Shopping for Prom Dresses

Spring break officially starts tomorrow, but I've already found a prom dress! I did not expect to find one because I thought I would buy one at Waikele, where the dresses were much cheaper. But we did hit six stores! :)

We started out in Chinatown with Downtown Fashion, Do's Formal, and Local Design Formal Wear. Then we headed toward Ala Moana and went into Princess Brides, Party Dress by Claudette, and Masako Formals.

I found my dress in the store that I've always wanted to go inside, which was Party Dress by Claudette. Their dresses were more expensive, but they sell designer dresses that are of higher quality (this is especially evident when you compare the dresses to the ones being sold in Chinatown.)

I didn't actually find the dress myself - it was more like Joyce and my sister found it. They both insisted that I try it on because the back of the dress was so beautiful - there's a tail!



It is a black satin chiffon dress, designed by Niki Livas from the Niki collection. Niki Livas is also known for her Zum Zum collection, but I think her Niki collection is more sophisticated. My sister and Joyce were really enthusiastic about the dress, saying that it looked stunning on me. I was still a little confused because it broke all of the rules that my sister had previously set:

1) Never wear black to senior prom.
2) Don't wear anything with V-cuts because they don't flatter your body.
3) You only look nice in pastel colors.

I also broke one of my own rules because my budget was originally $200 and the dress cost approximately $300. However, my sister was only too eager to buy it for me because she thought it looked so beautiful on me. Honestly, as of right now, my sister and Joyce are more crazy about the dress than me. Other people's opinions easily influence me, and I've been under my sister's influence and thought for a very long time. I still feel strange that I'm breaking all the rules for this dress...is it really that special? It contradicted everything that I was supposed to be looking for in a dress! Maybe it is the kind of dress that I will start to like more and more over time.

I was overwhelmed by my sister and Joyce's enthusiasm and before I knew it, had set a deposit of $50 on the dress. I regret doing this - I should have been more firm (my biggest wish is to become less vulnerable against aggressive salespeople) because the dress is very pricey for such a simple design. I should have asked for a discount because almost every place we went to offered us discounts. I looked up the dress online and found three different stores that sold it for approximately $178! I spoke my concerns about the price more than once, but my sister reassured me that she would pay for it. That was beside the point - money is still money and I don't feel right using hers. Her eagerness made it simply too easy to fall for the trap. Would it be too late to ask for a discount?

After Claudette's, we stopped at Yu Chun, a Korean restaurant, for lunch. I was tempted by the thought of having jajamyun. I was made a mistake though - the restaurant served naengmyeon - black noodles made from kudzu root and not black bean sauce noodles. The food was good, but very pricey. We also a had an unpleasant experience with paying because the waitress made a big fuss and insisted on a 15% tip (when we were going to pay them tips anyway, but her attitude!) She busted out her calculator and calculated our bill down to the last penny. Even with the calculator, she gave one of my friends the wrong change. Communication was also not very good because we didn't understand what she was trying to tell us. A $20 meal for me and my sister became a $25 meal. I suggest that they let us know that the restaurant charges a 15% tip on the menu so that customers would know beforehand. I had the exact same experience at Little Village Noodle House, an upscale restaurant at Chinatown, because they made us pay for the bill, and then gave it back because we also needed to add the required extra 15% tip. How were we supposed to know that we had to pay it if they didn't have it written down somewhere? And why not include it in the bill in the first place? It is all very frustrating. We thought the food at Yu Chun was good, so there was a possibility of us coming back - but not anymore. Yu Chun Restaurant just lost five customers. And if anyone still plans to go, I suggest you bring a calculator with you.

We walked over to Masako's after lunch, where Wai Chu and Yuen Ni found their dress. I love many of the dresses Wai Chu tried on - the green one at Downtown Fashion, and the magenta one at Masako Formals. The magenta one was lovely- silky and smooth satin chiffon with a beautiful shade of pink (in fact, this is my favorite color!) with an elegant tulip twist in the front and a mermaid-like finish. The dress was also 50% off from $165!!! I am very happy for her, but also very envious at the same time.

(Ho, ho, I just realized that Wai Chu strayed from what she was going to buy - a green gown because green was her favorite color. I guess you can never say anything about the dress you'll have because the one you end up buying may be completely different!)

Yuen Ni looked very cute and stunning in a short pink gown (made "long" because she is sooo petite) but because it was a bridesmaid dress and not a prom dress, there was no discount offered for the $195 price tag. She did not buy it. :( Although senior prom is a formal event that requires all seniors to wear a long gown, Yuen Ni was able to look at both short and long dresses because of her height! (Short dresses would fit her perfectly while long dresses needed to be altered - or she would have to wear six inch heels.) In the end, she placed a hold for a similar dress that is a burgundy color for $165.