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The Long And The (Mostly) Short Of Homecoming Dresses

Tribune photo by CLOE CABRERA

Melissa Guerra shops for the perfect homecoming dress at Georgette’s and the shoe salon, with help from her grandmother, Lorna Cacciatore, and Georgette Diaz, owner of Georgette’s.

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By CLOE CABRERA ccabrera@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 17, 2008

Melissa Guerra exits the dressing room and stands beneath a spotlight in front of a three-way mirror at Georgette's in Tampa.

She twirls. Stops. Pivots. The flouncy, flirty, gold sequined dress with lame pleats is almosta perfect fit.

Georgette Diaz, owner of the ladies boutique in South Tampa, tugs gently on the bodice and places a couple of small clamps on the back until the dress hugs Melissa's petite frame.

The 14-year-old steps into a pair of strappy stiletto sandals to get a better feel for the look.

"I'm really starting to like this one," says the Berkeley Preparatory School freshman.

Lorna Cacciatore, Melissa's grandmother, nods her head in approval. That's one down; but at least a half-dozen more dresses hang in the dressing room ready to be tried on.

"I came with an open mind to try on different styles," Melissa says. "I'll know the one when I put it on."

The only thing she is sure of is that she wants a short dress. Once she narrows her choices down, she'll bring in her mom.

"I hate rushing around at the last minute looking for a dress," says Melissa, who started shopping in early October.

The days leading up to Berkeley's Nov. 1 homecoming will be filled with spirit days, pep rallies, football practice, lots of talk about dresses and hairstyles, and excitement over who will be crowned the next homecoming queen.

"Homecoming isn't as formal as prom," says Diaz, who has owned and operated Georgette's for nearly 20 years. "You can be much more relaxed at homecoming; it's not so much the limousines and the dinners as it is hanging out with your friends."

And there are few rules for picking out a homecoming dress. This year, the majority of the girls at Georgette's - at least 90 percent - are buying short dresses.

Among the hot sellers this season are bold animal prints, pretty pastels and dresses in sexy, silky charmeuse. There are shiny satins and dresses with lots of beading, ruching and feminine bows.

Stars Spark Super-Hot Looks

With a push from TV's "Gossip Girl," swanky, glamour-driven looks also are popular. Curve-hugging styles and flirty sequined numbers are as hot for girls going to homecoming as they are for celebrities on the red carpet.

One hyper-hot style this season is a black sequined dress with a fuchsia belt. A similar style was spotted on "American Idol" alum Jordin Sparks (above) during an appearance on the MTV Music Video Awards.

"For girls, it's really about what they see young celebrities wearing. Who was photographed wearing what dress? And most of them are wearing shorter dresses," Diaz says.

Purple is a favorite hue, along with varying shades of burgundy, black, pink, red and metallic hues. Also hot are floral and graphic designs.

For girls who prefer the longer length of a gown, it's all about a back that plunges or is corseted or maybe accented with an oversized bow.

Diaz has been in the business long enough to know what styles work best on which body type. Dresses with a flared skirt help camouflage hips; so will an empire-cut, which is fitted just below the bust. Ruching on a dress works best for petite frames. A halter-top style will give full-busted women the support they need, but they should stay away from strapless styles.

Flat-Out Comfort Preferred

When Delia Nichole Huffman, 16, walked into Georgette's a month before Alonso High School's homecoming, which was last night, she was positive of only two things: She wanted a short dress and she wanted to wear flat shoes.

"I wanted to get a dress this year that I was comfortable in the entire night," says Delia, a junior, who was attending her third homecoming.

Diaz and her sales staff directed Delia to an array of selections to flatter her athletic 5-foot-9 frame.

"The thing about Georgette's is they have a lot of dresses that may not look so good on the hanger but they coax you to try it on," Delia says.

After trying on several dresses, Delia found "the one": a gold and silver halter-top stunner with a rhinestone bodice.

Delia believes homecoming season soon will rival that of prom.

"If you go to the prom, only the seniors get to see you because they're the only ones who can go.

"Everyone gets to see you at homecoming," she says.

Reporter Cloe Cabrera can be reached at (813) 259-7656.

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