As eager juniors and seniors look forward to the long-awaited day of prom, they prepare for the event with numerous activities. Buying tickets, booking hair appointments and finding friends or dates to attend the dance with remain a vital part of the prom process. Though each event sparks enthusiasm, the anticipation to find an iconic dress tops all others. Stores racked with dresses of different silhouettes, colors and materials become centers for teenage girls to find their picture-perfect apparel.
“My favorite prom trend is [a] long dress. I think… it’s a kind of cultural thing since everyone knows the ‘long prom dress and short homecoming dress’ theme. [As I was] walking into the store the other day [and] looking for dresses, all of the [ones] that are out on the sales floor were long,” magnet junior Angela Ramirez-Barreto said.
Typically, prom attendees wish to follow the prom’s theme for the year—such as NC’s Enchanted Grotto—or trends found on social media. In recent years, styles such as slits, sequins or satin have taken the sea of prom dresses by storm. Prom attires frequently exemplify the dark colors or close-body fits that have risen to recent fame. While these trends may find popularity in today’s generation, the best prom dress trends actually include floral prints, ruffled details and double off-the-shoulder necklines.
As an industrialized byproduct of patterned print in the 1920s, florals dominated the daywear scene. Since then, flowered blouses, skirts and headbands gained traction as a staple in casual outing attire, even blossoming into the formal dresses worn at prom.
While some believe florals do not fit the event’s dress code or that people should not wear the trend at nighttime, the elegance of the style proves otherwise. Reflecting nature and attractive botanical designs, various girls adore dressing up in pastel florals. Additionally, since prom typically takes place from March through May, the patterns arrive perfectly in time for spring. The blooming trend reflects the popular brunch aesthetic and Sunday-best ambiance that teenage girls strive for today. Elevating the look, florals provide an elegant ensemble for girls to feel confident in.
Additionally, ruffled prom dresses remain a favorable style for numerous prom attendees to admire. Different from a tiered dress, ruffles typically encompass a gathering of fabric on A-line or sheath silhouettes. Embellishing the waist and skirt of the dress, the ruffled style continues the Sunday-best look. Though ruffles endure the stigma of appearing tacky, they provide shape and texture to dresses that may otherwise appear bland.
Rising to fame during the 80s, due to Princess Diana’s famous wedding dress, bright-colored dresses and curled updos featured the renowned ruffle. Though high-low dresses replaced the trend in the 2000s and 2010s, the tousled fabric re-enters the prom scene. Currently, ruffled dresses dominate the spring-wear scene and have begun to resume their commending status.
“I do see a lot of [trends returning]. I think even my dress has some 80s-90s to it with the bow in the back and it’s also strapless… I love the 90s coming back and I do see [their return],” magnet junior Allison Zitsch said.
Reigning as the queen of formal dress trends during the 1990s, double off-the-shoulder dresses slowly lost their touch. Recently, however, upperclassmen girls have seen their charm. Modern, trendy prom attendees continue to believe that off-the-shoulder dresses understate the shoulders, yet this trend does the opposite.
Double off-the-shoulder dresses allow an elegant, sophisticated look dating back to the 1800s; current celebrities such as Lily Rose-Depp and Julia Roberts put their own emphasis on this trend by wearing off-the-shoulder styles during warmer seasons. The ability to accentuate the shoulders or collarbones enables women to accessorize and showcase their favorite jewelry.
Although today’s prom dress trends may consist of sleek and chic styles, the prime designs resurface the looks of decades before. Playful, dainty sensations of florals, ruffles and off-the-shoulder styles elevate prom’s classy milieu and create magical memories for the upperclassmen women to remember.
