Bat Mitzvah: What to Wear
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Let your parents worry about the boring stuff. Your top priority: The dress, of course! Start your search here with our simple rules. Lucky you, Bat Mitzvah girl -- you get to pick out not one outfit, but two.



What to Wear:

  • For the service, let the time of day help you figure out what to wear. If you're having a morning service or afternoon service, you can choose lighter and brighter hues. For an evening service, you can choose something darker.


  • You may need to keep your head covered, so choose a cute chapeau to top off your look, like a Jackie O-style pillbox or a beret. Check with your rabbi beforehand to find out what your synagogue will and won't allow.


  • If you'll be wearing the same outfit for your party, make sure you pick something that can work for both -- think a dress that's fun but not too showy.


  • Add a cute cover-up (like an embellished cardigan or a cropped jacket) during the service to tone down a party-perfect dress for the occasion.


  • If you've got time for a wardrobe change between the service and the party, hit the stores and pick a great party dress! For more fun, opt for a style or color that fits with your theme.


    • What Not to Wear:

  • For the service, keep it conservative (yes, even if that's not really your style). If you don't want to wear a long skirt or dress, look for something that comes to just above the knee at the highest.


  • Keep your upper bod somewhat covered as well. If your dress or top leaves your shoulders bare, add a jacket, cardigan, or shrug on top. Take a cue from celebs like Rachel Bilson, who shows that demure can be fun in a cropped jacket and frilly frock.




    • P.S.: Can't wait to start shopping? Check out our Dress Search!

    photo © Ray Mickshaw/WireImage.com
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    Say What? Never heard of one of these parties? Here's the short version.

    Bat Mitzvah: The bat mitzvah (for girls) and the bar mitzvah (for guys) is a traditional Jewish coming of age party, held when the guy or girl in question turns 12 or 13 (and -- at least in theory -- becomes an adult in the eyes of the congregation. Since in some congregations girls bat mitzvah at 12, they'd seem to agree that girls mature faster than guys!). Kids spend the year before prepping to read a portion of the Torah, which is the Jewish holy scripture, during the service. These days, the service is almost always followed that night with a party for the bat mitzvah and all of her friends, plus her parents and all of their friends.

    Quinceañera: The quinceañera, or quince, is a coming of age party celebrated by Latina girls on their 15th birthdays. The quince includes a special mass marked by many traditions representing the girl's arrival into womanhood. Afterward, the quinceañera is introduced at a party for all her friends and family, and she and her court of up to fourteen other couples perform elaborately choreographed dances to kick off the festivities. Like bar and bat mizvahs, there's a version of this for guys, too -- the quinceañero.

    Sweet 16: The Sweet 16 party is a traditional American party that has its roots in England's (and later the American colonies') debutante scene -- dances where eligible young girls of yes, 16, were offered up as ready for marriage! Though no longer associated with weddings, Sweet 16s are still celebrated with parties that range from completely casual affairs to all-out formal extravaganzas.     Prom, proms, prom dress, prom dresses, prom tuxedos, prom hair styles, prom shoes, prom accessories, prom celebrity style, prom makeup, prom tiaras, prom date, prom hairstyles