Prom dress shopping this year has escalated to a whole new level at West Morris Central. Girls started looking for dresses as early as January, and they are actively uploading them onto a West Morris Facebook page to claim their dress, color, and style.
The account is a private group, with only junior and senior female students. It has 171 members, and anyone can post their dress at any time. Each photo is usually a shot of the front and back of the dress. Each post states the store, color, brand, and style of the dress to prevent the drama of buying identical dresses.
Several students purchase similar dress brands. Sherri Hill, La Femme, Camille La Vie, Jovani, and Ellie Wilde are the most common among the West Morris crowd. However, they aren’t cheap. These high-end brands are usually well over $350. Some girls are even spending around $700 for a prom dress.
However, it’s surprising that some stores can replicate a $300 dress for less than half the price. Some girls take a more affordable route, understanding their dress is only worn once, and get dresses at stores such as Revolve, Windsor, Lucy In The Sky, Lulus, etc. These dresses for prices as low as $50 can look amazing and have great quality. However, many girls may feel pressured to get high-end dresses since it is published on a Facebook page.
Trending dress styles this year have slits, a ruched back, and bright pops of color. Also, many girls prefer a corset top, where their upper body is hugged and shaped while the bottom remains flowy. The new Facebook page helps to put these trends into play: once a girl sees a dress they like on Facebook, they may feel more inclined to search for that style, just in a different color and number.
Some girls buy a dress online, but of course, the experience of trying on dresses and feeling like a princess is half the fun. The process starts by booking an appointment at a prom dress/evening wear shop. Once a girl arrives, the worker will ask what her ideal color, shape, and price is. Then, they give her about 5-10 dresses to try on and she’ll go in front of the mirrors and “model” each one. Some girls go in aimlessly while others have been planning what they want for months. The most popular dress stores for West Morris students this year are Jacqueline’s, Camille La Vie, Castle Couture, and Giana Rose.
Although it seems far off, promposals are right around the corner. A promposal is an elaborate way to ask someone to prom. Most typically, promposals are a surprise, where the person asking will write on a white poster board with fun play-on-words. There’s usually a small gift that goes with it like flowers, chocolate, a Starbucks drink, a piece of clothing, etc. WMC has an Instagram account dedicated to posting each promposal. It’s a fun way to connect with the community and see what creative ideas each person has come up with. Once a girl gets her prom date, there is usually some form of outfit matching involved. The most typical form is when a girl’s dress matches their prom date’s tie or bow tie.
When the date of prom creeps up closer, many girls empty their wallets to glam themselves for the big day. This includes hair appointments, a spray tan, nail appointments, and even hiring a professional makeup artist the day of. The process varies for everyone, but each girl treats the day of Prom as the most important day of the year.