March through May marks prom season for high schools across America. Weeks or even months prior to the event, junior and senior students scramble across their town to find the perfect formal attire to party with their friends or significant other in their high school gym or a fancy ballroom. From flowy hems to felicitous bodices, prom dresses’ significant features can make or break one’s overall look. Over the past ten years, prom dresses have transformed and become highly dramatized; this article draws light to several types of dresses promgoers should avoid.
Whether placed on the slit, hemline or sleeve, feathers can ruin any dress because of its bulky and cumbersome look. Feathers also shed and tangle, making the dress less desirable. Cheap feathers, especially, will likely end up on the floor because they do not stay on the dress for long. Real feathers, on the other hand, come across as highly unethical. Elisa Allen, Director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), claimed that all feathers used for fashion stands as stolen property, as people have ripped the feathers out of chickens and turkeys while still alive or removed from their bodies after slaughter. Companies such as ASOS and Boohoo claim that they use synthetic feathers for their clothing. Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection, however, found that their feathers contain actual animal feathers.
Sleeves can make a dress look like it came out of a Disney princess movie. It does not look appropriate for a teenage prom dress and takes away from the youthfulness that comes with prom dresses. Sleeves on a dress fit a traditional ball gown rather than a prom dress. Additionally, sleeves appear as unnecessary bulk to the dress, taking away from the overall silhouette and style.
Certain prom dresses contain skin-colored mesh to hold the dress together. While the mesh replicates the natural color of skin, it only replicates one shade of skin, mainly lighter complexions. Prom dresses typically contain a caramel or light tan colored mesh. While this mesh will work well for lighter complexions, it will not blend in well with darker skin complexions. The mesh would appear better if dress manufacturers made the prom dresses inclusive by using a completely transparent mesh or offering several shades of mesh for the dress.
Two-piece prom dresses typically do not fit the formal attire that prom comes with. They look like a glittery tankini with a skirt that does not belong at prom. They can take away from the elegance and classiness of prom dresses because they show additional skin and can look informal in proper settings. The cropped top brings a high risk of showing midriffs, especially with prom attendees jumping up and down on the dance floor.
Inappropriate attire
Aside from a dress’s features ruining a dress, inappropriate attire can completely diminish one’s formality at prom. Wearing short dresses to prom can appear inappropriate because they do not meet the standards for a traditional prom dress and appear fitting homecoming dresses. Additionally, wearing sneakers with dresses to prom may appear as inappropriate attire since tennis shoes can take away the elegance of a dress. Streetwear and formal attire do not mix well because of their contrasting styles and purposes.
“I think what makes a prom dress ugly is for starters, when the dress is too short because it’s prom and supposed to be long. Also, I don’t like dresses when the shoulder parts poof out. Feathers also make a prom dress ugly,” NC junior Abby Burgess said.
While these fashion trends remain opinion-based, girls attending prom this year should find the perfect dress that suits them and that they feel comfortable in. Popular dress places nearby include David’s Bridal in Kennesaw, Georgia and Formal Fit for a Queen in Atlanta, Georgia.
“I feel like people should feel comfortable in what they’re wearing. Depending on what a person’s style is, dresses will differ due to various tastes and preferences. I also think that the prom dress should fit a person’s body type and not be too loose,” Burgess said.
