Hollywood Prom: Dancing with the stars

Listen up, seniors!  Prom is almost here, and that means it’s your time to shine.  Prom styles come and go, so here’s some advice on how to look on-point and fabulous this spring.

As voted by the senior class, this year’s WSHS prom theme is Hollywood glam.  Appropriately, many of the season’s in-looks come straight from the red carpet.

The high-slit, worn by Angelina Jolie at the 2012 Oscars, has since resurfaced on other stars such as JLo, Heidi Klum, Halle Berry, and many others.  The slit retains the elegance of floor grazing eveningwear, while adding a little bit of daring to the look.

Sheer and lace have been accentuating dresses everywhere in the past couple of seasons, and this season is no different.  These materials have a delicate, feminine feel, but can be used in dramatic ways for a more edgy look.

The beaded or glitter look is very dazzling and very in.  Paired with a dark, rich color, beaded or glitter fabric can look [[magic, mysterious  ]] like a night sky.

The fashion world takes its cues from mixed sources.  It then comes as no surprise that ombré, last year’s hair style of the moment, has shown up on nail designs, the runway and—you guessed it—prom dresses.  The color-fading trend can show variations of the same color, or more than one, and might make choosing your dress color a bit easier.

Speaking of colors, the freshest hues of the season are corals and mints.  Those looking for a more delicate color scheme can turn to pastels, the most popular of which are pale blues, mints, and pinks.

While our style inspiration this year comes from Hollywood, this is high school prom, so we can never rule out some of the more youthful styles.  Dresses with short skirts and sheer overlay are flirtatious and modern.  Peplum skirts have made the transition from street fashion to formal fashion on young stars like Emma Watson and Lucy Hale.  High-low skirts aren’t out yet.  If you can’t decide on short and cute or long and elegant, choose both.  And feel free to add a surprise print or a color popping inside lining.

For guys, the thing to remember is to keep your outfit classic and timeless.  The power and style of black and white can never be understated.  A few tasteful touches of color are more than enough to match your prom date.  If you match too closely, you could risk looking like a wedding cake topper instead of a classy couple.  Wear a complementing tie and a bouttoniere flower to match your date’s corsage.

Now listen, ladies, we talk a lot about being “trendy” and “with the times,” but if none of these styles suit your fancy, you can draw inspiration from any number of glamorous styles from more distant years.  You can even make your own dress that’s completely original and to your taste.  Most importantly, if you wear your dress with confidence, you’ll look beautiful in whatever you choose.