Prior to the adventure, one reporter — a pageant contestant — only had experience searching for elaborate, rhinestone-studded, extremely elegant gowns. The other reporter is blessed with a seamstress aunt who makes all of her dresses for school dances. In one day we visited a department store, a shop which specialized in prom gowns and a boutique famous for its outrageous designs in the course of one afternoon.

Jessica McClintock

The Jessica McClintock store is located on the fourth floor of a corporate lobby on 180 Geary Street. The layout of the store is organized so that all the dresses are color coordinated, which makes shopping easier. The style of dresses is limited — only slightly varying in the hemlines — but the colors for each style are endless. They can have the same dress offered in dozens of different colors. JMC is fashion-forward, with countless bubble-bunched skirts and layered tulle petticoats bottoms, along with trailing trains.

The women working here are courteous and helpful: Upon seeing our arms loaded with dresses, they immediately offered to set up a dressing room for us. But, since business is usually good, don’t expect a lot of special attention. Prices here range from $100 for the short dresses to $600 for ball-gowns.

Jenny's Dress

The first dress I tried on — a knee-length dusty blue tube top with four full layers — was my favorite one of the day. With an outermost mesh layer dotted with small sequins and a silk ribbon that ties around the waist, this dress is a shorter, more colorful version of Cinderella’s ball-gown.

Sanyee's Dress

The dress I tried on was the ultimate pageant dress, perfect for formal wear competitions. Midnight blue with an elegant train, cascading deep-set ruffles in the skirt and a glittering rhinestone pin at the side, I loved the dazzling style and could see myself wearing it to prom. But, like many of the other ball-gowns here, it seemed more suitable for walking onstage at a pageant rather than for a night of dancing.

Betsey Johnson

Right around the corner from Jessica McClintock is Betsey Johnson on 160 Geary Street. The garish flowered wallpaper, the eccentric paintings and the blaring music make Betsey Johnson seem like the wrong place to find a formal picture-perfect prom dress.

We initially wanted to leave, thinking we wouldn’t find anything in there that was right for prom. But we decided to channel our rebellious sides and sifted through the wild fashions that the store offered — from the brightly patterned baby-doll shifts to the strapless organza dresses. Though most of their dresses are short and don’t have trailing hemlines, their designs are very original.

Their service was toned down as they offered to set up dressing rooms for us but left us alone soon afterwards, to serve wealthier-looking customers. Overall, if you’re seeking an unconventional, vintage look for prom, Betsey Johnson is the place for you. Even though the dresses look similar to the unconventional ones in thrift shops, their prices are not bargains — ranging from $200 to $500.

Jenny’s Dress

The dress I picked was a two-layered blue green crochet dress with a blue ribbon sash at the waist. The first layer was a blue-green dotted pattern with holes and the second was thin yellow fabric. The dress looked fitting for a tea party, but not prom. Like many of the store’s dresses, this one turned out prettier than I thought it would be once I tried it on.

Sanyee's Dress

Upon trying my dress on, I felt like a character in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The dress seemed too casual on the hanger with its breezy tunic-top style, but it looked awesome once I tried it on. With a big flower pinned to the side, it has different shades of criss-crossing green and blue layers at the sweetheart neckline and on the skirt. I loved the cool, light feel of the dress, similar to the first dress and could see myself wearing either one of them to prom.

Bloomingdale's

Alas — our final stop on our mini-whirlwind tour of stores. We immediately decided against trying on Macy’s generic dresses, which lack exciting variety and instead opted for Downtown’s Bloomingdale’s. Wandering past make-up displays like the sparkly “Barbie Loves MAC” showcase and televisions playing runway shows, we finally came upon “BCBG” and “Nicole Miller” lettering decorating the walls.

The array of dresses here, unlike Macy’s, offers more designs and styles — ranging from fluttering kimono dresses to short cocktail dresses and long, wedding-type gowns. The “Tadashi” label overjoyed the pageant contestant, who recognized it as the well-known supplier of attire for the Miss USA and Miss America pageants. Upon checking each price label, we became fully aware that we had wandered into high-quality territory.

The saleswomen were soft-spoken which contributed to the upscale atmosphere and only helped us upon our request. If you’re looking for designer label elaborate gowns, look no further than the ones here. But don’t say we didn’t warn you about the $300 to $900 price range.

Jenny’s Dress

The first dress I tried on was an elegant midnight blue satin gown studded with diamond shaped rhinestones in the front. The dress, which has one heavy layer and a flowing calf-length skirt, made me feel like a 1980s movie star. It is gorgeous and well worth its $595 value.

Sanyee’s Dress

My gown was extremely beautiful with its exquisitely intricate beading down the front, a formal halter tie-up in the back and flowing skirt. Definitely characteristic of the elegant gowns that Bloomingdale’s offers though with its heavy hem, it would be more appropriate for a bride-to-be than a 16-year-old prom-goer. I felt ready for a tiara, but not exactly prepared to dance the night away.

Overall, our favorite place of the day was Jessica McClintock because it specializes in prom dresses and formal wear. But, as our excursion proved, it never hurts to explore the different places and styles that are out there. We guarantee you’ll have just as much fun as we did.