Whose prom is it anyway?
MANILA, Philippines - Don’t leave it up to mom — your prom dress says way more about you than you think.
Alot of things about high school aren’t going to be in your best interest. The bumps on your face, the lumps on your body (and their mysterious clones). The friends who’ll befriend you for who you really are (and those that won’t). The fake plastic smiles you might give, or receive, in a cafeteria crowd of drones. The boys that look your way (and, *sigh*, those that don’t).
And while rhyme might gloss over reason, there’s always a season to institute some sort of treason: prom. You may not realize it, but it’s one event where you’re forced to make choices. Choices that actually make a statement about the sort of adult you are fashioning yourself into. Who to date, and how to ask them, raises all sorts of questions about the qualities we prioritize in a person. But just as important is the dress we choose to wear — what parts of ourselves we show, or hide. An anti-uniform, for presenting our best parts, and who we think we can be, in that fleeting moment outside of our necktie blouses and starched skirts. Sure, there are a dozen statements you can make, but here are some hypotheses.
The Body Con Dress
Short, not sweet — actually, quite tight — is the main point of this silhouette. By now a no-brainer outfit for hitting up dance halls (how very Pon de Replay), this is the dress of choice of the party girl, that lithe creature whose main objective is dancing. Teetering on her five-inch platforms, she might very well be cheer captain, or the most popular girl in high school — one who is aware of her feminine powers — so early on — in a not-so-subtle Kim K kind of way.
The Long, Good, Night
Long with a special surprise guest — a thigh-high slit, a super low back, a deepest V — this prom dress best encapsulates the concept of “party in the back.” Or front. Or side. As the case may be. This is for the sophisticated girl, one who knows her textures (sheer) and ventilation strategies (cutouts). She’s been picking up copies of Elle, while you were still on Teen Vogue. She doesn’t dress for the boys, exactly — they just happen to be an added bonus.
The Birthday Cake
Make that an ‘80s birthday cake. Think Betsey Johnson prom dresses, with tutu skirts and acres of tulle. This is the girl who would love to accessorize with a tiara, and an escort in the form of her first love. For sure, she’ll go to the prom in full blush-on and pink lip gloss — a look her long-time boyfriend knows and adores: the high school princess, who is just in love with love. If you’re the guy, get her a leather-bound Smythson, so she can start compiling your wedding scrapbook.
The Grecian Safety Net
You might be a late bloomer, or the undiscovered gem. Whatever it is, you’re not quite there yet. Which is why you probably reached for this so-chosen style. It works, for sure. Grecian dresses are this era’s counterpart to the Swarovski-studded bustier and long skirt. Universally flattering, this dress will guarantee that you’ll look good in your prom pictures. On another note, such an unadorned style does the job of drawing attention to your face. This is for the girl who doesn’t really know she’s beautiful, but just is. Reach for one in jewel tones of ruby, emerald or cobalt, for the attention you don’t think you deserve.
The Suit
It’s like wearing a barong to United Nations Day. Putting on a suit at prom is for the old soul, someone who is self-assured, and who might probably grow up into a cockneyish hipster in college. That, or you are playing for the other team. In any case, it’s probably the most anti-establishment that you can be, at an event that, for all its statements on self-realization and actualization, can actually also reinforce a lot of old notions about being a female, and the aching need to be paired up. Not exactly the makings of the most charming conversation at prom, but to the suit-wearer, intellect is the number one accessory.
