Easy Formal Hairstyles

Prom Shopping for Independent Thinkers 2006
Nicole Lasher
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Style in the new milleneum has turned revolutionary. Many people are rejecting the Hollywood and Paris fashion and physical ideal, even some celebrities. Stars have risen and fallen only to rise from the ashes, and confessions about the rampant drug use among models has made many think twice about what the media tells us about how we should look and dress.

...but when prom season comes around, most of what we're advertised is trendy and conventional. It can be difficult for those who don't follow the herd to find clothing, accessories, and hair styles that are both formal and freedom oriented. So it takes a little digging, but it is possible to create a look that is classy and yet unconventional.

If you want something pre-made but adjustable, a good place to start is vintage shops, if you have a relatively small figure. Larger and curvier sized ladies may want to check out the off-track second hand stores. The local and smaller charity stores tend to have a wider range of sizes because there is less filtering of the items they receive. They also usually have better deals on formalwear.

Fans of industrial music may also want to look into military surplus and thrift shops. It's not hard to find real mess dress jackets and piles upon piles of very nice buttons. Tailors near military bases also often have many swatches of fabric snipped from uniforms. You can easily sew or glue multiple patterens of camouflage onto a long black skirt in an artistic way.

An old saree, the draped garment that is popular in India, can be used as a dress itself, tucked and tied as you like. You can also have it cut into a fitted dress.

There are also many options for new clothes. Browse around online a bit, and you'll find shops that sell African aso oke, Korean style dresses, Indian saree, and Islamic thobe. For young ladies who prefer a pants suit instead of a dress, there are pants sets called salwar-kameez (pants and shirt) that come with a dupatta (a giant scarf). They range from casual to formal. Get the longer kameez (mid calf to ankle length) for the prom. Jordanian jilbab suits that come with a long, flowing top and pants, are also nice, and look great with high heels.

For hair, you've got plenty of instructions and resources if it's loose, and even lots for braids. Those who wear dreadlocks however, might find it difficult to figure out what to do with their hair.

If your locs are at an ultra natty stage right now, and you don't want to chance ruining them just for a one day event, opt for a headwrap. If you get a salwar-kameez, the matching dupatta is perfect. If not then shop for dupatta or African scarves that will match your clothes. You can also sew yourself a nice wrap with a square of fabric, and some ribbon or metallic bias tape.

If your locs are mature, try braiding them in box braids. Take 4 at a time, and cross the opposites until you get to an end, and then secure it with a rubber band.

You can also wrap wire that matches your hair color somewhat, around them, and bend and twist them into a radical crown all over your head.

There is plenty you can do, without selling out this year. You might actually find it less frustrating than the conventional modes of prom preparation. Just open your eyes to the shops and resources in your town and on the internet that don't have millions of dollars' advertising budget, and you'll find things that are made based on what their customers want, and not on statistics.