By Faith Gonia
As prom looms nearer and nearer, upperclassmen excitedly await the most formal event of their high school career. Who will wear what on The Starry Night of the 27th? What trends will take the stage, and what trends will reach their inevitable end? Westmont seniors share their valuable insight on what to expect at this year’s prom:
Mika Shahar, President of Thespian Troupe #2904, and owner of an incredibly cool wardrobe, predicts that “corset dresses, satin, and high slits” will make an appearance this year. The senior purchased her dress over a month before prom, which she describes as “classy and simple,” to avoid any future regret.
Meanwhile, Maria Edirisinghe has had a particularly challenging time finding a dress. While Maria agrees with Mika’s prediction of corset tops, she has not yet found a winner. “I have driven to so many places,” she bewails, “Why are all the good dresses made in the U.K. or Australia?” After looking at Trudys, a popular dress store, Maria “ran out.” She questions, “What am I going to do with a $700 dress for the rest of my life? Wear that on my wedding day? Hello? No thank you.”
Maria’s struggle is not a rare one; with high prices everywhere and thus, a lack of selection, many prom attendees find difficulty in purchasing an outfit. Anjali Nayak acknowledges that her prom dress was purchased for 2023’s prom. “Last year, my dress came in late, so I had to wear my other one.” Anjali will don a long green dress come Saturday.
On the other hand, Kenzy McDowell has her prom dress plan completely solidified. Wearing a “silver sequin two-piece dress with black plain heels,” Kenzy found her inspiration from her mother’s look two decades ago. “My mom’s senior prom dress (class of ‘01) was a yellow two piece,” McDowell explains, “and when she showed me a picture of it last year, I knew I needed to get that style for my senior prom.”
But let’s remember, prom fashion is still important for those not wearing a dress. Raphael Durieux argues that “for men, what’s trending is an all-black tux: black shirt, black tuxedo, and then a colored tie.” He adds, “Because we are in the 2020s right now, you kinda wear some glasses with that, ’cause you can.”
Evidently, 2024’s prom will be one for the books. However, what matters the most is that you feel confident in your prom outfit. In the wise words of Maria Edirisinghe, no matter what trend one chooses to follow or not follow, “everyone will look beautiful.”