Prom Dress Diary: Michigan Edition

I started prom dress shopping last Saturday. I thought it’d be one and done—find a cute dress, take a selfie, go get bagels. Nope. Michigan had other plans.

First stop was a boutique in Royal Oak. The place was beautiful, and everything looked designer-level fancy, but I didn’t feel like *me* in any of it. A girl ahead of me snagged the exact dress I wanted to try, and I pretended I didn’t care. I definitely cared.

On Sunday, my cousin said we should check out a store near Grand Rapids that she swore by. It was smaller, way less intimidating, and the woman helping us actually listened. I tried on five dresses—one was forest green, totally unexpected—and left with a favorite saved on my phone. Didn’t buy it yet. I needed to sleep on it.

Midweek, my best friend dragged me to a place outside Ann Arbor that’s super popular. They were booked but managed to squeeze me in. That’s where I found *the one*. I wasn’t even planning to try it on. It was bold, a little extra, but something about it just worked. It zipped. It sparkled. I didn’t want to take it off.

Michigan prom shopping is kind of like Michigan weather—unpredictable, a little chaotic, but it comes through when it matters. I met stylists who were so kind I wanted to hug them, and tried on dresses I swore I hated… until I loved them.

If you’re still looking, scroll below to find stores by city. Make a day of it. Stop for coffee. Try on the wild dress just once. And trust that your moment’s out there, probably when you least expect it.