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" From the date to the dress, there is no denying that a lot goes into preparing for prom. Practicing proper social graces is a big part of this experience, so it&amp;#039;s necessary to brush up on your manners before the big night. CG! caught up with etiquette expert Lisa Grotts and found out what you need to know about dining rules, what you should expect from your date, and more. Read on to get all of your questions answered! CosmoGirl: When it comes to dressing for prom, what is considered tasteful? Lisa Grotts: Girls today should look youthful, they&amp;#039;re in high school after all! Less is definitely more, so keep it simple. For the gown, a short dress is much more accessible than a long one. It&amp;#039;s spring time, so girls should wear bright colors or fun patterns. This is a more elegant, youthful look as opposed to black. Girls should also stick with a simple pink nail and minimal makeup: blush and a pretty lip gloss should do the trick. Remember, many makeup counters offer complimentary services so take advantage of that! CG: What is proper etiquette when borrowing a dress? LG: You can either borrow a dress from family or friends or use an online site. If a friend lets you borrow a dress, you should say upfront, &amp;quot;This is so generous of you, but in case I stain it, here&amp;#039;s what I am going to do.&amp;quot; If you spill something on it, you should have it dry-cleaned no matter what or offer to buy them a new one. If you fall in love with an expensive dress, it&amp;#039;s a great idea to  lend it out to someone else. CG: Should a girl expect her date to hold the door for her or give her his jacket when she&amp;#039;s cold? Are these expectations outdated? LG: Everything above is still in style and forever will be. There is no distinction between men and women when it comes to social graces. Girls should expect that their date will behave this way \u2014 If they don&amp;#039;t, they need to learn how! Going in groups is much more common now, which makes sure that no one is left out. If you&amp;#039;re going solo, don&amp;#039;t feel left out or disrespected if a guy doesn&amp;#039;t hold the door for you. CG: How should a girl reject an invitation to go to prom? LG: You really need to be careful. If you&amp;#039;re going to reject an offer, it should only be for two reasons: you&amp;#039;ve already been asked by someone else or you&amp;#039;ll be out of town. If you don&amp;#039;t give a good reason but show up with someone else, that&amp;#039;s in bad taste. You need to say, &amp;quot;Thank you so much, but I have already been asked by someone else.&amp;quot; Other than that, you should definitely go with that person. If someone asks you to dance while at prom, you should do it especially if it&amp;#039;s just for one song. You don&amp;#039;t want them to feel rejected! The night is all about having fun, so enjoy yourself! CG: What are some key tips for table manners? LG: This really depends on where the location of your prom is, as there are two different kinds of service (American and Continental). In most cases, the bread goes on the left and drinks on the right. To remember this, use your left index finger and thumb to make a &amp;quot;B&amp;quot; and do the same on the left to make a &amp;quot;D.&amp;quot; Use this trick under the table in case you forget! When you&amp;#039;re dining, also work out to in. The outer part is composed of your utensils. If you&amp;#039;re unclear, sneak a peek at the person across from you. If you&amp;#039;re seated with a big group, make sure you aren&amp;#039;t yelling down to the person on the other end. Lastly, note the importance of your napkin. The first thing you should do when you sit down is lay your napkin across your lap. If you need to excuse yourself in-between courses, leave your napkin on your chair. You don&amp;#039;t want your friends to see what you&amp;#039;ve wiped your face with! When you&amp;#039;re finished eating, lay it loosely around the left of your plate. Now you&amp;#039;ll be able to impress all of your friends with your ladylike behavior. For all of your prom needs, keep reading the Daily Kiss! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/a10778/lisa-grotts-mar10/>