Before I talk specifically about the new trends for colour, let me first give you a short overview of the now, ubiquitous, Prom.
Proms first began in the elite colleges of the Northeast, taking their cue from the debutante balls of the rich and well bred. Middle class parents admired the poise and composure of debutantes and their escorts and began to institute formal dances as a means of instilling social skills and etiquette in their children. The dances were strictly chaperoned and were often restricted to only the senior class.
The formal dance we now call prom was first christened "the prom" in the 1890s. The word prom is a shortened form of promenade, meaning a march of the guests at the beginning of a ball or other formal event.
The first reference to prom in popular history comes from the journal of an Amherst College student who described his invitation and attendance at an early prom at Smith College in 1894. While the writer used the word prom to describe the dance, it was likely just a fancy name for a customary senior-class ball held at the college. Prom, while important in the college setting, would fail to take on iconic status until it emerged in high schools.
When high school proms began in the early 1900s, they were relatively simple affairs. Students would come in their Sunday best, but would not purchase new clothes for the event. The occasion called for tea, socializing, and dancing. During the 1920s and 1930s, American youth began to experience more freedom with the arrival of the car and other luxury items. The high school prom expanded into a yearly class banquet at which seniors arrived in party clothes and danced.
In the 1950s, as Americans enjoyed the luxury of the post-war economy, proms began to become elaborate, expensive events.
It became very important to come with the best-looking date, and being named to the prom court guaranteed instant social status. It was also during the 1950s that teenage girls began to pay more attention to their prom dresses and make special shopping trips for the perfect outfit. While the high school gym was adequate for sophomore dances, the settings of junior and seniors proms were gradually moved to grander locations.
In the 1980s, the prom began to take on larger-than-life stature, as several teen movies advertised it as the ultimate coming-of-age event in a young person's life. Competition for the prom court intensified greatly, with the title of prom queen becoming closely akin to true royalty.
Prom had become a climactic point in a teenager's life, the moment when fantasies and relationships either blossomed or disintegrated.
Today's proms have become expensive, all-night affairs, with after-prom activities often extending into the dawn of the next day. Stretch Hummers, fancy dresses, and glamorous ballrooms are now prom-night standards. Still, the prom has begun to relax a little in its dating requirements. While tradition still dictates that a boy ask a girl to the prom, more and more girls are beginning to take their prom destinies into their own hands and do the asking. Nontraditional couples are also becoming a more common sight at the prom. In practically every way, prom has moved beyond the days of strictly chaperoned, etiquette banquets to glamorous extravaganzas where nearly anything goes.
We have seen it all before, the fabulous prom dresses parading up the red carpet of thousands of schools. The sensational colours that only prom girls can really get away with. However a classic colour is back with a vengeance this year. Black is back in a big way and not just in the 'safe' styles of the Little black dress that we all know. It is back and being used in the more formal bigger prom dresses.
Take a look at this black prom dress from Minx it is typical of the sort of thing that we are seeing more and more. The great thing about this styling is that not only does it serve as a prom dress but it can also be used by older ladies for more formal functions and ball, simply because of the colour. Just think if this style had been produced in baby pink or even a lime green!
The useful thing about black dresses is that they tend to accessorize well with anything, again the dress from Minx has some silver bead work that compliments the style beautifully, add a silver clutch bag, some silver jewellery and a pair of silver sandals and the look is complete, classy, sophisticated and stylish, what more could a woman ask for.
In our opinion, black will continue to be around for many years, it is refreshing to see it being used in a different sector such as prom, all that's needed now is a good tan; but that's always the case!
Proms first began in the elite colleges of the Northeast, taking their cue from the debutante balls of the rich and well bred. Middle class parents admired the poise and composure of debutantes and their escorts and began to institute formal dances as a means of instilling social skills and etiquette in their children. The dances were strictly chaperoned and were often restricted to only the senior class.
The formal dance we now call prom was first christened "the prom" in the 1890s. The word prom is a shortened form of promenade, meaning a march of the guests at the beginning of a ball or other formal event.
The first reference to prom in popular history comes from the journal of an Amherst College student who described his invitation and attendance at an early prom at Smith College in 1894. While the writer used the word prom to describe the dance, it was likely just a fancy name for a customary senior-class ball held at the college. Prom, while important in the college setting, would fail to take on iconic status until it emerged in high schools.
When high school proms began in the early 1900s, they were relatively simple affairs. Students would come in their Sunday best, but would not purchase new clothes for the event. The occasion called for tea, socializing, and dancing. During the 1920s and 1930s, American youth began to experience more freedom with the arrival of the car and other luxury items. The high school prom expanded into a yearly class banquet at which seniors arrived in party clothes and danced.
In the 1950s, as Americans enjoyed the luxury of the post-war economy, proms began to become elaborate, expensive events.
It became very important to come with the best-looking date, and being named to the prom court guaranteed instant social status. It was also during the 1950s that teenage girls began to pay more attention to their prom dresses and make special shopping trips for the perfect outfit. While the high school gym was adequate for sophomore dances, the settings of junior and seniors proms were gradually moved to grander locations.
In the 1980s, the prom began to take on larger-than-life stature, as several teen movies advertised it as the ultimate coming-of-age event in a young person's life. Competition for the prom court intensified greatly, with the title of prom queen becoming closely akin to true royalty.
Prom had become a climactic point in a teenager's life, the moment when fantasies and relationships either blossomed or disintegrated.
Today's proms have become expensive, all-night affairs, with after-prom activities often extending into the dawn of the next day. Stretch Hummers, fancy dresses, and glamorous ballrooms are now prom-night standards. Still, the prom has begun to relax a little in its dating requirements. While tradition still dictates that a boy ask a girl to the prom, more and more girls are beginning to take their prom destinies into their own hands and do the asking. Nontraditional couples are also becoming a more common sight at the prom. In practically every way, prom has moved beyond the days of strictly chaperoned, etiquette banquets to glamorous extravaganzas where nearly anything goes.
We have seen it all before, the fabulous prom dresses parading up the red carpet of thousands of schools. The sensational colours that only prom girls can really get away with. However a classic colour is back with a vengeance this year. Black is back in a big way and not just in the 'safe' styles of the Little black dress that we all know. It is back and being used in the more formal bigger prom dresses.
Take a look at this black prom dress from Minx it is typical of the sort of thing that we are seeing more and more. The great thing about this styling is that not only does it serve as a prom dress but it can also be used by older ladies for more formal functions and ball, simply because of the colour. Just think if this style had been produced in baby pink or even a lime green!
The useful thing about black dresses is that they tend to accessorize well with anything, again the dress from Minx has some silver bead work that compliments the style beautifully, add a silver clutch bag, some silver jewellery and a pair of silver sandals and the look is complete, classy, sophisticated and stylish, what more could a woman ask for.
In our opinion, black will continue to be around for many years, it is refreshing to see it being used in a different sector such as prom, all that's needed now is a good tan; but that's always the case!
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