Prom season. You?ve been looking forward to it all year long. It?s the climax to the school year?s social scene. Naturally, you want to look your best.

In fact, you want to do more than that. You want to be the head-turner. The belle of the ball. The girl who makes other girls jealous because she?s getting the stares from their dates.

So you absolutely need the perfect prom dress. The one that?s ultra-cool and super-hot! Not something that your mom wore to her prom back in the dark ages.

Good news! Today?s cutting edge trends in prom dresses give you a multitude of options which weren?t available even a few short years ago. So if you want to be the forward-thinking fashionista at this year?s main event, you need a crash course in what?s hot this prom season.

Here are five features you should look for in modern prom dresses:

Prints

Don?t limit your choices to solid colors. Some of the most eye-catching prom dresses these days are all about prints. This way, you can combine all kinds of shades for a uniquely stylish look. Plus, print dresses are more likely to match your favorite shoes and jewelry combinations.

The Green Sleeveless Chartreuse Multiprint Prom Dress combines hues of red, pink, and blue with a sheer midriff and plunging neckline. The Floral Fuscia Multiprint Dress features a fuscia print down to the thigh and a green print down to the floor, along with an open X-back and beaded empire waist. And the Long Silky Knit Print Halter Dress sports a white, lavender, and black painterly print with an empire waist and a tie-in-back halter.

Glam

Many of this season?s prom dresses are all about the wow factor. Some feature embellishment throughout the entire dress. Others incorporate illusion fabrics which flatter the wearer even more. And some even have fitted silhouettes for a uniquely fashionable look.

The turquoise-and-lime Strapless Layered Tulle Ball Gown is easily identified by its sequin-encrusted sweetheart bustline and its lettuce edge hemline. If purple is your passion, you?ll want to check out the Short Silky Halter-style Dress with Beaded Neckline and Waist with bows in the back at the empire waist and halter neck. And the Strapless Tulle Dress with Caviar Beading at the bust and hem is available in numerous color choices and has ruching at the empire waist.

Cutouts

If you?ve been working hard on your figure and/or tan, then you need to show it off when prom rolls around! So you may want a dress with sexy back or side cutouts to accentuate your natural beauty. Or maybe you?ll go for a dress that is completely backless.

The Jewel-tone Chartreuse Sapphire Gown has sparkling beadwork which accents subtle cutouts, along with a crisscross back which ends in a V-neck in front. You might also like the sexy X-back on the Short Iridescent Taffeta Halter Dress, which also features delicate soutache detail throughout the skirt. And the Jeweled Neck Short Halter Dress is made of gorgeous matte chiffon fabric with a unique ?inverted-V? back.

Bows, Ruffles and Tiers

There?s nothing like a frilly accent to catch the eye! Bows can spruce up almost any style, flirty floral ruffles can create a jaunty look, and tiers can help build a three-dimensional ensemble. And if you can combine these elements, you may just have the most talked-about dress at the prom!

The bow in the back is the perfect accent to the moss-colored Silky Knit Short Dress, which features a bubble skirt, sequined hemline, and delicate spaghetti straps. If you?re looking for ruffles, the white Spaghetti Strap Tiered Lace and Mesh Trumpet Gown with a black satin ribbon tied around the waist is chic, trendy, and comfortable. And the Short Strapless Tiered Organza Dress with Sash and Sequined Bust is best described as the ?little black dress that makes a big statement.?

Asymmetrical

Maybe you want your prom dress to look more like a work of art. Then you might opt for the asymmetrical appearance, which will stand out in a room full of more traditional designs. This look can be achieved using unique draping, straps, or necklines.

The perfect example of asymmetry is the One Shoulder Silky Knit Long Dress, which is available in red or turquoise with a side slit skirt and a fabric flower-detailed bodice. The fiery red Strapless Stretch Satin Dress with Side Shirring and Layered Skirt beautifully flatters fuller figures. And if you want to blend tradition with a splash of flair, the Black and White Mesh Prom Gown is a conventional black strapless silhouette gown with a white side-drape ruffle.

So when you?re searching for your prom dress this season, don?t settle for stodgy, frumpy, boring body coverings that may have been popular last century. Look for prom dresses with the most vibrant colors, dazzling accents, and sexy designs. After all, prom night is supposed to be a night to remember ? so why not make sure everyone remembers the dress you wore to the event?