The Top Homecoming Dress Trends of 2012

The countdown to Homecoming has begun! Are you searching for that breathtaking Homecoming dress? Still trying to find Homecoming dresses that are stylish and fit you to perfection? Don't despair, there's plenty of time left before that memorable evening arrives. When you start your quest for the Homecoming dress of the season, you'll want a frock that is unique, well-fitting, comfortable and trendy.

Homecoming dresses are not quite as formal as their prom counterparts, and you'll have a little more wiggle room when it comes to choosing trendy styles and shorter lengths. Luckily, the fall trends for 2012 have produced some unbelievably gorgeous gowns - both fashionable and with plenty of personality to match your own.

Elegant Homecoming Dresses: Mermaid Gowns

Homecoming dresses with a "mermaid" shape are named for their striking resemblance to a mermaid tail. This type of Homecoming dress is form-fitting mermaid style bridal gowns and tightly hugs curves in all the right places, with the skirt dramatically flaring either at or slightly below the knee. These stunning statement dresses are often crafted in the strapless design, and flatter most body types beautifully. Girls with more voluptuous shapes will appreciate this Homecoming dress' tendency to flaunt the curves of an hourglass figure. Likewise, mermaid gowns enhance curves in slimmer, athletic builds, while emphasizing a small waist - creating an attractive silhouette.

When wearing this Homecoming dress, you'll want to choose your undergarments carefully in order to prevent this form-fitting gown from revealing more than you'd like! Mermaid gowns are a glamorous, couture choice for Homecoming dresses - and they'll show off your good taste, elegance and flair for the dramatic.

Asymmetrical Embellishments

The embellished one-shoulder dress is a glamorous red-carpet look, guaranteed to make a Homecoming dress unforgettable. This chic design element works well for longer, classic gowns, as well as short, funky Homecoming dresses. The thought of maintaining a strapless Homecoming dress throughout a night of dancing can seem daunting, but the one-shoulder dress solves this problem - it white vera wang wedding dress has the same designer appeal as a strapless gown, but adds comfort and security. This superb style is a very flattering choice, drawing the eye upward, toward the neck and upper body. Take your time when you're looking for one-shoulder Homecoming dresses, as it can be difficult to find the perfect fit. Search for an attractive fit for your body that makes you feel as beautiful as you truly are.

When completing your asymmetrical Homecoming look, try to stay away from flashy jewelry, because it distracts from the unique, embellished neckline. Instead, opt for simple accents, and perhaps style your hair into a sleek up-do, ensuring that your outfit enhances your natural beauty instead of overpowering it.

Prints and Patterns

A hot trend for fall 2012, the printed Homecoming dress is an eye-catching, bold expression of your unique style. The forgiving nature of a printed gown flatters nearly every body-type, but it's still important to find one that fits well. When you wear one of these uniquely-patterned gowns, you won't just walk into the dance, you'll make an entrance.

Printed Homecoming dresses offer a wide array of stunning options for self-expression. For a sweet, flowing look, pick a flowered chiffon gown in soothing pastels. Or if your style is a little more on the wild side, consider a dress with cheetah or zebra print accents. Either way, a printed Homecoming dress is sure to make you stand out on the dance floor.

Earth Tones

This autumn, earthy, muted hues are trs elegant, and Homecoming dresses are no exception. The Pantone Fashion Color Report for fall 2012 features many earthy-based tones which would be perfectly suited for your gown. Some shades to watch include Ultramarine Green (a calming, deep blue-green), Rose Smoke (a dusty, veiled pink), French Roast (a sophisticated, espresso brown) and Rhapsody (an ethereal, muted lavender).

Especially flattering for girls with warmer skin tones, these colors provide an excellent opportunity to set your Homecoming dress apart from the sea of bright, neon-colored gowns on the dance floor.

The LWD - Little White Dress

To balance out that LBD (little black dress) hanging in your closet, the Little White Dress makes for a breezy, effortlessly elegant Homecoming dress. While shopping, it's important to make sure that you don't purchase a gown with transparent fabric. Make sure the gown is well-lined, although wearing skin-colored undergarments is still a good idea. Go for a longer hemline to create a classic look, or purchase a shorter dress with a fun and flirty attitude. Worn at any length, the white fabric of these Homecoming dresses is very appealing for most skin tones and body types. (And you can wear it throughout September, too!)

One of the perks of a cute LWD is that it can be found in nearly any style you might dream up, and it can be combined easily with another 2012 fall Homecoming dress trend: use stunning, bold and colorful accessories to turn your LWD into a stylish statement. Try pairing Pantone Fall 2012 colors together - such as Rose Smoke heels with Ultramarine Green bangles and earrings to spice up white dresses. Wear the Little White Dress to show off your unconventional fashion-sense and you'll be sure to turn heads!

Love Your Look

Try not to set your heart on one particular trend before you've explored all your options for dresses - this can be difficult to do! Not every girl will look her best in a mermaid- or asymmetrical-style dress. But with the great variety of this fall's fashionable styles and designs, you're sure to find trendy dresses that suit your personality.

When you're trying on dresses, keep in mind that you'll have a much better time if you're comfortable and confident. A dress that seems a little loose or tight in the dressing room is only going to become more irritating on the dance floor. And with the wide array of gorgeously-crafted dresses that are trendy this year, there's no reason to be uncomfortable. True, it will take time to find the dress, but consider the memories you'll make while wearing it - it will be worth the wait.

Most importantly, don't forget to wear your smile!

Wedding Dress Tradition And Queen Elizabeth's Love

Wedding dresses are more often than naught, the center piece to most weddings. With that being the case, can you imagine if that wedding was a royal one? We often think of beautiful gowns made from the finest of materials. That hasn't always been the case. Sometimes it's the love affair that overshadows the dress. That was evident in the love between Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Queen Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, were distant cousins that met each other when the Queen was just a 13-year old princess. It was known that Elizabeth was completely smitten with Philip and therefore, not only were they cousins, but also became good friends as evidenced from their letters to each other. Although they had a very long courtship, the couple finally decided to get engaged in 1946, but chose to keep it a secret.

Throughout their courtship, Queen Elizabeth and Philip had a number of things pulling at their relationship. Often royalty married other royalty, whether they were related or not. However, a couple of strikes against Philip was that he was not a wealthy man, as well as he was Greek Orthodox.

Regardless, the thing that brought the most hardship to the couple was that Elizabeth's mother did not want her to marry Philip. The reason she was so against their impending marriage, was that back in 1946 England had just come out of World War II and even though Philip was not German himself, he did spend some of his school years in Germany. In addition, the word was that Philip's three sisters had married German Noblemen, in which led others to believe he had some Nazi ties.

Despite her mother's disapproval, their engagement was announced publicly on July 9, 1947. The wedding took place just four months later on November 20, 1947. Although the war was over, it still caused some problems for the wedding. Elizabeth was eventually allowed to marry Philip; however his German relatives were not allowed to attend the ceremony.

During the war, England had a system of rationing in place. So even though she was royalty, Elizabeth still had to save up her rations for fabric so that she would be able to purchase her wedding dress. Fortunately she was able to get enough rations set aside; otherwise it would not have been a true royal wedding without a spectacular wedding dress.

Her dress was designed by Norman Hartnell, who started to work on the dress three months before the wedding so that it would be done in time. Hartnell started his design with a great understanding for what kind of a dress he had to make. After all, this was for the royal wedding and with that he knew everyone would be watching, so he wanted it to be perfect for Queen Elizabeth's special day.

After receiving the payment for the dress, Hartnell said he "searched the London art galleries for a classic inspiration and found a Botticelli figure in ivory silk with a trail of smilax, jasmine, syringa and some white rose like flowers." Finding the right materials for the dress was hard due to the aftermath of the war, so in the end the designer ended up having to order 20,000 pearls from the United States.

The gown's fabric for the train was satin from a mill at Lullington Castle in England, which he did not want to use at first, but Elizabeth's mother insisted that it be from there. The body of the wedding dress was a soft Chinese silk from a Scottish firm called Winterthur, which caused a little controversy because they were saying it was made by enemy silk worms from Japan. However, Hartnell was able to prove that the silk was from China. The dress was embroidered with orange blossoms, syringa, white rose and jasmine. Wheat was also included in the design, which represented fertility.

The embroidery also included sparkling crystals and pearls that outlined the neckline, hem, sleeves and the 15-foot train. The dress also included a silk tulle veil, with a small diamond tiara and a simple yet beautiful pearl necklace to wear around her neck. The beautiful bride walked down the aisle of the famous Westminster Abby with her father King George VI.

Elizabeth had a very sweet bouquet that was made of white orchids with some sprigs of myrtle, which had come from the bush that Queen Victoria had planted and grown from her own wedding bouquet. After the wedding the bride placed her sweet bouquet at the grave of the Unknown Soldier which is a tradition in England's royal weddings.