As the days on my calendar get checked off, I realize I am just a few weeks away from the monumental day every girl waits for: prom.

For the past few months, every upperclassman girl at my school has been running around looking in every store for the perfect prom or ball dress. Some took it so far as to even travel to a different island or state!

But don’t get me wrong, I totally understand. This is the second-most important dress a girl will ever have to buy, and the process of finding the perfect dress is all a part of the experience.

As for me, I decided to take the easy way out and reduce the hours of trying on dress, after dress. I fled to my favorite store–the Internet.

If you read my Cyber Monday story, you already know that I am OBSESSED with online shopping, for numerous reasons. And when I told my friends and family that I was going to buy my prom dress online, they all but flipped.

When I looked it up, I found countless websites that gave me reason after reason for shopping for a dress in person and told me all about how I would be “missing out on the shopping experience,” and that if I bought my dress online, I would guarantee get a dress that wouldn’t fit. Well, I’m here to prove them all wrong.

Yes, I know, there are many things that could go wrong in the online process, but to me, it’s all worth it. To find a dress that you can customize and make completely your own is a hundred times better than wearing the same dress as five other people.

One of my fave stores for online customization is Etsy. It’s the perfect place to find anything and everything vintage, handmade, and custom made; and luckily, there I found the dress of my dreams.

I started my prom dress shopping at the beginning of August, which may seem insane since many people don’t go shopping until January, but I wanted to be 100% sure that I was going to have the perfect dress, and, if I needed to customize it, that it would get to Maui in time for the big night.

Rather than fiddle around with all the prom dresses, I changed the way I searched. I’m a huge fan of lace, and I’ve wanted a chiffon dress since I was in the fifth grade, so instead of searching for a prom dress, I looked up “vintage wedding dresses.”

This search led me to a long list of extravagant wedding dresses and a few bridesmaid’s dresses. Just as my eyes were about ready to shut from looking at the screen for so long, I saw it.

It hooked me in with its bustier lace top and chiffon skirt. It was the absolute perfect dress for me. The best part? The price. It was only $120 plus $10 for shipping. How could I go wrong?!

The designer made things so easy. We emailed through Etsy Conversation, and she was very quick in her responses. I simply gathered my measurements, and she made the dress.

I waited weeks for it to come in, and probably annoyed the heck out of her, but in the end, it was all worth it.

After being at school for a journalism deadline, I came home groggy and ready to fall asleep, but the second I saw the package at my doorstep I immediately lit up. I ripped it open, careful not to break anything of course, and brought out my dress.

It was everything I ever wanted in a prom dress! It fit like a glove and made me even more excited for the actual day. Who said you shouldn’t buy your prom dress online?

Yes, it was risky. But if risky means you can create your own, custom, perfect-for-you prom dress, then why the heck isn’t everyone doing it?

So, though it’s a little late for all of you juniors getting ready for the prom that’s right around the corner, I encourage the rest of you fashionistas to do as I did and follow your fashion-filled hearts to your computer to find a unique, totally your own prom dress.

Good luck, and I can’t wait to see you all at prom!