So you are at the mall looking at a bunch of Cinderella-esque gowns displayed next to tight, form-fitting "I am a sexy girl" dresses. You finally go with a satin ball gown and then head to the jewelry stores, only to find more confusion there. You end up spending loads of money and don't even have a look that you are loving. Stop the Prom spending madness by picking from one of these styles below and adding some personal touches. Do this and you are fashionably good to go.

Classic - Think basic dress colors with pearls or diamond jewels. A classic up-do goes well with this type of look. A satin, strapless A-line dress in red adorned with chandelier earrings, a diamond bracelet and a big cocktail ring will make you the lady of the ball. Or transform a basic black, form-fitting dress by taking it to new elegant heights with a sleek up-do, thin pearl necklace and classic red lips. Look to the elegant dressers in Hollywood for inspiration. Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Gwyneth Paltrow all exemplify the classic look. If you like things simple, but strikingly sleek, then this look is for you. Getting the best "classic look" dress is relatively easy. Simple dresses in one basic color are available almost anywhere, but department stores are likely to have the best selection at the best price. Remember a solid color dress is brought to life with accessories. Look through any classic jewels you might already have at home, or head to the mall for the best selection in pearls and diamonds (Fake of course! Remember, we're on a budget!) Claire's has a great variety of faux pearls and diamonds that would polish off our classic look with grace.

Bohemian - Daring, bold, different, unique, anything but classic is what the Bohemian look is all about. The Bohemian girl can take the same satin strapless dress the Classic girl would wear but make it unique by wearing her hair loose and curly, adding some ethnic jewelry and a smoky eye. A tight, form-fitting black dress would work with this look as well, and again it's all in the details on how to make it look different. The details also help to make a simple, plain and cheap dress look like a million books. Give that black dress a gypsy feel to it by adding plenty of gold bangles on one arm with a gold cuff on the upper part of the other arm. Add some more zing to this look with dark gold eye shadow, black lined eyes and bronzer. Keep the hair wavy and soft. Search local thrift stores for ethnic jewels, bangles and even wraps in Indian prints to wear if it gets cold out. Jennifer Aniston perfected the bohemian look at the Emmy's in 2004. Her simple, strapless white dress, with minimal embroidery, wavy hair and smoky eyes scored big with fashionistas everywhere. Heart-throb Jude Law's fiancée, Sienna Miller, is a true Bohemian look icon. Need inspiration to pull off these mysterious looks? Look to these girls. Just google and go! And then head to the mall with a clear mission. End result? Lose the time and money, but gain everything else!

Retro - This look is a bit difficult to pull off, but can look amazing when done correctly. A Retro look will require the purchase of a great dress, not just a simple, basic colored dress as seen with the Classic and Bohemian Looks. Go for a 50's style look with a poofy skirted dress, and complete it with tightly curled locks and classic make-up. Scarlett Johansen wore the Retro look this year at the Golden Globes and managed to pull it off wonderfully. Her iridescent orange dress was a little on the modern side, but she made it look retro with her curled hair and sultry but classic make-up.

These are just three looks you can go with for prom. Go with the one you will feel the best in. And, remember always choose a look before heading out to the mall; otherwise you will go Prom Spending Crazy (if you already haven't). Good Luck!

- Ritu Sharma, Associate Editor