Teenagers have always struggled to pick out the perfect dress for prom. The common criteria being a “wow” worthy gown that makes the whole room stare in awe as you walk in; (Yes I’m referencing every highschool romance film from the 2000’s, sue me.) But recently, the demand for extravagant, one-night-only dresses has declined drastically. Whether it’s the popularization of more minimalist brands like Free People, or the overall fear of being “chuegy”, prom just isn’t giving the same lavish feeling it once did.
Everytime a teen trades in glitter for easter florals, a bratz doll dies. This new trend of minimalist prom dresses most likely stems from the “clean girl” aesthetic that has plagued 2024, however it isn’t for everyone. There’s a fair amount of simple (yet cute) silk/satin dresses that certainly do the trick for people who aren’t fans of going all out with a flashy dress. So why is everyone buying Sunday service inspired dresses for prom?
A theory that could explain this strange (hopefully) short-lived phenomenon could be the topic of money. An age old question, Why drop $150 on a sparkly over-the-top dress that’ll sit in your closet for the rest of its sweat-filled life? However; a prom dress doesn’t need to be insanely expensive to be your perfect dress.
Dupes have been the “thing” this year for those who don’t want to spend big-bucks on popular products (thanks e.l.f), and that’s especially true with prom dresses. Sure, the amazon dupe of your favorite Miu Miu dress isn’t gonna be red carpet ready, but it’s important to remember this isn’t exactly fashion week. Looking good for a night and some cute photos is all that itchy, $30 dress needs to hold up for.
You can go to brunch any day, but prom is one-night only. No matter the theme (I’m looking at the spring-themed prom defenders), a sundress is not the move. Think jumping up and down in a sweaty dark room with your entire class to CARNIVAL, that doesn’t exactly scream floral. As a society, we need to bring back the time where cheetah print prom dresses was all a person could ever want.
At the end of the day, what you wear to prom should be whatever you feel best in, even if you are eradicating classic prom, one picnic dress at a time. Trends are fleeting, and maybe there’ll be an influx of hyper formal prom dresses in the near future (one can hope).
