Red carpet ready in style this prom season

CEREDO -- From Hollywood to heavy metals, the hottest trends for Prom 2008 are designer-inspired and dazzling in color.

"Every girl wants 'something different.' That's what they say," said Kathy Johnson, one of the Rose Tree Boutique's dress buyers. "But, everybody wants to be sexy and feminine all at the same time."

Red-carpet looks are a teenage girl's favorite on a yearly basis. Extra-long slits for a leggy-look or a very low back are favorites of girls trying to capture the look of a Charlize Theron or Beyonce. Tinseltown's newest looks this year included the addition of grown-up ruffles, feathers (a la Jessica Alba) and the re-emergence of sequins.

"The full dresses in tulles and taffetas are big, as are dresses with corset-style backs -- anything that looks like the princess from the movie 'Enchanted,'" Johnson said. "Every year, we see that red-carpet look like what you'll see at the Oscars."

Coming out of the winter doldrums, colors will pop at the prom this spring, in tones ranging from nature-inspired to metallic and fluorescent.

"The colors are all over the place -- brights are big, and what I noticed at market that was new for this year were the metallics -- silver, gold, platinum, bronze," Johnson explained.

Other popular choices this year include black and white, navy and natural tones including browns and sage greens.

While long dresses have always been en vogue for prom, many girls are opting for shorter styles. The choice, Johnson said, depends on the girl.

"Sometimes you'll see a junior girl go with a shorter style and then go long and elegant the next year," she said. "Or, a senior girl might opt to go out fun and funky. There's really no set trend in that respect."

Setting yourself apart from the crowd is also a great way to stand out on prom night. Many of this year's dresses feature large chunks of jewels on the neckline or outrageous prints such as camouflage or animal print. For girls with a more traditional taste in gowns, accenting pieces such as hair jewelry, back necklaces or large earrings are the way to set themselves apart.

"You can have a beautiful dress, but that extra two percent of accent really finishes the whole look," Johnson said.

One of the hottest trends Johnson said she saw during buying days was what she called the "best of both worlds" dress.

"It's a strapless, fitted dress with lots of ruching through the hipline and then a bottom with lots of tufting and a slit up the leg in front. It gives you the look of a sexy, fitted bodice to show your great shape and the fullness at the bottom with a leggy look," she explained. "This is the all-in-one style of the season."