What to Wear?: Two juniors give opinions on what makes a good prom dress

Prom season is upon us. Each year, hundreds of students scramble to plan parties, dinners and transportation, but the most important detail still remains — what to wear.

Who knows whether to go for something short and sparkly or long and plain? Two East juniors attending their first prom share their opinions on what a good, and bad, prom dress looks like.

Junior Jordan Fuller says that if the “best” prom dress exists, it shouldn’t be simple or over the top, but elegant enough to qualify as a prom dress.

“I prefer those less extravagant ‘Easter dresses’ all over the internet,” Fuller said. “I think something massive and glittery takes away from your time at the dance but also yourself.”

Fuller prefers dresses without patterns. Most of the designs she’s considered that are heavy-designed dresses don’t include more than an asymmetrical sleeve or bodice.

Despite the infinite number of styles, Fuller seems to agree on one common thing: the dress has to be long.

“Although I think leaning toward classy designs is the move, girls wearing short dresses should be banned from entry,” Fuller said. “We have WPA for that.”

As for where to shop, Fuller recommends looking for stores on the expensive side because it gives more of a classy yet understated look like dresses from Lulu’s, ASOS, or Nordstrom.

Fuller says anything with glitter or excessive patterns is an absolute no for the dance. 

“I get the appeal, and it looks great on some people,” Fuller said. “But it’s overdone. Patterns and sparkles can look cheap and are not worth the hefty price that usually comes with them

Junior Avery Foster agrees with Fuller, but believes certain florals and subtle patterns can add to the dimension and overall look of a dress.

“Yes, patterns can look stupid, but I think it’s important to find something that speaks to you,” Foster said. “For example, a white dress with blue florals is something that looks more high fashion than other dresses you might see.”

Fuller and Foster agree that above all else, students should keep an eye out for simpler dresses that channel their style and accentuate their features — they both think prom is about having fun, but that looking good and having fun is even better.