Marche Taylor showed up to the Houston Texas ares Madison High Senior Prom wearing a custom prom dress that looked a bit more like a bikini than a prom dress. When she arrived at the Sugar Land Mariott that was hosting the school’s prom, she was informed that her prom dress did not conform to the required dress code. Marche was asked to leave, but became belligerent and demanded her money back. Due to the confrontation, the situation escalated until the police were called to escort Marche Talyor away. She was not charged.

I know that a few people out there think that Taylor should be able to wear anything she wants to the prom, but that is incorrect. Prom is a school function, and thus subjected to school rules. The school provided a dress code along with the ticket, that is similar to most any other prom dress code. The prom dress code states:

1. Only one inch of the midsection can be shown.
2. Bare back are acceptable
3. Slits in the dress can be no more than three inches above the knee.
4. See through fabrics should not be in places which reveal private body parts.
5. Proper undergarments must be worn.
6. Tennis shoes of any kind are unacceptable.

Here’s the video of the prom dress design gone wrong.

Before I would even get into a critique of what a hot mess this prom dress design is, it’s important to note once again that This student was aware of the required dress code. Furthermore, she was not arrested for her prom dress design, but for her belligerent behavior. She was asked to leave the prom for failing to conform to the dress code with her prom dress. It’s a pretty hot issue, but the issue here is that prom is a school function. Please take note of the code listed above when you set out to design a prom dress, or you could wind up being asked to leave.

Instead, I would opt for one of these great looking 2008 prom dresses seen in this video.

You’re probably not going to go wrong with one of those prom dress designs. For more info on how to design a prom dress the right way, read our prom dress designer’s guide.

Also like with weddings, prom night is a night to go all out, and this includes the prom dress as well. Wedding dresses are sometimes handed down from mother to daughter, but this is not as much the case with prom dresses. Still, many will drop quite a large sum of money on their prom dress, and will also invest a great deal of time, care, and frustration in trying to get the dress that is perfect.

One way to avoid some of the hassle is to design your own prom dress online. A good prom dress can easily cost $100 or more! Unfortunately, this can be well out of the price range of many individuals. Don’t despair. Many online sellers offer designer dresses at discounted prices. You should have no difficulty in finding a high quality designer prom dress for only $75 or less.

Online shopping is one of the greatest new technologies. It might not be new in the bleeding edge sense, but in the historical sense, it is a fairly recent development. Shopping online allows you to draw from a much bigger selection of inventory than would be available offline. You will have your choice of just about any designer that appeals to you. You also have every color and style available, because you pick the design. Whether it’s a puffy prom dress, tulle skirt, and aline prom dress, empire waist, or a sheath skirt, you will have the ability to order it in just the color and style that is perfect for you.

It is less exhausting as well. There is no commute. If you tire of browsing, you simply step away from the computer and do something else for a while. It’s not a problem, the internet is always open. You can resume your shopping whenever you feel ready. This is why prom time can be made so much easier if you design your own prom dress online.

Image Credit: thegoinggreenboutique Prom

As I stated before, many prom dress designers think that it is too difficult to turn their drawings into real prom dresses. One of the reasons for this is that while some are able to draw, they think that sewing will be too difficult a task to do. Sure, you may not be able to make top notch finished products on the first few tries, especially if you are unfamiliar with how to use a sewing machine, but it is relatively easy to learn to sew. You have many resources available to you, including alteration training courses, how-to courses, tutorial videos, and, of course, plenty of text manuals available.

Another thing that many potential prom dress designers face is not having the necessary supplies on hand to turn their drawings into real items. Some also may feel that they do not have the money needed to purchase the needed supplies. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to get started, even if you are on a budget. You may be able to find someone who is willing to let you borrow a sewing machine for a week or two. You could also buy one that is used. There is no reason that you need to purchase a new sewing machine. Some good places to look are yard sales, thrift stores, and online auction sites. It’s also easy to find discount fabric suppliers online.

As you can see, it is more than possible to turn you prom dress drawings into real prom dresses, if that is something that you would like to do. When you design your own prom dress, you will not only end up with something that looks fabulous, you will also have something that is meaningful, because you were the creator of your prom dress. When you are at the prom, everyone will say, where did you get that great prom dress, and you let them know how you have a one of a kind, custom made prom dress.