Meaning of Prom

The proms of today are lavish affairs that come complete with hotel ballrooms, live bands, glamorous clothing, and stretch limousines. As the first formal event in the life of a teenager, attendance at the prom is now popularly considered a vital rite of passage to adulthood. Yet, proms were not always so lavish, expensive, or widespread. At one point during their history, proms were actually quite simple affairs.
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.n 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.

So Clutch

It’s not recommended to bring your XX-large hobo bag to prom (it simply won’t match your dress), but then where are you going to put all your stuff? The problem with that dainty chic clutch is that you’ll need to economize and just bring the essentials.

So here’s what you should bring (and what you shouldn’t) on your big night to keep things running smoothly.

Cellphone, license/ID, keys, mad money. These are the most obvious (and most important) things you will need. When clutch shopping, make sure that they will fit with some room to spare.

Lipgloss/lipstick/lip balm, blotting papers, thin compact mirror, breath mints. A few touch-ups are unavoidable through the night, but since the rest of your makeup is already set, all you need to do is touch up your lipgloss, blot any shiny spots, and banish bad breath after dinner. Of course the mirror in the ladies room will probably be crowded and as for the aquaphor? Pick up a tiny trial size and use it as a lip-balm, to tame fly-aways, heal dry spots, remove make-up smears….

Safetypins and bandaids. Unfortunately—and it does happen—dresses rip and heels become unbearable. You can fix either of them with a few bandaids and safety-pins.
Hair elastics or a hair clip. When your hair-do falls flat or falls apart (obviously a sign you’re having a great time), just twist it up into a bun and keep going.

Camera. To capture all of those Facebook-worthy moments.

Catherine's Royal Wedding Dress... Prom Dress Trend?

When Kate Middleton, now officially Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, stepped out of her carriage to debut her wedding dress to the world April 29th 2011, everyone from fashion appreciators to couture designers gasped. For years, strapless gowns have been the norm, for prom queens and brides alike. But Catherine walked down the aisle with long, elegant lace sleeves that combine traditional fashion (covering of shoulders in a church) with modern elements (a plunging neckline and a fitted bodice). She also wore a second dress that was equally stunning, a white satin strapless evening gown with a circle skirt and diamante detailing around the waist. Both gowns were designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen.

Now, the inevitable copycat dresses are going to hit the racks. What do you think- are long sleeved prom dresses going to be in for next year? Would you wear a long sleeve formal dress?

Prom Inspiration

Prom inspiration by ♥ annestya ♥ featuring a tulip dress

Celebrity Inspiration!

Red carpet style: Mila Kunis by Jocy* featuring gold plated jewelry

Polyvore! Create your own prom look!

Untitled by Inji Winji featuring evening party dresses

Untitled by Inji Winji featuring bcbgeneration shoes

What to wear to prom - - for guys!

Formal dress for guys isn't nearly as complicated as it is for girls.

Stick to your signature look

The need to sport a suit does not mean you have to change your whole look. There's an endless amount of ways to let your try style shine through your tux. Things to think about when considering your prom night outfit: jacket length, color, and, of course, what you choose to wear underneath (oxford, vest, tie).

Coordinate with your date

Before you even consider your tuxedo options, check with you’re date about the color and material of her dress and if she has any preferences on your tux style (you would be surprised at the fashion advice your girl has to give!). A coordinating cummerbund or tie adds a very cool touch to your whole prom look; plus your date will be thrilled.

Don't be afraid of trendy

It isn't good to go completely trendy (powder blue polyester suits from the '70s do not make good memories). But try these small, trendy details:

*Smooth cufflinks or a funky lapel trim.
*Bow ties are the traditional choice, but regular neckties look sharp as well.
*A vest always looks good, but a cummerbund adds a classy touch.
*Take a cue from celebrity red-carpet style and don a monochromatic (all one color) look or add an unexpected splash of color.

Rent the Runway!

I assume most of you know about this site by now, but just in case you didn’t I wanted to post a out it because I think it’s pretty damn genius. Rent the Runway acts like your most stylish (and loaded) best friend’s closet, allowing you to rent dresses for special events that you may not be able to afford purchasing. Perfect for weddings or formal black tie affairs, this new concept is allowing all of us to feel a little more like movie stars. Rent The Runway is the perfect answer to "When will I ever wear this again?" Simply log on and rent a dress from your favorite luxe designer at a fraction of the cost of retail. After you're done wearing it, simply send the piece back. So prom, someone can rent a dress from lets say two seasons back and hopefully no one will be your dress twin!

prom king and queen?

Prom Beauty 101

There are some simple rules that you will need to follow in order to see your prom night fly by without a hitch. Simply speaking, by learning from other girl’s mistakes, you can make an incredible impression, along with some wonderful memories, on prom night. No bad hair day, no make-up mess-up’s, and certainly no wardrobe malfunctions. Not tonight. Not prom night.

When it comes to trying new things there is an underlying rule for charting new territory in a fashion sense. You can get a ‘cutesy’, gentle make-over, or try a new eau de toilette, and be within the reasonable limit of change. But going too far past this you are risking the element of terror and surprise involved with sudden changes. Never try anything that is too outlandish within one week of your prom. This is to help save-face and keep you from avoiding the prom because of an unexpected screw-up. To be safe you should avoid new colors of hair-dye, new hair removal lotions or facial waxing, no dramatic haircuts, no untested dental whitening systems, no excessive or unprofessional eyebrow plucking or waxing.
You should also keep in mind the amount of time in-between purchasing your dress and the night it is to be worn. Our weight can fluctuate, from day to day, hour to hour depending on what you’ve eaten or had to drink in the previous hours. But imagine what can happen in a few weeks or months. We can not predict our weight, unless we are monitoring it with diet and exercise, so if you have no plan in place then it would be best to wait for the purchase of your dress until a month or so before the actual event. If you actually purchase your dress six months before the prom, your eager attitude may stick you in a dress two sizes too big, or even five sizes too small. If you make this mistake, and are running out of time, then you need to contact an emergency seamstress who can alter your dress on a whim; otherwise you may have wasted your money. Dress-shopping for prom may seem a bit redundant after the second purchase. So use caution when dealing with anything associated with weight.

CountDown to Prom: Where to find great hairstyle ideas

With prom hair, I always think that keeping it natural and soft is the best way to go. Also, don't use hair magazines as your source of inspiration; instead, look back at red-carpet pictures from the Golden Globes, Emmys, and Oscars. Use those celebrity hairstyles as your inspiration. It'll ensure that you get a modern, glam look that's soft and chic rather than an outdated eighties updo. Most importantly, bring a picture of your desired look to your stylist on the day of prom so that he or she knows exactly what you are looking for.

Senior Prom 2011!!!!!!!

Since CGPS doesn't host any other "dances" for the students, prom symbolizes one of the only "normal high school functions" we as high school students will ever experience. That being said the faculty works extremely hard to ensure that we have an amazing night.  This year's senior prom will be held at the Hudson Terrace on May 21st, thats all I know.  The most important factor of the prom for all girls in America is of course the dress! Where does one even start?  I thought I would help by putting up some examples of prom fashion NO-NOs for everyone. Can YOU spot the fashion disasters in THESE pics? I sure hope so!

 Umm…what YEAR was this prom?

Pooh. Your whole idea for a theme…was Pooh.

Prom in wonderland. As in I wonder what land you thought this would look good in.

Does this even COUNT as a dress?

Wow! This guy’s got TWO prom dates! Oh wait…

This outfit has TWO things going for it…

White suit? Check. Jordan headband? Check. Mean mug for cameras? Check.