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Fun dresses are great for your school wardrobe. Miles ahead of basic jeans, simple dresses in classic shapes and colors are very flattering. Dresses are also ultra-feminine and flirty. Great dresses hide all your problem areas while making you look sophisticated.

For back to school, look for casual dresses in cotton, linen, or synthetic fabrics. Stick with classic, simple shapes and solid colors. This will make your dresses easy to dress up or down. With basic dresses in solid colors, you can add cardigans, blazers, jackets, and look great. You can make them look classy with a blazer for a part-time job interview or dress them down with a cardigan for a study date. Pair them with leggings for an everyday look – you’ll keep everything modest but still look very feminine.

Dresses make you stand out in a crowd. Paired with great shoes and fun accessories, dresses look flirty and never stuffy. They show off your legs and can make you look slimmer. Try on a few dresses on your next trip shopping and look for a dress that can help you expand your wardrobe this fall. Look for A-line styles, wrap dresses, and casual tank dresses in casual fabrics and styles. These three dresses are flattering, flirty yet subtle, and versatile enough to have a great impact on your wardrobe.

When the leaves start turning, it’s time to start thinking of winter – especially of those winter formals and parties. Before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving and then the holidays. Now is the perfect time to shop for a formal dress for all the parties and special events of the next few months.

Start by checking out your favorite stores. Then, look at what your favorite designers are cooking up for the next few months. If you want to save cash by ordering your formal dresses online, order now for the best selection and to give yourself plenty of time for delivery.

For the winter season, little black dresses are always in style. Jewel tone dresses also look spectacular against the paler months of winter. Metallic formal dresses are another popular choice and look fabulous with all the decorations and festivities of the winter months. As for fabrics, think thicker fabrics than your winter dresses. Rich satins and velvets not only look fabulous in the winter months, but they can be worn in colder weather without making you wilt.

Look for designs that are simple and classic and consider buying a wrap, formal coat, or cover up to go with your formal dress for winter. If you opt for a sleeveless design, you may want to cover up in warmer months.

Spring may seem years away – after all, it’s not even officially fall yet – but it will sneak up on you. If this is prom year for you, you will want to start thinking about prom now. Now is the time to start considering your look for prom night. Designers are already cooking up the best spring looks, so in the next few weeks you’ll be seeing the hot formal dress trends that will be showing up at prom. Now is the time to start checking out your favorite looks.

Now is also the time to start planning. Start putting together a “book look” of the best formal wear you see. That way, when it comes to prom or even earlier formals, you’ll be able to see which looks inspire you most. You won’t ever be stuck for formal dress ideas, because you’ll have ideas all picked out.

This is also a great time to start saving up cash for your prom night. If you want to go all out – limo, exotic flowers, and designer prom dress – now is the time to tally up how much you will spend and start putting cash aside so that you will get your once-in-a-lifetime night.

Now that fall fashions are packed into your favorite stores, it’s time to start considering your back to school, fall wardrobe. In addition to coats and pants, you will want to add some terrific dresses. Summer dresses are on sale right now and are perfect for the first few weeks of class, when temperatures are still mild and you can hold onto the flirty summer look of dresses a little bit longer. Why dress like a guy when you can look fabulous in a casual dress that also flatters your shape?

Simple, basic dresses can also take you through the year. Pair them up with a cardigan and great shoes for colder days and transition easily into evening with some great accessories and heels. For everyday, dresses look great with leggings. Dresses can also look great with a purse or a big bag of books. Dresses even make getting dressed in the morning simple – all you need is your dress, shoes, and a few accessories and you are ready to go.

Your fall wardrobe would not be complete without some formal dresses for those parties and fall events. Buying a simple formal dress now – maybe a little black dress – will also mean you’re ready for those holiday parties, which are closer than you think!

The little black dress lives happily in most closets, but at this time of year tends to get ignored. Maybe the nice weather makes us gravitate towards paler colors and brighter prints. Whatever the reason, it’s time to get acquainted with your LBD again. Summer evenings are the perfect time to wear your little black dress, and there are lots of great ways to accessorize:

1) Choose your tiniest strappy sandals and dangling earrings for a simple summer look.

2) Pair your black dress with a great shawl for those summer evenings.

3) Accessorize with fresh flowers. Your little black dress will look fabulous and simple if you pin flowers in your hair or wear a corsage. A few exotic blooms in a luminous white will look best.

4) Add some bright color with a jacket or funky hat. You can also try pairing your dress with contrasting-colored shoes in a bright shade to draw attention to your pretty pedicured summer feet.

5) Go for classic summer glamour with an up-do, yards of pearls (fake or real) and bright red lipstick.

6) Pair your little black dress with an oversized floppy summer hat (nothing too casual) for a great glam early-evening look.

Is your closet hungry for great clothes? When you open your closet, is your wardrobe weak? It might be hungry for great pieces that really make you look great! Here are some signs of a hungry closet:

1) You don’t have enough basic pieces. Trendy pieces are empty calories – they may feel good now, but they don’t help you much in the long term. Too many trendy pieces and not enough classic pieces mean you can’t mix and match effectively to put together great looks.

2) You don’t have enough clothes. If you don’t have enough individual pieces to put together great outfits, your closet will go hungry.

3) You don’t have enough matching pieces. The easiest way to get matching pieces is to buy lots of basics in classic colors – true red, navy blue, black, white, khaki and charcoal look great with most skin tones and mix and match together.

4) You haven’t tried checking out your closet. An ignored closet is an unhappy closet. Dig through your clothes at least once a season and prune.

5) Your closet is filled with items you don’t wear. If there are clothes in your closet that you don’t wear, those items are just taking up valuable space. Get rid of those items and make room for cute summer dresses, a little black dress, and other pieces that will actually look good.

If you’re going to be hitting the July sales in search of new dresses for your closet, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1) Look for breathable or light fabrics. Breathable fabrics are natural fabrics such as silk, cotton, and linen. The major problem with dresses in these fabrics is that they give you fewer options – and they may be wrinkle-prone. Synthetic fabrics are not as breathable, but they often have great textures and may be easier to wear. If you opt for synthetic fabrics, look for thin and light fabrics to keep you cool.

2) Look for pale colors in summer dresses. Dark colors absorb the sun’s warmth more and make you feel warmer. If you are looking for a cute summer dress, look for paler hues.

3) Look for classic designs – but with fun accents. Classic, simple dresses are always easier to wear, look better longer, and can be worn lots of ways because they are more versatile. However, you don’t want to be boring, so consider looking for the classics that have one unique twist. For example, look for a classic little black dress with a unique neckline or hem. This will add interest to your outfit and make you look unique.

There are tons of reasons why you will want to shop around for dresses this month:

1) Sales, sales, sales. July is sale season, especially as stores try to get rid of summer stock in order to make way for fall fashions. It’s the perfect time to pick up a breezy summer dress for a fraction of the price.

2) Enough time to order online. Of course, online retailers are still offering the best bargains and if you order now, you’ll have your new formal dress by the end of the season.

3) Late prom dress sales. Any retailer who still has some prom dresses around is now marking them down, down, down, to get them out of the store. Whether you need a prom dress for next year or just want a formal dress, this is the time to buy.

4) Late bridal shows. Bridal shows are winding down, and now is the time when many sell of dresses (including bridesmaid dresses and prom dresses) at great discounts.

5) Sample sales and trunk sales. Just like retailers, designers are making way for the new. It’s a great time for sales all around.

If you’ve got a formal event coming up, you’re likely intimately familiar with this issue. You pick up one fashion magazine and read about all the outrageous “must-have” dresses the celebrities are wearing to film openings this week. You see the same styles in stores. Then, you read other articles that tell you to dress classic and simple for formal events.

So, who’s right?

Celebrities are paid big bucks (and are usually given or loaned free designer formal dresses) to stand out at big events. That’s why they wear what is hottest and trendiest. They are out there to get seen and to make a statement. The average woman who goes to two or three special events a year probably does not have a celebrity budget and needs a formal dress that takes her to several events. A little black dress or a classic formal dress will look timeless through plenty of seasons, so that’s the obvious choice.

What about you? Well, that depends on your budget and your formal dress needs. If you can afford it and you only go to one formal event (or less) a year, there’s no harm in getting something trendy for a formal dress and really having fun with it. For ultra-special events like the prom, it is also fun to get a once-in-a-lifetime trendy dress you love. If you want a dress that will see you through more than one event, however, you will need a classic formal dress. Something in a classic color and flattering shape will see you through several events and will always be ready in your closet when a special evening comes along.

Looking to expand your summer dress wardrobe? Now is the perfect time – many formal looks from spring are at discount and now that autumn is coming, many retailers are offering great sales on their summer dresses to make room for back-to-school fashions. Here’s what to look for as you start shopping:

1) Formal dresses in solid, metallic colors. Red carpets lately have been filled with classy formal dresses that are high on shimmer. Many celebrities are wearing blush and soft colors in metallic fabrics, although a few are opting for bolder hot pink colors that flatter darker skin tones.

2) Ethnic print summer dresses. Bold, multi-colored prints that look as though they hail from exotic locales are all the rage this summer. These dresses also look great with the hippie slouch bags that are hot this summer.

3) Printed swing dresses. Casual summer dresses in bright patterns featuring swing or a-line skirts are trendy right now and perfect for staying cool on hot days.

4) The little black dress – with a twist. Fashion-forward celebrities are embracing little black dresses that feature either cut out shapes or sheer skirts that show off toned legs. These dresses are lighter and more fun than the more formal little black dress, and are perfect for fun summer events.

5) Red one-shoulder dresses. These are popping up at award events everywhere. They really make summer evenings red-hot.