After last year’s pandemic prom, it has returned to semi-normalcy. Although masks and social distancing are heavily encouraged, the school will be hosting an in-person prom for the senior class and their guests only at Sweeney Barn in Prince William County on April 16. Many students are thrilled to hear this news and have begun the search for prom attire. 

Shopping for prom dresses and suits/tuxes can be stressful, but knowing one’s color and style that complements and makes them feel good can help shorten the process. 

According to Jovani, one of the main trends for 2022 is embroidered prom dresses. Looking for designs with a lot of sequins, rhinestones and other glitzy embellishments can catch attention. Another type of dress that is popular is the open-back or backless prom dress, which is usually adorned with decorations in the neckline or around the waist which is seen to be one of the most classy trends. Some popular prom dress colors are black, pink, red and blue.  

“I haven’t bought my prom dress yet, but I am planning to buy a long, tight and sparkly dress,” senior Meghana Vasireddy said. “Since it is our last dance of high school, I want to buy glamorous accessories with stilettos.”

Some trendy prom suits this year are different vibrant color suits and accessories. A color that has increasingly become popular is white, which has been said to radiate a fresh and bold fashion statement that could match any color/style of their date’s suit/dress. For accessories, bowties, pocket squares, lapel flowers and cummerbund provide one with the ability to match their clothing to their date, according to Angelino.

“I am planning to wear a classic suit and tie,” senior Ardavan Davoodi said. “The color of my suit is black and I will be wearing a white tie to match my date’s dress.”

Though buying a new dress or suit for prom may be fun, it can also be expensive. Borrowing from an upperclassman or a friend is a cost-efficient method and saves space in one’s closet since, after prom night, most hang their favorite outfit in the back of their wardrobe to gather dust. 

Renting one’s prom gown or suit allows one to choose from hundreds of trendy designer styles for a fraction of the price. Plus, it saves money for other prom expenses such as getting a manicure, getting one’s hair styled, paying for dinner or renting a limo. 

“Renting an evening gown is a fraction of the expense of purchasing one, which is ideal because we all know that after the big night, evening gowns don’t receive much use,” Vasireddy said.

According to MyGreenCloset, most formal dresses are essentially plastic. Clothing, particularly synthetic gowns, is very unsustainable—not only do they demand a lot of petroleum and other resources, but they also take a lot of energy and labor to create. Additionally, there is a lot of waste generated throughout the production process as well as after they’ve been used. However, with rentals, a single dress may be shared by a large number of people, saving all of the plastic, energy, pollution and labor that would have gone into creating more new gowns. 

“For my dress, I’m borrowing my friend’s dress from last year,” senior Katie Power said. “I believe that these dresses are too expensive for me to wear just once.” 

Prom is often known as the “final dance”, which is the last hoorah before everyone graduates and splits apart for college. According to Anderson’s Blog, it’s where one makes their last great memories of school, a place they might have disliked for a long time but now realize was an important part of one’s life.

“Prom is a celebration of all four years of high school and a last hoorah of our final year of high school,” Davoodi said. “It is a time to spend the night dancing and having a great time with friends as a reward for all our hard work throughout high school.”