All aboard

It’s easy to assume – after flipping through hundreds of pages of magazine editorials – what your dress for the big day will look like. Whether it’s the best friend’s wedding, the prom, the party of the century or just another job promotion party, finding the right dress that spells success seems like a snap but, as is often the case, can often be difficult.

For the fete accompli, go for some drama in moody gowns fit for a queen.

Ivar Aseron’s Art Deco-inspired dress, featuring crisscrossing laces and cutouts, draws on architectural lines for a graphic application that’s both sexy and chic. Joey Samson’s waist-cincher of a pantsuit, with fabric thrown over for good measure, works as both a dress and combination suit. With its obi-esque belt providing texture and proportion to the voluminous skirt, the dress is subtle and at the same time dramatic.

YStyle suggests a moodier palette as the base, mixing a gray cropped-sleeve bolero with pouf sleeves with a high-volume blouse in black, and then opting for statement-making accessories, like a hammered gold necklace by Arnel Papa, for relief.

Pairing darker colors is not only slimming – it lessens the chances of sartorial mishaps. Although the coming year’s big trends include brash colors and excessive color combinations (watch out for that YStyle cover in the coming weeks), this editorial offers the less adventurous some options for the year’s big events.

Another approach to formal dressing involves pairing a white tailored shirt with a full skirt. Joey Samson’s horizontal pleating on a cuffed men’s shirt gives it just the right touch of luxurious detail to stand up against Ronaldo Arnaldo’s satin steel-hued ball skirt. Finishing the look was a wide animal-print belt and fishnet hosiery. Textured tights would do just as well.

Looking back at pictures of prom, I couldn’t help but wince at the foolhardy choices everyone – me included – was making. There was the prerequisite slut outfit (low-cut sequined halter dresses that would make a Vegas stripper blush), the Spice Girls-inspired frock (hey, it was the ’90s – in this case, it was a cropped metallic trench) and the forgettable blend-with-the-gym-equipment dress (mine meshed perfectly with the drab gray background of our high school gym).

The challenges of dressing up are hardly few and far between. It takes a lot of guts to opt for something other than a simple column of chiffon (though there’s nothing wrong with chiffon if that’s what turns you on). So turn to your favorite frock makers, collaborate on something interesting and don’t be afraid to dress up.