Sometimes a girl needs a little help and direction when choosing the perfect graduation dress, and who better to provide it than Mom? Your daughter may have in mind what she wants to wear to her graduation celebration, yet this is a special occasion like no other. It’s a celebration of great achievement, a coming-of-age moment, and one where your daughter makes a step into the adult world. Whether she is moving on to further her education or entering the world of commerce and industry she is no longer your little girl!

So, how best to choose a graduation dress for your daughter? The first thing is you must do it together. We have a few tips for you that should make this an enjoyable journey that will help you bond while searching for the perfect graduation outfit, so let’s get started.

Take Some Time Out for a Trip to Town

So, Mom and daughter together, let’s begin with a relaxed and enjoyable day in town. There’s nothing like some good old window shopping to get ideas. You may have your favorite stores and your daughter will have hers, so make sure you pay a visit to both. This is fun shopping trip, so take in lunch or a drink together, especially if that’s something you don’t often do, and remember this is research, so you are not compelled to buy anything! You may find a dress that shouts her name, you may not, and if not, then the next step should help.

Visit Small Boutiques

One tip that we find useful is to seek out small, independent boutiques that you might otherwise miss. In town, these will often be off the beaten track so you might need to ask friends, family, and colleagues for recommendations. These are places where you may find up and coming designers, those with unique and original ideas and designs, and at prices that are affordable for quality items.

Show Her Your Fashion Tastes

Now is a time to share your fashion tastes and ideas with your daughter. You may be old-fashioned to her, but sometimes old fashions can be chic and trendy. Get some of your favorite dresses out and try them on, show her what you like, and you never know, she may be impressed with what she sees. If it fits, you might find something among your collection that your daughter wants to wear to graduation – stranger things have happened after all!

Listen to Her Desires

Here’s the crunch: your daughter has her ideas, and you have yours, and while they may not seem a million miles apart, to her they may be. Yet graduation is a mature and adult occasion, and not one where you want your daughter looking like she’s out for a night clubbing! You want her to be able to mix in with her friends, to look stylish and trendy, and to look beautiful too. But you want her to be happy with what she wears, so if she falls for a dress that she loves and you don’t, let it be. You’ve helped her find it, and that was your mission.

Make Sure She’s Comfortable with the Dress You Choose

Finally, ensure that she is comfortable with the outfit that you decide upon. By comfortable we don’t only mean that it fits, but that she is happy wearing the dress. Check that she’s not showing too much cleavage, that the slashed skirt is not too revealing, and that your daughter is happy with all the details of the dress and how she looks, and you’ll both be happy.

Shopping for a graduation dress with your daughter is a great opportunity to get to know the young woman she has become, and to enjoy some quality time together, so we hope these tips have helped you make the right choice.