Prom season is upon us once again, and for every girl in high school that means the frantic search for the perfect dress.

While others may believe it is hard to find the perfect wedding dress, you are guaranteed that no one else at the party will be wearing your gown. With proms, this is a major concern with two simple solutions –– find a store with a registry and unique brands or buy a dress on consignment that is vintage enough to spare you any resemblance to another girl.

Stephanie’s Brides in Montevallo offers an event registry for all of their gowns, guaranteeing you will not see another girl in your gown. Their huge dress selection has brands like Alfred Angelo, Mori Lee, and PC Mary’s.

Expecting to sell around 100–200 dresses during the prom season from February to May, they serve girls from Bibb County, Calera, Pelham, Montevallo and Hoover. They foresee the trends of the season to be long, fitted dresses as girls shy away from the short or puffy styles of seasons past.

Stephanie’s also offers accessories and even tuxedo rentals to finish out your prom needs.

The other option to risk a gown repetition faux pas is to buy on consignment. Consigned Design in Alabaster has brands in stock from Alyce, Precious Formals, Night Moved, Tiffany, and Cassandra Stone, just to name a few. Prices range from as low as $39 to upwards of $300.

While there is no formal registry in place, owner Wendy Bailey can likely tell you to what event the gown was previously worn.

Bailey sees customers look for more whimsy and eclectic pieces this season.

Jessica Vance can be reached by e–mail at jvance86@hotmail.com.