FashBlog.com

By Christina VanGinkel

With the start of school and fall, Homecoming football games and the accompanying dances that the schools sponsor are also only a few weeks away, and while less formal than most proms, Homecoming attire is still an important decision that needs to be made by anyone attending, whether boy or girl. In my part of the country, it used to be that boys usually showed up in casual clothes or their football jersey and jeans if they happened to be part of the team. Girls would wear a dress, but nothing overly elaborate, as is often the case when it comes to Prom. Times have changed though, and dressing up 'to the nines' is often par for the course, especially when it comes to the girl's dresses.

Whether your teen daughter is attending for the first, second, even third time, it can still be a big deal to them. Try to make the evening as enjoyable as possible by pre-planning, at least as far as the attire goes. Have them discuss with their friends how everyone will be dressing. Not necessarily the exact outfit, mind you, but whether the crowd will be going casual or dressier. Oftentimes the school itself will also set a recommended dress code, or if the dance is following a specific theme, this may also play a part in the style of dress chosen. In addition, unbelievably, many local stores will have researched these same things ahead of time and ordered in dresses specifically for the shopping crowd that will be looking for the perfect outfit just for this particular evening.

If you have an idea of a budget, or if you expect your teen to pay part of the overall bill, be sure to discuss this fully with your teenager before heading out shopping. Make sure they know if this budget includes the dress alone, or if it is meant to cover the dress, shoes, and any other needed accessories. If your teen wants to go over the agreed upon budget, do they have funds of their own that they can contribute? Knowing the answers to these questions before heading out shopping can save a lot of headaches and bad feelings when they find a dress they just have to have and it is way over the talked about budget.

Once your teen daughter has an idea of what they intend to wear, set aside a time to go shopping. If possible, set aside two separate times, in case nothing that fits the desired outfit is found the first time out. You may also have to have something altered, so do not be surprised if a store needs to set up an appointment for a fitting or a pick-up. If your teen is willing, shop second hand shops or borrow something. My daughter actually did both of these for her first two Homecoming dances and Proms. Only for her junior year did we buy brand new, when she had a job to help contribute to the cost of what can amount to a very expensive evening.