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Everyone has a different idea of elegance. Although, I think most of us can agree that Audrey Hepburn personifies elegance. Even outside of her movies, she was the epitome of elegance. Elegant dresses can be a simple sheath dress or a more flowing silk gown.

Look, if you type in "elegant dresses" into Google you're going to get a lot of random websites that just put up any old dress that is formal and consider it "elegant", but we all know that isn't what elegant is. Elegance is class and style. It's Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent. It's Audrey Hepburn in ... well just about anything, including real life. An elegant dress doesn't have to be elaborate or simple, it's a median of the two. An elegant dress can also be sexy as well, something many dress shops overlook.

When you're looking for an elegant dress, it can be for a number of places. Elegance is about more than just the dress style though. It's a compilation of the jewelry, shoes, wrap and dress. It's all of those things, but it's also about the confidence and poise of the person wearing the dress. Angelina Jolie has gone from red carpet trash to red carpet smash. Where she used to be a hot mess, now she's just plain hot. She didn't just change her clothing, she changed her style and the way she carried herself. If you're looking for classy dresses, a good place to start is by looking at women who are known for their elegant dress styles. The catwalks are another place to look for great styles.

For a black tie occasion, some of the most elegant dresses I find are on Edressme.com. The great thing is they offer a lot of red carpet dresses which looks fantastic. But there are hundreds of shops that have lovely black tie formal dresses. Elegant black tie dresses are full length gowns, like those you see on the red carpet at Oscar time. The fun part about black tie dresses is the fantastic accessories you get to wear with them. Gloves, rhinestones, tiaras and lovely wraps are all part of the fun of black tie dresses.

Black Tie Elegant Dresses:

Elegant semi formal can be short or long. More often they're short styles or tea length. While many women prefer black, you'll be surprised by the beauty a little color can bring, or even how stunning white looks. Dresses that really stand out from the crowd are unique and beautiful. But it isn't only the color that makes a dress stand out. It's the design, accessories, makeup and hair. All those things combine to make a dress, and the wearer, elegant. If you're looking for a truly elegant semi-formal dress, you can find it here.

Elegant Semi Formal Dresses:

One of the most important places a woman needs an elegant dress is for work. Professional dresses are important in several ways. Because a dress is one piece it's hard to be more versatile, but there are ways to do it and make it look really elegant. Adding a sweater under a tank dress makes it really beautiful and gives a dress a new feel. Different blazers work great too, as do belts. Adding a cardigan with a belt can change it up another way.

Elegant Dresses For the Office:

The one thing a lot of women don't think about is elegant everyday dresses. Dresses we wear to go shopping or just spending the day with our kids. Soft, feminine beautiful dresses that look fantastic. This year, during fashion week, I fell in love with Ralph Lauren's 20's depression inspired clothing. The dresses were so cute and really classy. He got a lot of flack from designers, fashion sites and critics, but in my opinion they got it wrong. His designs were absolutely gorgeous. I love a dress that is infinitely feminine and soft.

It's always crucial to look feminine, but also to look feminine and stylish. That's the real secret to elegance is being stylish. Being stylish isn't as hard as it seems. There are a few guidelines to follow.

• Buy clothes that fit properly. Don't buy dresses that are too tight, too short or too big. Seams should align properly on the shoulders, waist and hemline.
• Spandex isn't a right, it's a privilege and without Spanx it's just not that pretty on most women. Now mix it with another fabric and it can be quite beautiful. Jersey is a good example of a stretch fabric that looks great, and Rachel Ray is a good example of a classy, stylish woman in elegant dresses. (she wears those gorgeous jersey wrap styles).
• If you're showing too much for the sake of showing too much, you've moved past elegance and pushed into the tasteless area.
• That old "less is more" saying is the best way to dress stylishly. Not less fabric, less of everything else. You don't need a necklace and earrings and a jacket and hats, gloves, scarves, wraps, the kitchen sink etc. You're not a Christmas tree, stick to the basics. A few tasteful accessories will look better than massive amounts of them.
• Always do your hair and make up. Wearing a beautiful dress and having your makeup and hair undone ruins the effect.
• High heels are better than flats nearly 100% of the time, but flats can be beautiful with dresses too.

Looking for short formal dresses for a fancy event is a bit like searching for the best candy at the candy store isn't it? All those princess dresses with their gorgeous fabrics are so irresistible. The chiffon dresses and the way they move so prettily against the body are my favorite. All the spectacular designs and colors that come around every year and make us want to get dolled up (yes I used the term "dolled up").


When searching for the perfect formal dress, there's about a bazillion things to think about; the size, the style, color and price. How does a gal go about picking out the perfect dress when she's assailed with thousands of perfect choices? The first step is figuring out what color looks best with your skin tone. The second is choosing a cut that flatters the figure. The third is finding a size that fits perfectly, and that may not be the normal size you're used to buying. And the last is finding a price that won't break the bank. Some women choose black because it's the easiest style to match with shoes and other accessories. Other women choose black because they think it makes them look thin. I use the word "think" because while an all black sheath does look great, it's not any more thinning than any other color. Black is most definitely beautiful, but there are hundreds of other bright, stunning colors that bring out the beauty in a woman. If you're used to wearing black, try yellow instead. Break out the pink or royal blue. You'll be happy you did, I promise.


When it comes to choosing the right color for your skin tone, the best way to pick a color is to try various shades held up against your face. The colors that make you look washed out are the wrong ones, but the ones that brighten up your skin tone, are perfect. For instance, brown eyes, auburn hair and fair skin may look terrible in a peach, but fantastic in mustard colors. It's hard to judge when you order on the Internet, but I recommend visiting a fabric store and just holding up the colors to your face. The clerks will be able to tell you the specific names of the colors you find, but most websites will show a clear picture of the color you want.

When it comes to choosing figure flattering dresses, there's about a hundred rules. The only important ones to remember are that if you're uncomfortable showing any part of your body, cover it up. Maybe someone else will say you look terrific, but if you don't feel terrific you're going to be uncomfortable, fidgety and downright miserable all evening long. Choosing short formal dresses when you're uncomfortable showing your legs, isn't a great option, but perhaps a long dress is uncomfortable as well. In this case there are knee, or tea length (mid calf to just above the ankle) dresses that will work perfectly.

Once you've chosen the length and color, it's time to search for the size. Why am I devoting a whole paragraph to size? Because every designer has a different method of measuring for various sizes. Size 14 in one designer is not equal to size 14 in another. Measure carefully because if you just order your size 14, you may get a dress that needs significant alterations (or is way too tight to be altered).

You've found the style, color and size you want, but suddenly realize the dresses are all $5000 and your budget is less than $100! Oh no. Guess what... if you've found a dress for $5000, there isn't a place on earth that you'll find the exact same dress for less than $4000. You can, however, find a dress that's made to be similar to that fantastic dress for as little as $400-$500. You can also have the dress made, which is also a lot more inexpensive.





The exact short formal dress style won't elude you if you just shop around a little bit. But I've put together some amazing styles for you within this post that are perfect for any formal occasion.

Once in a while the right dress comes along and empties our wallets. Sometimes it's a dress we see on a TV show or a red carpet moment. Sometimes it's that dress we saw some girl at the mall wear. I'm always in trouble when I browse websites, because I tend to find at least one "right" dress at every site. It's become kind of a side hobby of mine. Shopping for short evening dresses is one of my favorites. Well any kind of evening dress really, but short ones are always fun because they're wearable them to a number of different functions. Long evening dresses, while pretty, are only appropriate for certain occasions.

Evening dresses come in a variety of fabrics. My favorite fabric of all time is chiffon. I love the way it moves. Chiffon always looks so pretty and feminine. Dresses are the epitome of femininity and chiffon just naturally falls along the curves and moves so brilliantly with movement and wind. A lot of people don't realize that chiffon is actually a weave of specific textiles. There is silk, cotton and polyester chiffon. Evening dresses are commonly made of silk and polyesters. While it's sometimes hard to tell the difference (to the trained eye it's a lot easier), polyester chiffon is not dyeable.





Taffeta is another terrific fabric made form both silk and polyester and is used for evening dresses. It's one of the most common fabrics used a short evening dress. Taffeta is popular for shorter dresses because it's a fabric that can cling to curves. It also holds shape really well and looks gorgeous. It's not one of my favorites simply because I don't like the sound it makes, but that can be avoided by buying silk instead of polyester.

Besides taffeta and chiffon, short evening dresses come in satin and silk, and even a few jersey fabrics. Natural fibers, like satin and silk, are great for dying, which makes them ideal for future wearing. Imagine having an ivory dress, then a summery yellow dress then maybe gray or black. So even if you spend a few extra dollars on a natural fabric, you're doing yourself a favor. Luckily satin and silk also look and feel fantastic when worn! =)

One thing I love about evening gowns is the way they make you feel like a princess. The right evening dress makes a woman feel pretty and feminine. There are a lot of choices of styles, as well as fabrics. Short evening gowns are one of the hardest to buy because you want to get everything right. Long dresses cover a lot more, so there is opportunity to hide certain features that most of us are a little... uncomfortable with showing. With short dresses it's all hanging out there in the open. Gah! But for those women with great legs, geez or even so-so legs, short styles will show your assets to their fullest.

Buying short evening dresses can be an overwhelming experience. The choices are so vast between color, style, designer, costs and, the hardest to nail down: the size. While it's relatively easy to pick a short evening gown based on the color or style, it's much harder to pick one  based on size; unless one knows how to find the right size.

Finding the right size sounds easy doesn't it? I mean I know I wear a size *cough cough* and when I go online I just put in that size when I decide to buy, right? Wrong! My size *mumble mumble* isn't the same in every brand! In fact, the sizes can vary by as much as 2 sizes up or down. Buying a size 10 in Vera Wang is not the same as buying a size 10 in Isaac Mizrahi. What's more is that height makes a huge difference, especially in short evening dresses! If you're over 5'8 or under 5'5 or 5'6 the dress is not going to fit exactly as the pictures you see online or on the tags themselves. That is why many women choose not to shop online. I want to assure all women that if they get their correct measurements and fall between a height of 5'4-5'9, the only thing that they have to worry about is the merchant's sizing chart.

The color is a little easier to find, although the younger we are the harder it is to know what colors look best. If you're not sure about which colors work for your coloring, check websites that offer a color for colorings guide. My personal favorite is Susannah and Trinny's. They're these two British gals with an eye for fashion and the TV show to spread the news. They also have a really good guide to how to wear all kinds of colors. Less black more of everything else!

One of the hardest things to figure out is styles of dress to fit our figure. We're all uncomfortable with some parts or another. Let's face it though, if you're uncomfortable with your legs, thighs or even your ankles, wearing a short evening dress isn't going to help. It may make you feel worse. If you're completely comfortable with your legs, a short dress is going to be perfect. But what type of short dress works if you're not comfortable with your tummy or arms?

An empire waist dress hides a lot of imperfections with the tummy and hips. It also can make them look bigger, if the wrong style is chosen. Avoid pleated, ruffled or thick fabrics for babydoll dress styles. There are always choices of long or short sleeves for women who may be uncomfortable with showing their arms. If the dress you choose is strapless or tank sleeves, you can always add a wrap or bolero jacket. For my wedding I actually had removable sleeves made for my dress because I wasn't comfortable with my arms. A bolero jacket can actually look really terrific with a little evening dress. A little black velvet bolero is ideal for a short Christmas party dress.

Buying short evening dresses isn't as complicated as it seems. There are hundreds of styles, designs, colors and prices from which to choose. Ordering online is one of the best options for both price and design. Check out the various places online to get a great dress.

Who has hundreds of dollars to spend on a gown worn one or two times? Even when the economy was flush, I was wary of spending more than $100 on a dress. But even when we're low on funds, we still want to look our best. Shopping for cute, inexpensive cocktail dresses doesn't have to mean tacky or poorly made. You can find hundreds of dresses online at as low as $50-$100; and they're quite gorgeous to boot! When you only spend a minimal amount on the dress, it means you get to spend a little more on the accessories. While a cocktail dress is usually worn to 1 or 2 events a year, the shoes, evening bag, jewelry and wraps can be worn year round to numerous functions. It just makes sense to buy an inexpensive dress that also looks really terrific.

One of the best places to find an inexpensive cocktail dress is online. The Internet is a smorgasbord of shops that all have to compete for business. Unlike your local stores, the Internet puts merchants side by side in comparison and customers have the opportunity to check out prices in seconds with just a few simple searches. There are three really great shops online that I think offer the best cute, inexpensive cocktail dresses.

Amazon.com has many different styles of dresses which are prefect for prom, homecoming or even a Christmas party. There are long styles and short styles and the prices range from $50 and up. What I love about Amazon.com is they have a conglomerate of merchants that post their merchandise all in one place. Customers get the opportunity to see merchandise from all different places at the prices are shown in a competing market. Yes, sometimes even the same dress can be seen side by side at low prices. Amazon has its disadvantages, like a limited selection of upper end designers. It's a great place though and often has free shipping.



Another shop which I love is Edressme.com. While their dresses aren't as inexpensive as $50-$100, they are very inexpensive when it comes to designer gowns and celebrity look-alike gowns. Edressme.com has become famous for doing celebrity gowns from the red carpet. Every time you see a Hollywood event, you can usually find one or two gowns similar on their site. The dresses run anywhere from $150 to $500. That may seem expensive, but considering the cost of the red carpet gowns run from $5000 and up, their look-a-like dresses are a bargain. If your budget is a little larger, Edressme.com is the place to go for inexpensive cocktail dresses which are modeled after celebrity gowns.

Another shop that has really cute and really inexpensive dresses is Lightinthebox.com. They're a company from China and the dresses are made to order as well as wholesale. Lightinthebox also has celebrity gowns and dresses. They do a lot of styles from Gossip Girl so if you're interested in the dresses you see from that show, you can find many of them on Lightinthebox's website. Other than celebrity gowns, they have a ton of other dresses on their site which are pretty. Two things of note about this company: 1) they're located in China so expect some shipping charges 2) at the prices they're charging, don't expect stellar workmanship. The dresses are pretty and well made, which is what to expect for the money. I've had good experiences with their products and would be interested in knowing yours.

When did white start going out of style? It's my personal belief that it's because women think white makes them look fat. White is a fabulous color that looks great on all women. It's ridiculous. White cocktail dresses look amazing. They do not make anyone look fat. Check out Kim Kardashian on the red carpet. Does she look fat? And they look even better with the right accessories and shoes.

White has many different meanings, most people associate white with purity. White also means light, clean and energy. Aside from all of that, white is just plain stunning and elegant. It's disappointing that more women don't wear white cocktail dresses.

A cocktail dress is usually at or above the knee, but sometimes it can include longer dresses. They're worn to Christmas parties, weddings, proms, homecoming, cocktail parties, fancy restaurants and, of course, The Red Carpet. A white cocktail dress would stand out amongst the trendy red and black dresses, however, it's inappropriate to wear a white dress to most weddings. Some weddings the brides, bridesmaids and grooms are all in color, therefore, white is perfectly fine. Be sure to check with the bride to be sure wearing white is appropriate.

Adorable eDressMe One Shoulder Dress
Price: $99.0

The hottest styles of dress right now are the one shoulder dress. They're showing up everywhere, but that doesn't mean they'll be hot a year from now. If you're interested in wearing a dress that's really fashionable, it's best to search for the hottest trends by recent Hollywood events. While many people think it's celebrities that develop trends, it's actually the designers for the stars that create the trends. People become aware of the trends because celebrities are photographed so often. Another great place to find trends is by perusing fashion magazines. These dresses in both of these categories are out of reach for most women, however, one of my favorite sites, Edressme.com, recreates more affordable styles of the same dress. If you're looking for a style you saw recently on the red carpet, Edressme.com is the website you'll want to visit.

A white cocktail dress doesn't have to be starkly white, although that's quite beautiful. White has many shades; including off-white, cream and ivory. Every shade is beautiful and perfect for any formal affair that one might need one. Doesn't anyone love the famous annual Hollywood White Party? That party is one of my favorites of the year. All the stars decked out in their cocktail party clothes and all of them wearing white. It's a beautiful thing to see. There isn't any pink or purple parties (though there should be!). White is chosen because of its purity, its contrast and its elegance.

For prom and homecoming, any number of white cocktail dresses will be gorgeous. Something short and sweet with a flare skirt in either silk or satin is a popular choice. If you want to be a little different, try a chiffon dress with a halter neck. Halter neck styles don't seem to ever go out of style, much like sweetheart necklines. The babydoll dress can look really pretty or really babyish (pun intended). It all depends on the style of the dress. Be sure to get a few opinions on whether you're wearing a dress that looks amazing or if in fact you look like you put your nightie on. It's really easy to look like you're wearing nightgowns with white chiffon. Form fitting dresses are another great style for prom, but quite racy. Be careful you don't show too much skin. The object of any dress is to be sexy not tacky, right? Prom is one occasion where a long white cocktail dress might be more to your taste. Those are also available.

Weddings are a tough area to wear a white dress at all. It's really only appropriate if the bride, groom, bridesmaids and groomsmen are not wearing white at all; or if the bride requests their guests to wear white. I'm dying to see the bride that has a white party wedding; i.e. everyone wears white, including the guests! Remember that the wedding day is about the couple getting married and walking into their wedding in a white dress is an insult.

Christmastime is a perfect time for white cocktail dresses. After all isn't Christmas the time of angels in white and silver ornaments? Many people choose not to wear white after Labor Day. Thank goodness that etiquette rule is long passed. Today white is a gorgeous color for a Christmas party. The only problem is choosing a short dress and ending up with two popsicles for legs. To this I say: wear a long coat and get inside fast! =)

White is just too beautiful to relegate to only a few months of the year. It's perfect for all occasions and I hope for your next event, you'll choose a stunning white cocktail dress.