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Achieve the perfect prom attire of 2023

By Meah McInerney, Reporter

CONVENE. Former Vashon students pose for prom photos in downtown Seattle. With the 2023 prom season approaching many people are wondering what to wear to prom (Photo courtesy of Isa Sanson-Frey)

With prom season approaching, many have already started looking for the perfect things to wear. From fit and flare dresses to ball gowns to crazy patterned suits, many will be pleased with the 2023 trends of prom attire.

Throughout the years, prom style and trends have changed. From the 1950s with tea length dresses and elbow length gloves, to the 2000s with satin dresses as well as tiered skirts and princess gowns.

Along with dresses, suit trends and styles have changed over the years. From the 1950’s with loose dark suits and white shirts with dark ties, along with white pocket squares that were practically a requirement. To the early 2000’s with pants hemmed short, jackets with narrow lapels and the suits fitting slim.

“Evening gowns and occasion dresses are the go-to for prom night for a reason,” Teen Vogue writers Shauna Beni and Shanna Shipin wrote.

From colors to style, there’s a lot to think about when finding and picking the perfect outfit. Between hair and makeup looks, many people become overwhelmed with the things they have to do for prom night.

“I really love forest green, so when I found one I liked the shape of which also came in a dark green shade, I knew I had to get it,” senior Lorelei Fitterer said.

With school still in session, and many people doing sports, students have a lot to juggle during prom season. With extracurriculars and other things in mind, many consider finding the color of their outfits a top priority.

“You can never go wrong with the color black. It’s timeless, oh so versatile, and easy to wear,” Beni and Shipin wrote.

When shopping for prom attire, things can be expensive, but many students have tips and tricks to finding an outfit that works for their budget.

“I’m a big online shopper, so [i’d use]mostly websites like House of CB, LUCY IN THE SKY, various bridesmaids dress websites, and—of course—Depop,” Fitterer said.

With places to shop in mind, many start to worry about the timing of shipping. When buying things online, there’s always a possibility of the wrong item being sent, getting lost in the mail, or simply taking a while to ship, so many order ahead to help avoid these problems.

“I did some shopping on LUCY IN THE SKY. But, the shipping takes so long that I probably won’t use [them],” senior Myra Butler said.

Although some websites may have cute dresses, many have avoided buying from certain places because of how long they take to ship. Prom season gets hectic especially with everyone shopping for the perfect prom attire.

“Depending on if you like to shop in person or online better, I found it really helpful to expand my search to ‘bridesmaids dresses’ instead of just ‘prom dresses’ because there’s a wider selection and it’s easier to find deals during prom season,” Fitterer said.

With prom being such a huge night to most high school students, many students know exactly what they wanna wear.

“I don’t want something too flashy like a ball gown but something simple, classic,” senior Ninabelle Mullins said.

Even lower classmen are starting to consider what they wanna wear to their prom. With prom being such a huge event in high school many lower classmen start to think about what they wanna wear to prom in advance.

“I would definitely go for something that stands out but is still quite sleek and eloquent, not go full out but I’d definitely still wanna look better than everyone else,” sophomore Gus McSheehy said.

Prom season, although very chaotic, is the highlight of many students’ high school years. Now that it’s approaching for the graduating class of 2023, some people may start taking their prom shopping seriously.

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