Now is the time of year when the major trends

Prom And Homecoming Dresses For The 2006 Season.

Now is the time to start searching for prom and homecoming dresses for 2006. Its nice to allow yourself plenty of time, so you can relax and enjoy checking out all those gorgeous dresses before you decide which one is going to be absolutely perfect.

Before you begin searching for your prom or homecoming dress, you should have a clear idea in your mind of whether youre looking for a full formal, semi-formal or dressy casual style. Most high school proms are full formal, so its the perfect opportunity to wear that full length ball gown youve always dreamed of, or the kind of sophisticated formal dress you would reserve for the most glamorous occasions.

A homecoming dance or event will usually be less formal, but the dress code will depend on the event and on your particular schools tradition. The best way to get an idea of the kind of outfit which will be most appropriate is to just ask the senior students, or graduates if you know any.

Now is the time of year when the major trends are beginning to emerge for the coming season. There are a number of looks which are shaping up to be the big trends for 2006, so you have plenty of choice.

Prom and Homecoming Fashion Trends for 2006

Black is the new black. Of course, classic black never really goes out of style, but the sophisticated black dress will be one of the strongest trends for the 2006 prom season. Slinky shapes with glamorous floor length skirts are the main focus.

Bold, dramatic black and white will also be an important look, in particular the classic black and white paneled bodice with a solid white A-line skirt. Well also see solid black dresses with dramatic white detailing.

Winter white is still an important look, particularly with silvery beads and details.

Colors for 2006 will be bold and dramatic. Soft pastels have most definitely made way for striking rich reds, dazzling blues, sparkling golds, sunset yellows and even tangy citrus orange tones. If you like to be really daring with color, this will be the year for bold contrasts of two or more strong colors.

The sexy Grecian style gown is tipped to be a particularly hot look for the 2006 season, after Kelly Clarkson really turned heads with the stunning gold silk dress she wore at the VMA Awards in August. If you have a sensational figure, now is the time to really show it off!

Strapless ball gowns were the main attraction at the Golden Globe Awards in 2005, worn by everyone from Kim Kattrall of Sex and the City to Friends favorite Lisa Kudrow, so well be seeing a lot of this fabulous celebrity style in the upcoming prom season.

Fabrics will be shining, lustrous and glamorous, with satin and silk the main focus. Well also see lots of flowing chiffon, classic taffeta and gorgeous organza.

Beads, sequins, rhinestones, glitter, embroidery and and specialty detailing will also be a major trend, so if you love a little glamour its definitely going to be your year. There will be lots of beautifully beaded necklines and embroidered bodices. Extravagantly romantic lace, ribbons, tie-backs and bows will also be very much in vogue.

Theres no single strong trend in hemlines; its really a case of anything goes, be it a full floor length skirt, tea length, short or daringly short. Well also see everything from cheeky handkerchief hems to classic A-line shapes, long skirts with trains, funky asymmetrical hemlines, sexy slit dresses, and even elegant ballerina skirts. Its really a matter of choosing the skirt shape and length which best suits your figure and shows off your assets.

Prom and Homecoming Accessories

Beads and embroidery will also be in very much in vogue for prom and homecoming accessories. There will be lots of beautifully designed beaded and embroidered purses and shawls to complement the seasons gowns.

You can never go wrong with strappy mid to high-heel shoes to complement evening wear. Bear in mind when youre choosing your shoes that you not only want to look sensational, you also want to keep dancing all night, so look for evening shoes which are comfortable as well as stylish.

An alternative shoe style which will make a surprise appearance in 2006 will be ballet shoes. There will be lots of prom shoes in ballet styles, but theres no reason why you cant wear real ballet shoes, which are inexpensive and easy to find. With the right dress, theyll look absolutely gorgeous.

And the hot tip for jewelry is chandelier earrings, which look great particularly worn with your hair up to show them off. This will be the year for bold, extravagant, sparkling jewelry, including brooches, necklaces, vera wang evening dresses bracelets, rings and tiaras with every kind of jewel, from dazzling rubies and emeralds to classic diamonds and pearls.

The Sci Fi Wedding Dress No One Will Ever Forget Your Wedding

More and more women are getting hip to one of life most important secrets: Dating the Big Man on Campus only gets you heartache and mediocre bedroom skills ?at best. A good nerd, however, really knows how to treat a lady. Thus the upswing in interest in science fiction-themed weddings: Make your wonderful geek happy on this day, and hel make you happy for the rest of your life.

If youe already a proud nerdette, you probably already dresses for beach wedding have some strong ideas about what you might want in a science fiction wedding dress. For the rest of you, we have some pointers.

First, you must choose your alliance.

One of the most important things to decide is whether youe more of a Star Wars or a Star Trek kind of couple. You can like both, but when the chips are down, almost every nerd has a strong preference.

If youe in the Star Wars camp, youe in girly-girl luck ?Princess Leia wears some stunning dresses, and tends to favor white. The one she wears through most of the original Star Wars (which is, confusingly, the one called Episode IV: A New Hope ?just relax and go with it) is beautifully draped. It has a high neck and extremely demure lines, but is soft and flowing enough to hint intriguingly at her figure. And, yes, you can accessorize with side hair buns and a delicately feminine blaster. If you like to show a little more skin and go with unique wedding dresses a hairdo that authentic but doesn bring pastries to mind, try Leia dress from the awards ceremony at the end ?it a white and gold goddessy number that would turn heads even if you weren walking down the aisle under rows of crossed lightsabers.

When you bring up Leia-inspired wedding dresses with your groom, don be surprised if he mentions another outfit for your honeymoon: the metal bikini she wears in Return of the Jedi. If you can find one, give it a go ?youl look stunning, and your groom will officially be the Luckiest Dork in the Galaxy.

Padme and Amidala also wear nice gowns that could possibly be wedding dresses, but these appear in The Trilogy of Which We Do Not Speak. If your groom mentions theming your wedding around these later Star Wars installments, you may want to give your relationship some more thought. Unless he suggests you both paint your faces in red and black stripes and go as Sith lords. That would be totally worth it.

If you are a Star Trek couple, you have a huge variety to work with ?both in species and in incarnations of Trek itself. If you go with the original Kirk-and-Spock series, you get to wear a fun mod mini wedding dress with high boots, assuming youe crew. Pile your hair up high and wear an Uhara-style earpiece for extra bonus points. You can also go mod as an original Trek alien babe, or your can also go flowy and ethereal, with hippy-dippy colors. For authenticity, expose an odd bit of your body ?for example, a cutout above (but not revealing) your navel, and consider dyeing your skin green.

If you decide to go Next Generation, Voyager, or Deep Space Nine, your options multiply faster than an armful of Tribbles. Uniforms for female crew members are a little more demure in these Trek incarnations, but wearing your Starfleet Formal Dress Uniform is certainly appropriate for such an occasion.

There are other human wedding dresses worn during the various series, but as long as youe come this far, why not go alien?

Though Vulcans are cool, we strongly advise against a Vulcan wedding due to the unfortunate symbolism; Vulcans don feel emotions and only have sex once every seven years. Save Vulcan Fun Time for volatile family dinners or the workplace.

And really, if youe going to go with a Star Trek alien wedding, go Klingon or go home. You can get away with lots of Klingon wedding dress styles ranging from sexy vixen to neck-snapping warrior. If youe ever fantasized about wearing a tight leather skirt with metal studs to your wedding, this is the time. You can also get away with a traditional human white wedding dress if you must ?just accessorize it with a prosthetic ridged Klingon forehead and youl be fine. If anyone questions you on your dress, tell them they have insulted your honor and they must apologize or be killed. Theyl shut their yaps. Plus youl probably get an extra-good wedding present.

A Klingon wedding ceremony of course involves a Klingon officiant and Klingon vows. Your heartfelt ceremony will conclude with the moving sentiment oday, you are un-alone. Today your Empire begins.?br />

That touching swell of patriotic Klingon emotion is the only reason your Mom will be crying. Wee sure of it.