15 prom dresses for the chicest school leavers

Prom - and certainly prom dresses! - can be stressful. In some ways, it's the teenage equivalent of a wedding... there will be pictures that will cruelly last a lifetime, you'll probably engage in drunken dance floor antics, people will snog in corners, and you'll probably be required to wear something you never would have considered in your day-to-day life.

But it doesn't have to be all cinderella and sparkles (even if she does look impossibly cute...).

So for the all important dress do you go long or short, chic or sexy? How about both? Red, black, pastel, tulle or straight.... argh! Too many decisions? Well the good news is there are so many places to shop for prom dresses right now.

To take some of the pressure off, we've sourced the 15 prettiest prom dresses - from full-skirted retro styles to simple feminine slips and shimmering metallic numbers. We've also considered varying budgets, shapes, sizes and styles to find the perfect look for everyone...

To get you in the mood - check out our favourite prom dresses in the movies.

And have fun!