Fabulous, Fashionable Formal!

It all began with an arrangement of pink roses on my dining room table with a note asking, "Will you please go to formal with me?" Yes, fabulous fashionistas, winter formal is here. Winter formal is a time for more exuberant, sparkly and a little more out there dresses, while prom is usually a bit more reserved. I follow the rule of look like a fox at formal (relatively) and a princess at prom (definitely).

With that in mind, finding the perfect formal dress is essential to the experience. Hopefully, you won't make the mistake I made last year and buy a dress that is rather clingy, not tight, but very fitted and it required me to not eat for the three weeks leading up to formal so I would look amazing in it. Let me explain: Last year, I desperately wanted a date. Desperately! I even asked a guy, but he turned me down, which might deter some people from even going to formal, but not this lady. I decided that I wanted to look incredible so I could show all those guys what they were missing. Here's a few dresses to sift through:

I ended up deciding on this beautiful black clingy dress with a bit of ruffles and gold trim and matching gold sandals. The only downside to the dress: I had to be stick thin to pull it off. Let me just say that I am a naturally thin person, but for some reason, I wanted to be even skinnier. I still don't quite understand why. Skinny does not equal beautiful, ladies, please remember that.

Anyway, I opted for the delicious smokey eye, nude lips and bouncy curls to tie it all in with the ruffles. I can't say that I didn't feel beautiful, (I felt gorgeous!) however, this year, I have decided on a dress that I can eat plenty of girl scout cookies in the weeks leading up to it, (oh, that time of the year has come again!) and still look good in it! Here are some tips and tricks to looking the best you can on formal:

1. Pick a dress that showcases what you love about your body! If you love your shoulders, go with a strapless or a thin strap. Love your legs? Maybe a touch shorter on the bottom and more covered up on top. Have a fabulous back? Show it off in a backless dress!

2. Pick a dress that doesn't require you to make any lifestyle changes, whether it be that you can't afford to eat for a month to pay for it or you can't eat for a few weeks to fit into it. A few alterations at the tailor to ensure fit and length are completely fine, encouraged even, but the dress should fit you and not the other way around.

3. Stay true to your style. I love the princess, classy girl look, so I drift toward fuller skirts, sweetheart necklines and cocktail length. If you're more of a hipster, maybe a dress with an eclectic print or a long dress would be more of your style. You'll feel better, but most importantly, you'll feel like yourself.

4. Please please PLEASE keep it classy. If you have more than one of these components: short, tight, shiny, cleavage, backless or see through, then you know you are veering into "tramp stamp" territory. A short cocktail dress is fine, but a backless, tight, see through and short cocktail dress is a no-go. Opt for perhaps a dress with an interesting detail if you feel so inclined to be a non conformist.

5. Be yourself. You are beautiful! Winter formal is your night to get all dressed up and look as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside.

This year, I am wearing the black strapless Marc by Marc Jacobs dress featured in the left picture. It's darling, classy and oh-so-pretty. I'm sure most of you are wondering, how in the world is she going to add her signature dash of pink to this dress? Fear not, I am wearing a pink, black and white headband that is like a tiara a princess would wear, in addition to painting my nails and toes a light pink and getting a pink corsage, courtesy of my lovely date. I'm also having him wear a pink tie and getting him a pink boutinier. I wish you all fabulous formal season, stay safe, and when in doubt, remember the words of Coco Chanel, "A girl should be two things: Classy and fabulous".