There are two routes you can go with your prom dress. One is super-trendy. For that you can try one-shouldered dresses, feathers, tiered skirts, sequined bodices and metallic fabrics, Kasch says. Roberts adds that sleeves are also really popular on the red carpet this year, Amy Adams and Michelle Williams wore them at the Oscars, and can look very sophisticated.

The other way is to go classic. Roberts says this “will pretty much guarantee you won’t hate your dress when you look at pictures of yourself in 10 years.” For this you can try the minimalism look like Emma Stone at the Golden Globes or Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars. “Play off of the clean lines of the dress and look for solid, bold colors,” Roberts says. “And keep the jewelry very simple, letting the dress take center stage.”