Black Homecoming Dresses

How to Choose and Style a Black Homecoming Dress

Black is the most-worn color at homecoming for a reason. It goes with everything, it photographs beautifully outdoors, and it never looks like you tried too hard. Instead, black homecoming dresses give off a timeless and classic vibe. When you look back at pictures you'll never have any regrets. Almost any black dress clears that bar, so what separates the right short black homecoming dress from the rest comes down to three things: fabric, silhouette, and how it reads in your photos. Here's how to narrow it down, and how to style whichever one you pick.

How Do Black Homecoming Dresses Photograph At A Dance?

Start here, because it rules styles in and out faster than anything else. Most homecoming photos happen in two very different places. Outside at golden hour, matte black is stunning and one of the most flattering things you can wear. Inside a dim gym with a flash, though, flat black can lose all its detail. The dress turns into a silhouette, and the neckline and seaming disappear.

The fix is dimension. Sequins and rhinestones catch the flash and read as sparkle. Velvet holds shadow and depth. Satin gives you highlights along the drape. If your photos will mostly be indoors, pick a black homecoming dress with something for the light to grab.

Will A Black Homecoming Dress Work With My Skin Tone?

Yes. Black flatters every undertone, which is a big part of why it's such a trending yet classic pick. What you can make your own are the jewelry and make up choices to go with your black homecoming dress. Warm and olive undertones tend to glow with gold jewelry and bronzed makeup; cool undertones pop with silver and a berry or true-red lip. If you ever feel washed out in black, add a bold lip or a metallic necklace rather than changing the dress.

Black Hoco Dresses Are Popular. How Do I Stand Out?

Since you won't be the only one in black, the standout factors are silhouette, detail, and styling. Corset lace-up backs, cut outs, feather trim, fringe, bows, sheer mesh panels, an asymmetric hem, a print, or a dramatic open back all read as your dress from across the room, and they're what shows up in photos. If you've already decided black is the color for your homecoming dress than have fun selecting the design details and how you style it!

What Shoes and Jewelry Go With A Black Homecoming Dress?

Once you've chosen the black homecoming dress with the silhouette and details you love, accessorizing is the easy part. A black hoco dress is the most forgiving thing you can pick, because nothing clashes with it. So this is really about the mood you want:

• Silver + Rhinestones + Clear Strappy Heels: Cool, Ice Princess, High-Shine
• Gold + Warm Metals: Richer, Royalty, Luxurious
• Nude Heels: Classic, Clean, Pro tip: Leg-Lengthening Effect
• Pick One Pop of Color Like Red Heels, A Bright Bag, or a Bold Lip: Confident Queen, Flirty, Fun