If you’ve ever tried shopping for a dress with your tween, you know it can be… a journey. 😅 Between changing styles, opinions, and the endless “Do you like this one?” moments, it’s easy for the fun to turn into stress. But trust me — it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here are five tried-and-true tips to keep the process lighthearted, confidence-boosting, and maybe even fun (yes, really!).
1. Start with Inspiration
Before you even step foot in a store (or add anything to your cart), sit down together and browse some ideas. Pinterest, Instagram, or even just scrolling through our site can help her discover what styles she’s drawn to. It also helps avoid that “overwhelm” feeling once she’s surrounded by racks of dresses.
2. Comfort First, Always
If she’s not comfortable, she won’t feel confident — and that’s the most important part of wearing a dress. Look for styles with a little give, soft fabrics, or cuts that make her feel like herself.
One of our favorites is the Textured Racerback Dress. It has just the right mix of polish and comfort, with a longer length that makes it easy for her to dance, move, and actually enjoy the night. It's one of those dresses that works with most bras, or sports bras, and just feels good on.
3. Match the Occasion
Is it a school dance? A Bat Mitzvah service? A family gathering where she wants to feel dressed up but not “too grown-up”? Picking the dress with the event in mind takes the guesswork out of it. And bonus — a versatile dress can easily be styled different ways with shoes or accessories, so it gets more than one wear. The Cap Sleeve Boat Neck Dress in Longer Length is a real good option for a dress thats simple, yet sophisticated, and can be styled with a glitzy belt to jazz it up!
4. Forget the Number on the Tag
Tween sizes can be all over the place, and that’s okay. Instead of focusing on the size, focus on the fit. Grab a couple of sizes to try, and let her decide which feels best. (Sometimes the smaller size looks great, sometimes the bigger size is comfier — it’s all about what she feels best in.) If you need some guidance on sizes while shopping online, or just planning to see what size she'll be in the store, you can always you take a look at our size guide. Note that some fabrics fit differently than others, so the more ridged jacquards will fit very different from a stretchier, soft ones.
5. Keep the Experience Fun
This is the part that changes everything. Add a smoothie stop before, play her favorite playlist, or let her do a mini runway show at home for dad. When the process feels fun, she’ll actually look forward to getting dressed up!
At the end of the day, dress shopping is about more than finding “the one” — it’s about celebrating her personality, her style, and her confidence. With a little prep (and a lot of positivity), you’ll both walk away smiling… and she’ll walk away with a dress she can’t wait to wear.