The History of Proms

The term "prom" is shortened down from the phrase "promenade ball." These events were first held in the 1800s. In North America, these are formal dances held in the spring or near graduation time, most often for junior and senior-level high school students.

This is often one of the first formal dress events in a young person's life that is outside a family setting. Often school fund-raising activities are held during the school year to help fund and off-set the individual costs of such a fancy event. Frequently, a King and Queen of the Prom are crowned by their peers at the dance, along with voting for a Class Song.

Finding the right hairstyle, dress and shoes can send mothers and daughters on endless shopping trips, cause all sorts of nervous tension, worry fathers about their daughters, and even trigger the occasion cat fight. Hopefully, this hub will help you find the hair style, formal dress and matching shoes that you are looking for without too much grief... LOL!

Good luck, and I know you'll just look beautiful!

Choosing or developing a look for prom night is easier if you give it some thought ahead of time and don't wait until the last minute. And think about if you want your date to dress in a way that compliments your outfit too!

Classic - Looks that are considered classics often have simple styles and clean lines, they are considered to be "timeless."  These dresses will have less frills and frou-frou, and lengths tend to be knee-length or longer. 

Vintage - A vintage look is one which copies or recreates a specific fashion period or look from the past. Looks which are from the past few decades are often called "retro" while "vintage" is the term for used more for styles that are mid-20th century or older.  

Modern/Contemporary - If you want to look like the latest styles and fashions, you'll want to dress in something that is current for the season.  Dresses which fall into this category are often made of flashier fabrics, and hemlines tend to be shorter.

One of the biggest causes of friction between daughters and moms and the prom comes down to the cost.  If you need to do your prom on a budget, here are some suggestions for ways to cut down on expenses.

Thrift for your dress - If you love to look at clothes, then searching thrift and vintage stores for a great dress and a dress deal is sure to please.  You need to start searching early as there's no telling what you will or won't find.  But you can often find used formal dresses or vintage gowns for less than $50.

Sew your own dress - If you or someone you know is good at sewing, making a prom dress is a great cost-saver.  Again, you'll need to get started sooner than later, but fabric stores have pattern books with all the latest styles in them, and this guarantees you can get a dress in just the color you want.

Do your own hair, makeup and nails - There are soooo many tutorials, tips and hints on the Internet, it's really easy to learn just about any type of beauty secret you need to look your best.  Figure out what you want to do about a month before the prom and then practice doing your hair, makeup and nails.  This is where moms, aunts, sisters and friends can help out too!