trend that borrows patterns and colors directly from an artist's canvas!

Prom Dress Trend #8: Cut it Short

On the hunt for a very fun and oh-so flirty look for Prom 2011? You'll love short Prom dresses! The trend is all the rage. When you hike up the hem you get to show off your great legs. Plus, it's so much easier to dance. Pair a short Prom dress with a pair of stilettos for a sexy look. To keep from looking underdressed for such a big night, avoid wearing a short dress that's too plain. Just because the hem is higher doesn't mean you can't bring on the bling!

For a super trendy look, go for a short skirt with layers of tulle edged at the hemline to form a circle of waves.

There's never been more choices of prom dresses cut short in plus sizes. Discover your fabric fabrics: satin, chiffon, and taffeta. And select from all the hot colors including pink, red, blue and yellow. You'll even find prints available in shorter skirts. Bows, feathers, sequins and rhinestones add just the right amount of dazzling detail.

After decades of seeing a sea of long formal dresses at Prom, you're sure to be ahead of the fashion curve wearing a skirt above - or at - your knee!

Prom Dress Trend # 7: Flower Power

Prom is in full bloom this Spring as dresses-inspired by the garden steal the scene. The flower power trend buds in all sizes, shapes and colors - just like Mother Nature! No matter what the flower, be certain the look is always pretty and very feminine.

For a new twist, spin on the dance floor wearing a muted floral ball gown satin skirt covered in layers of multi-color tulle.

Looking for a great girly look that's oh-so fun! Burst onto the fashion scene for Prom wearing style SC7023, shown here. Fashion-savvy editors at Seventeen mag featured the flowing chiffon Prom gown splashed with bright pink roses on aqua background in the big Prom 2011 issue!

Visit here again tomorrow. That's when we focus on the trend for short Prom dresses. Cutting it short is the eighth in our series of Top 10 Prom Dress Trends.

Prom Dress Trend # 6: Shady Lady

Struggling to find just the right color plus size Prom dress? Not sure if you want to go for a deep dark shade of a color or the same color in a lighter shade. Now you can have it both ways! Just go with a dress in an ombre fabric, a hot trend for Prom 2011. Eye-catching ombre gowns have colors that subtly graduate from light to dark. That creates a stunning look sure to put you in the limelight in a sea of solid and print Prom gowns.

Wondering what the word ombre means? It comes from the French for shaded. That prompts Sydney, in her "Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses", to appropriately call this trend "Shady Lady".

Feeling romantic for a night as big as Prom? Check back tomorrow to catch "Flower Power" , trend # 7 in our series on the Top 10 Prom Dress Trends. This blooming look is ideal for Spring.
But first leave a comment here to tell Sydney whether you want to be a "Shady Lady"!

Prom Dress Trend # 5: One-Shoulder Starlet

Looking to make your entrance at Prom 2011 a real red-carpet moment? Then opt for a one-shoulder dress , a design that's all the rage with Hollywood's hottest stars from girly Taylor Swift to mysterious Twilight vixen Kristin Stewart.

What makes this design so popular when dressing up for a big night out? It's strikingly simply but still soooo sophisticated. In a sea of strapless dresses, you're sure to stand out wearing a one-shoulder Prom dress. Plus, the look works in three of the most popular fabrics for evening gowns: chiffon, taffeta and satin.

Don't let the asymetircal look throw you off your fashion balance. Sydney's "Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses" points out there are endless ways to wear a gown with one shoulder. In the most basic design, look for a simple narrow strap to extend from the top of the bodice across the shoulder in the same fabric as the dress. In the most elaborate interpretation, a wide strap reaches across the shoulder hidden under dramatic embellishments such as ruffles, feathers, sequins or flowers.

Do you think this fashion twist is here to stay as a design staple? Or is it more of a passing fad? Sydney would love to hear what you think! Tomorrow we feature the sixth in our series of Top 10 Prom Dress Trends . If you're a "Shady Lady" you'll love this trend that focuses on ombre fabrics!

Prom Dress Trend # 4: Lollipop Colors

Want to know the must-have colors for 2011 Prom dresses? Take the fashion cue for cool hues from some of the best-ever lollipop flavors: bubblegum, grape, orange, lemon and strawberry.

Sydney's "Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses" lets you in on this little fashion trick. If you want to find the sweetest and most flattering color associated with candy on a stick, you must start by knowing which colors flatter your skin tone.
Dark-eye brunettes and Prom princesses with dark complexions will look ravishingly delicious in bright pink flavors like bubblegum or mouth-watering shades of yellow like lemon-drop.

Light-eyed brunettes and natural blondes stand-out in gorgeous grape. Fiery redheads and golden-eyed brunettes make head turns in yummy shades of deep lime. Are you a blonde or strawberry blonde? Take center stage in a tasty orange.

Not sure if your skin tone is cool or warm. Stand in front of a mirror in natural light wearing no makeup. Look for blue, pink or reddish undertones in your face if you have a cool complexion, or golden undertones in warm complexions.

No matter when your skin tone, you can find delicious lollipop colors for your Prom dress. Looking for a celebrity-inspired trend right from the red carpet? Check here tomorrow to learn more about Prom Dress Trend # 5: One-Shoulder Starlet. Meanwhile, tell Sydney what's your favorite color Prom dress!

Prom Dress Trend #3: Graphic Design

For the fashionistas weary of animal prints, never fear! This year jungle patterns aren’t the only wild patterns causing a fashion uproar for Prom 2011 dresses. Everyone is going crazy for eye-popping graphic prints! The power-packed designs are guaranted to get attention on and off the dance floor.

Want to be an up-to-the-minute Prom princess who makes your Prince Charming swoon? Take a fashion cue from Sydney's "Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses" and wear a ball gown with a satin skirt in funky geometric swirls covered in multi-color layers of green and yellow tulle.

Feeling bold - and beautiful? Make a real pattern play wearing a sweeping one-shoulder satin gown in a dramatic abstract print that combines aqua, black and turquoise. Sequins and a sweeping train add just the right amount of sparkle and sophistication. You'll make a grand entrance coming and going!

What's your opinion of this popular trend? Tell Sydney. Check back tomorrow to get the scoop on Prom Dress Trend #4: Candy Colors. And keep coming back through March 20th. You don't want to miss a single of the Top 10 Prom Dress Trends!

Prom Dress Trend # 2: Easy Breezy

Relax! Choosing the perfect Prom dress is a breeze this year. Just go with fabrics that flow easily, a hot trend Sydney spots in her "Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses."

Chiffon, more than any other fabric, moves with grace reserved for a true Prom princess. Satin offers a slinky and sexy alternative that assures you'll make a grand entrance.
Fortunately, chiffon and satin dresses are not only practical for Prom; they’re hot on the red-carpet this season.

Best Actress winner Natalie Portman looked amazing wearing a chiffon gown to the Oscars. Selena Gomez, wearing a red chiffon gown at an Oscar Party, smiled with Justin Bieber on her arm!

Best of all, free-moving dresses in chiffon or satin look great on a variety of figures. Try an A-line satin skirt to flatter a figure fuller in the middle and bottom.

Leave Sydney a comment here to let her know what you think of this hot Prom dress trend. Return tomorrow as our Top 10 Prom Dress Trends continues with Trend # 3: Graphic Prints.

Prom Dress Trend #1: Animal Prints

Release your wild side at Prom with animal prints, the first hot style in Sydney’s “Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses”. It's a fashion jungle out there with the hunt for the perfect 2011 Prom dress on. But leave it to Sydney, the Prom pro, to spot the trend for untamed glamour for Prom 2011.

Look for fierce leopard, tiger and zebra print dresses to make a fashion roar this year.
Animal prints are purrfect for boisterous bombshells who want to stand out at Prom. Sydney’s trick to pulling off this wild trend is to keep your look classy. That way you avoid looking like you bought your dress at a Las Vegas casino circa 1985.
Leopard prints are by far the most popular animal print. But unfortunately those spots are also the hardest to pull off without looking like Tarzan’s girlfriend. If you’re in love with leopard, Sydney suggests trying the print in cooler, more subtle colors, like blue or black and silver.
Another way to rock this trend is to skip spots and go with zebra striped dresses like the one Miley Cyrus wore at this year’s Grammy’s. Now the stripes are all the rage - on and off the red carpet. Pump up the party adding a splash of bright color like hot pink to the black and white pattern.
If you’re going for a sophisticated look for Prom, choose a dress trimmed or lined with an animal print trim. Feeling fashion bold? Unleash your wild side, wear a short Prom dress in an overall animal print.
Would you wear an animal print to Prom? Tell Sydney!
Be sure to check back tomorrow when Sydney’s "Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses" features Trend Two: Easy Breezy Fabrics !

Top 10 Prom Dress Trends

Finding your dream Prom dress is oh-so-fun. But fast-lane fashionistas don’t always have time to trek through the infinite styles for Prom 2011. Sydney, the Prom pro at Sydney’s Closet, solves that problem with her “Get Gorgeous Guide to Prom Dresses”.
She zeros in on what’s hot – and what’s not – so you can stop stressing out about what to wear to Prom 2011. You can just focus on looking amazing and having the time of your life!

Sydney’s Prom dress guide launches tomorrow, March 10, and goes through March 20th. Each day Sydney will feature one of these Top 10 Prom Dress Trends for 2011:
1. Untamed Glamour: animal prints call your wild side
2. Easy Breezy: go with fabrics that flow like chiffon
3. Prints Charming: novel, bold graphics get attention
4. Candy Land Colors: yummy hues like lemon drop and grape
5. One-Shoulder Starlet: design detail seen on the red-carpet
6. Coming Up Roses: floral rosettes add 3-D touch
7. Shady Lady: one color fades from light to dark
8. Painted Lady: patterns splashed with color
9. Flower Power: pretty, feminine florals
10. Cut it Short: hike up the hem to knee

Check back tomorrow when Sydney showcases her first top trend: animal prints. This fierce style creates a real fashion uproar! Remember: come back each day for 10 days so you don't miss a single scoop on what's hot for Prom dresses.

Be sure to leave a comment. Sydney loves to hear from you!

Mardi Gras Dresses to Impress

Who says Mardi Gras dresses must be the traditional gold, purple or green color? A very Happy Customer at our St. Louis store just selected a satin floral print dress with beaded neckline to wear to the Mayor's Ball, a Mardi Gras Masquerade. She's sure to impress the The Honorable Mayor and Mrs. Francis G. Slay when they hold court at St. Louis City Hall this weekend. The multi-colored flowers splashed on a white satin background won her over the minute she zipped the formal dress. "I didn't want to wear dark colors," she said. "I wanted a fresh breath of Spring. Now all I need is may mask".