A lot of us are on a tight budget nowadays and don’t have a ton of money for prom. That being said, you still want to make the night special, so be strategic with your spending. I remember my prom – a bunch of us rode in one friend’s dented van to a homey Italian restaurant just a step up from Olive Garden. We didn’t want to spend a lot on a limousine or fancy food, but I did splurge on my dress – a $300 BCBG Max Azria dress in a striking orange. It’s in my closet today, and although it’s a little dated, it’s a piece I still delight in owning.

If you haven’t bought your fantasy prom dress already, it’s worth it to take a look at K. Borgella’s spring collection. K. Borgella is designed by Kareen Borgella, whose cred comes from working in companies as diverse as J Crew and Ecko Red.

This first collection debuted on December 2 of last year with a slew of runway-worthy but definitely still wearable dresses. We’ve selected two really stand out as prom-appropriate:

1. K. Borgella ruffle shoulder sash dress

One shoulder dresses are super-in right now and are, in my opinion, more comfortable to wear than a strapless dress (in which its wearer is constantly in risk of exposing herself!). The dress above is a ruffle shoulder sash dress that really channels the Lanvin for H&M that Natalie Portman wore to the 20th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards. This dress has a bit more structure with its youthful empire waist, and I really like the texture on the one shoulder strap. No need for a necklace – go for eye-catching earrings and a sweeping up do to look your best.

2. K. Borgella long double split dress

If you want to go for a dramatic long skirt, try for this dress, which absolutely channels summer with a colorful patterned skirt. The slit on this long strapless dress is definitely risqué, but I can imagine pinning it down on the inside so that it’s not cut quite so high.

The pricing for a K. Borgella’s dress is around $500 or more, but like I said, you gotta prioritize your prom buying.

What are you wearing to prom, readers? And what do you think of these dresses?

-Kim