The room is decorated with twinkle lights, tables are set with fine china and centerpieces that would catch anyone’s eye. Classmates and friends dressed to the nines in long dresses and sharp tuxedos. Music fills the room along with laughter and conversations between friends. You can smell the aroma of the buffet as soon as you walk through the doors. Can you feel prom yet?
Preparations for Prom
Every Prom takes time and preparation. Girls need to make appointments, find shoes and dresses, guys needs to rent their tuxedoes and school committees need to take votes on colors and other prom needs. It takes months of time and effort for one last perfect night with your graduating class.
Promposal is the name given to the way you ask someone to prom. This has become a fun and somewhat competitive event during prom season. Posters with creative phrases personalized to the person you’re asking and flowers are frequently used. No one wants to end up using the same idea as anyone else so some ideas get a bit outrageous. More often than not girls prefer a promposal that is social media worthy to show off to all of their followers.
Finding the Perfect Dress
Finding a dress for prom can often be a stressful time for most high school girls. You have to look at what styles and colors are in this prom season. For the 2016 season, we are seeing a lot of cutout and illusion dresses(dresses with sections of nude/skin tone coloring). Also popular this year are floral prints. Most of these unique floral prints are part of a two-piece set with a plain colored top and a skirt with the pop of floral. Red, navy and black are the leading colors this year, navy being the most popular. Aside from this we are seeing more unique choices as well. Gemstones and sparkle are a go to for any dress, especially mixed with lace. Trying to stand out could be hit or miss but its better than showing up in the same dress.
Tuxedos and Suits
It seems simple enough but finding a tuxedo or suit that goes well with your dates dress could be hard to find. If she says she wants you to wear gray, there are over fifty shades of gray to chose from and you do not want to get the wrong one. It is probably best to bring your date with you to the shop when searching for your suit or tuxedo. It’s always a good idea to keep a girl happy and the best way to do that is to get exactly what she wants. Popular belief is that prom is more important to girls anyway. A popular trend this year is wearing black dress pants with a jacket matching the color of the girls dress. It is becoming a more frequent and fashionable occurrence.
Ties or Bowties, That is the Question?
This decision is all up to the preference of the couple. Bowties seem to be taking the lead this year as more people are finding bowties to be suitable for their outfits over ties. Ties aren’t are gone yet though. If you’re looking for a sleek and classic look, a tie is for you. An issue that arises with these fashion accessories is finding the right color. Dresses come in so many unique shades nowadays that it has become very difficult to find a matching tie or bowtie. To avoid this problem, some couples are using prints in their accessories so the color won’t have to match exactly.
Tanning 101
It has become very popular to start tanning for events such as prom. More and more young girls are starting to use tanning beds which could prove harmful to their skin and health in the future. Others prefer the safer option of spray tanning that does not last as long. Girls are spending large sums of money on tanning packages just to get darker just because “it looks better in pictures”. Since when do we need to alter to color of our skin to feel beautiful?
Diet and Exercise
Crash diets and gym memberships seem to go hand in hand with prom in recent years. Crash dieting is one of the more dangerous things students are trying. Instead of creating a healthy workout regimen, students are going on diets that do not give them the proper nutrients they need at this young age. Young people are just trying to take the “easy way out” to lose the “extra 5 pounds.” Diets such as 1,000 calories a day and all water diets are extremely harmful to our bodies. Students say “I’ll only do it for a week,” but then get addicted to the results they are seeing and continue it for longer. Between dieting and tanning, students are risking their health for a school dance.
Corsage and Boutonniere: The Finishing Touch
This is the last thing to finish off any prom look. Traditionally florists will use a white flower and a color ribbon chosen by the prom couple. You can mix and match and colors you would like to go with your outfits. The florist usually goes with a simple design to make sure the dress is the focal point but if asked to do so they can make more of a statement with both of the floral pieces. The corsage and boutonniere offer a cute photo op on prom day when they are exchanged between the pair.
Prom is an important time for most seniors as it is a last goodbye before graduation. This time can become pretty hectic with all of its preparation but seems all worth it when the night comes to an end.