It's an age old event question for women: Which shoes will I wear with my dress? The traditional choice would be simple black heels, but sometimes you just want to make a bigger statement with your wardrobe. Matching bright colored shoes with a bright colored, or even black, dress is not a fashion faux pas or something that you need to agonize over.



The style this year is plain and traditional. Many starlets were seen at the Oscars with monochromatic outfits, little jewelry and subdued handbags. Trend watching prom goers will probably be keeping up with these celebrity styles. If you are not a trend watcher, or just want to stick to your own style, you can use your shoes as a statement to add flair to your outfit.

If you'd like to make the maximum statement, choose a bright colored dress and match the shoes exactly. Be careful when you do this, though, so you don't get a total color overload. Picking an extremely bright dress and shoes can be distracting to the eye and not give any "visual separation", a fancy term for focal point in your outfit. It can also leave you second guessing your choice the night of prom.

To avoid second guessing, try less extreme and more traditional colors, such as bright blue or red, with interesting visual details on the fabric. Experiment with asymmetrical necks or hemlines, embellishments or appealing ties or buttons. You should also work to keep from exact matching on shoe and dress colors. The shade of the shoes should be a shade or two lighter or darker than the shade of the dress.

You can also pair brightly colored shoes with a tasteful patterned dress. Choose the brightest, most prominent color from your dress for the shoes. This technique will let you experiment with exciting combinations and make an impression, without donning too much color.

For the more traditional, or those who just can't decide on a specific dress color, use your shoes to add interest and flair to a neutral gown. You can pair nearly any color or pattern with a black dress. Use the easy matching to try extreme shoes colors and patterns that you would normally pass over.

When choosing your shoes, don't limit yourself to plain old heels, either. Depending upon the style of your dress, you can try boots, flats, ballerina slippers or stilettos. Shoes with extra embellishments will supplement your other accessories, and can be used to mix and match patterns, colors and styles throughout your outfit.

Your prom outfit should be a reflection of your own style and personality. Use all these elements to supplement you style and show off what you've chosen for your prom style.