Evening Dresses for Teens

Teens wear special dresses for occasions such as proms, formal parties and weddings. Designers target teenage girls with trendy fashions, textures and colors. When a teen shops for an evening dress, she should take into account her body type and choose a dress to flatter her shape. Today's flirty styles, interesting details and variety of fabrics give young girls many options.

1. Fabric

   • Chiffon is a popular choice of fabric for teen evening dresses, according to Bridgette Raes, New York image and style expert. It is a delicate, translucent material that suits this age group. Lightweight fabrics are okay to wear in cooler weather, but teens should also consider velvets and heavier jacquard options. Bolder teenage girls may prefer shiny knits or fabric with sheen.

   Color

   • Raes says it is all about bright colors for today's teenage girls. Some of the popular evening dress shades for this age group are vibrant purple, royal blue, red, jade green and even bright yellow. Teens usually avoid the black cocktail dresses that are popular with adult women. When teens wear neutrals, they are typically extreme hues in grey, gold and soft "makeup" colors such as blush. Florals and prints are once again popular with teens (at the time of writing in 2011).

   Trends

   • Interesting straps take center stage on many of today's simple, elegant evening dresses for teens, according to Raes. Embellishments and jewels such as rhinestones adorn the straps. Teenage girls often want to show off their tan by wearing dresses with open back. The strap attachments create a point of interest. When teens choose shorter dresses, they typically have interesting bottom details, including flutter hems and ruffled flounce skirts. Layers of material such as tulle add bounce underneath the skirt.

   Length

   • Raes says girls under 16 should steer clear of long gowns. She suggests tea length for that age group -- below the knee and above the ankle. Older teens can wear longer dresses, especially to proms. They should be free flowing, simple styles that do not look like ball gowns.

   Shape

   • Teenage girls want to reflect the latest trends, but Raes says they should also consider body type. If you are a teen with curves, you need to choose a style that shows off your waist, such as the empire dresses. The garment should float away from the body.
     Many teenagers have slender frames or are thick in the middle, and a fluid silhouette looks best on them. Although halter dresses are popular with young girls, pear-shaped teenagers should avoid them. Pear-shaped figures need wider necklines and substantial straps to draw the eyes outward and balance out their larger hip and thigh areas.

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