Prepping for prom

With all the teen TV shows and movies tempting us, most of us would have to admit that we fantasised about what prom would be like. Those who graduated without a prom, might look at today's to-be graduates with a pang of jealousy because Dhaka's schools are all prepared to celebrate the most memorable night for graduating students.

While some of the most renowned names are bringing in the tradition of prom nights in the city, looking good and feeling great is what it's all about. And when looking good means looking your best, then the question of hairdos, makeup and outfits is a pretty big deal.

Dhaka is equipped with numerous salons to come to the aide of the teens where hair and makeup is concerned, but the availability of dresses, particularly gowns is likely to cause some jitters. Who can blame them? If you have ever been the victim of a poorly made Eid outfit and then received a lecture about the futility of life by your tailour, you will know where we are coming from.

While the traditional tailours might have forged a war against good gowns, buying them is also not very feasible, as Nesmeen a prom goer, explains, “I usually get dresses tailor made because you can't always find nice gowns over here. Getting them from abroad is an option, but that's not always possible and has to be planned beforehand.”

Since buying locally would mean no alterations on the accessories, you might not be entirely happy with the quality, so getting them tailour-made, however tough it may seem, is the best call.

Finding the fabric
Although Dhaka markets might seem like a maze, there are actually quite a few places where you can buy quality fabric. Since popular prom dress fabrics are either georgette, chiffon, lycra, satin or taffeta, you can easily pinpoint the places to go.

Musarrat Rahman, a budding fashion designer, suggests that apart from going to the regular fabric hubs like Priyangon Shopping Center or Banani Bazaar, you can actually visit Pink City or for the best quality silk try Sopura or Rajshahi Silk Mills shops. “The cost of each yard of fabric varies with quality, ranging from Tk300 to Tk1200 per yard, and you should definitely consult your tailour for the amount required”, she added.

Accessorising: A must
Accessorising the dress is much more important than we make it out to be, because it can dramatically change the whole look. Although finding the right accessories is a bit difficult, the second floor of Gawsia provides a whole lot of options, from sequins to lace to anything you can think of. If you'd rather not spend a day in the sweltering heat, there is always the top floor of Pink City. Some tailour shops, like Joconde at Baridhara use their own imported accessories.

Getting it together
There are a few shops which have been making prom-appropriate outfits for a while -- HNG Showcase located at Tejgaon-Gulshan Link road, online shops like 'Clothes over Bros' and Joconde located at Baridhara and run by Svetlana Dubovska, a Russian national who specialises in custom-made dresses.

Joconde delivers custom-made dresses within 3 to 20 days of ordering, each order costing from Tk6500 to Tk10,000 plus the cost of the fabric. You can select from the dresses in their catalogue or provide your own designs after talking with a fashion designer. You can try to train your usual tailour to do it, although we strongly recommend against it; it is prom and you don't want to take chances. Probably the best thing about having them made by a professional is not having to worry about it fitting you and having complete control over the choice or fabric, colour or accessories.

Get your tailouring mode on, gear up for prom and make it memorable because sometimes a little bit of fun does a whole lot of good.