How To Dress Down Your Prom Dress

A motorcycle jacket (Compare Prices) looks impossibly hip zippered-up over a frothy cocktail dress. Don't get carried away and actually hop on a bike - grease stains and formal frocks are a hazardous combination.

The tuxedo jacket (Compare Prices) will stave off a summer evening breezes and add a boyish stolen-from-your-date coolness. No need to buy a new tux; search vintage stores or just borrow one from your boyfriend.

Dig out your favorite jean jacket (Compare Prices) from junior high and toss it on over last month's prom dress. A dose of denim brings instant everyday-casual; a cute pair of sandals wouldn't hurt, either.

Business dressy in an instant: toss a black blazer (Compare Prices) over your favorite cocktail frock, then finish off with a pair of opaque tights. Voila!

A trusty cardigan (Compare Prices) is just the thing to add a sweet, bookish vibe to your flirty frock. Slip on penny loafers to complete the librarian-goes-hip outfit.

Inspired by the power suits of the '80s, a structured pea jacket or double-breasted blazer (Compare Prices) makes frilly dress seem all-about-business.

The addition of a little tailored vest (Compare Prices) takes away the preciousness of a dress's silhouette without covering up the pretty aesthetics.

A little edgier than a black blazer, a little more sophisticated than its motorcycle jacket counterpart, a leather topper (Compare Prices) looks sleek and cool carelessly tossed over a cocktail dress.

Chubby shrugs, a perfect balance of cool and comfort, bring coziness to a cocktail dress. Look for glamorous details like a rhinestone trim, peppy pattern, or sprinkle of sequins (Compare Prices).

Sweet ballerinas and sassy skimmers alike, flats (Compare Prices) add a prim, casual spin to any dress. Because flats don't provide the same height as, say, your sky-high stilettos, low-cut vamp (i.e. "toe cleavage") adds serious length to your legs.