Met gala, I mean Prom?

Takira Smith
May 28, 2016
4 min read

Prom is an event that occurs during an American teenager junior or senior year of high school. It is a formal dance that consists of gowns and tuxedos at the end of the academic school year. Over the years, prom attire started with basic gowns to Met gala worthy attire. Since prom season is coming to an end, I felt that is would be appropriate to talk about the trends and best looks from Prom 2016. More teens are being inspired by red carpet gowns, so they have them created. Basic prom gowns are out while a new prom aesthetic is in. It is safe to say that Prom is not what it used to be but is the change good or bad?

Trains & Fur

Prom started with basic gowns made of silk, tulle and embellished necklines. Since about three years ago, a major prom trend has been long trains, fur and plunged v-neck gowns. The very first extravagant prom gown by which I believe changed the prom aesthetic was a sequined gown by Marquette Collection. Marquette Collection is the fashion line of a Philadelphia designer from North Philadelphia, Tyron Perrin. During prom season, Tyron is a pivotal designer. He is known for making gowns for his celebrity friend Jazmine Sullivan and most of the talked about prom gowns are products of his line Marquette. His prom gowns can be mistaken for red carpet gowns because they are so extravagant.

Dresses from Marquette, @Marquette21 on Instagram

Lace & Mesh

Another major trend of prom this year is Mesh or Lace. Modest gowns aren't as common as they once were but that doesn't necessarily mean a bad thing. More teenagers are becoming confident with their bodies and showing more skin doesn't mean there is a lack of self-respect. It is important to understand when it is too much and when it is just enough. Similar to the previous designer mentioned before, Suede Square is also another active designer in the 2016 prom slay. Suede Square is the collection of a Philadelphia based fashion designer. Suede has played an important role of making girls and boys dream come true while prom is the topic. He is a creative designer and his work speaks for itself. As you can see below, his gowns consist of mesh, long trains, embellishment and lace. Designers like Marquette and Suede Square are becoming household names during prom season.

Dresses from Suede Square, @SuedeSquare on Instagram

Roots

Last year social media was captivated after a teenage girl from New Jersey posted her prom dress to Twitter. Kyemah McEntyre posted her custom made African print prom dress to social media and everyone fell in love. Kyemah has paved the way for inspiration because this year's prom dress trend has been African print.

More teens are starting to become confident in themselves while embracing their roots. This year's prom season has been cultural including, ankara print, gele head wrap, kintenge print and many more African inspired fabrics. At my school's prom this year, i was able to see this African inspo in action. One Nigerian beauty wore a gold gele head wrap with a purple gown and the other wore an orange printed gown with a side slip (pictured below).

As an African American, people try to erase your african roots but prom is allowing us to feel comfortable while being ourselves. I'm totally here for the African prom aesthetic, I love seeing carefree black girls. Although this trend is getting negative feedback, I'm here for this look and I hope it doesn't stop.

Out of all the African inspo prom dresses, this one in particular was my favorite. It is creative, gorgeous and the gold embellishment only tops off the look.

Suits

So I've discussed gowns but how could I forget about suits? When it comes to guys on prom, there haven't been much of a change in guy prom attire except the shoes and creative suits. The major trends in guy attire are expensive high-end shoes and sneakers. Let's just say designers such as, Buscemi, Maison Martin Margiela, Christian Louboutin and Gucci are making a lot of profit during prom season. Personally, i'd just prefer a nice tailored suit with a popping shoe, nothing too extravagant. Unlike gowns, with prom suits there is only a little that you do can do without making you look ridiculous. Overall, prom boys don't get enough recognition and they're slaying as well.

Over the past two years there have been a lot of negative commentary on the latest prom fashion trends, generally from the older generations. A lot of people don't understand that fashion evolves and teenagers are becoming more creative. Prom means much more to certain people especially young African American children. Majority of the time, minorities can only dream of attending red carpet events and prom is there to act as such. As long as teenagers are having fun and feeling confident while at prom, I totally agree with the prom fashion choices. Prom is bringing out the creativity in the African American community, so why not support it? People are designing their own gowns and suits, and not being recognized for it. I'm looking forward to next year trends and looks as well. Until next time guys and gals, Stay stylish always.

"Fashion Fades, only style remains the same." - Coco Chanel