So I went to my prom in a baby-blue, classic, floor length, poofy gown. It was beautiful. I also had brown hair with red streaks, heels that gave me blisters and a purse that was too small. Things have changed! I would never wear that same dress today, my hair’s blonde, my shoes fit and my purses could hold an army.
If I was going to prom this year, I’d be torn between two choices: choosing something classic that will look good in your album 20 years from now (the little black dress), or wearing something that is totally YOU and represents where you are in your life RIGHT NOW. If you’re going to go wild, might as well do it big. And if you’re going for classic, I’d add some sweet accessories to infuse it with your personality.
Here’s what we’d be wearing if we were going to prom (but….not all at once..unless you’re going for the “Crazy Cat Lady” look).

*Loose Waves Loving the half-up wavy looks that Whitney Port and Taylor Swift have been rocking. Romantic and real, and a bonus: no helmet-head.

*Tye Dye It’s baaaack….Yeah, it was hot in the 80’s, and then cringe worthy, and now it’s sexy and carefree. Your statement dress will probably come back in again in 20 years and you could show your kids how cool you were.

*Bright Nails We’re talking green, orange, hot pink. Easy and cheap way to accessorize your dress, especially if you’re going for a classic look.

*Short Dresses Nothing says spring and “I like to party” like a fun little dress. But beware: there is a thin line between sexy and skanky. Leave a little something to the imagination.

*50’s Throwbacks Red lips, belted waists, sparkly costume jewelery. ‘Nuff said. Oh wait- try out the red lipstick many times before you hit prom night or the results could be more vampire than vamp.

*Nature-Inspired Accessories The beauty of the natural world makes my heart sing. Think shapes inspired by leaves, shells, feathers, AND I found some amazing stuff, which leads me to my last tip….

*Fair Trade Glamour You will feel good knowing you are supporting artisans around the world who are paid a fair wage and have decent working conditions. You get beautiful, exotic stuff, and you are supporting an important cause. Check out Ten Thousand Villages. You guys, the jewelery starts around $5!!! Their website says: “Through Fair Trade artisans receive the respect, dignity and hope that comes from working hard and earning fair value for their work.” How can you not?

About Jen

Jen Pimm is the Editor for Girls By Design, a freelance graphic designer and writer who feels blessed to have found a way to turn her love for all things creative into a grown-up career. She wants to encourage self-expression and confidence in young women because, once upon a time, she was not so sure of herself. When she’s not working like a fool, she’s probably taking artsy pictures of stuff, watching Jeopardy, or snuggling with her pug Stella. She appreciates a quick wit and is currently planning her next travel adventure. And she’s on Twitter! At http://www.twitter.com/JenniferPimm

Ah, prom. The glitz, the glamor, the dancing, the paddling. The paddling?! Well, maybe not for everyone, but a select number of students in Oxford, Alabama opted to be treated like a piece of sorority/fraternity pledge meat as opposed to facing suspension. (One girl out of 19 “violators” chose suspension). The crime? Dresses that did not meet the dress code. Now, in all fairness, clothes these days are getting skimpier and surely companies must be saving money on fabric, so finding a dress that gives you a bit of modesty may be a difficult task, but seriously? Keep the goodies covered. Unless you want to face either a three-day suspension or be paddled, the school’s given options of course. Welcome back to the days before the 1950’s!

If paddling isn’t enough for you, head on over to Fulton, Mississippi, but you may be sent to a fake prom if your date happens to be the same gender as you. Just ask Constance McMillen.

It all started in March when the Itawamba County School District told McMillen that she could not bring a female date to her own prom and ended up canceling the event completely. However, McMillen and her lawyers were able to fight them and the verdict was on their side: The district could not prevent McMillen from bring a same-gender date. However, the judge did not force the district to hold a prom seeing as there was a parent-sponsored event being held in its place and word was that McMillen and her date had been invited. Word was wrong. It didn’t matter, though, because this pseudo-prom was supposedly canceled and replaced by an event at a country club.

Sadly, the country club event that was even chaperoned by teachers was a ruse. McMillen and several other people showed up, two of which were high-needs children. Where was everybody else? At the OTHER prom held by parents, or as people would probably call it, the real prom. Sounds like some people should’ve been in Oxford, Alabama.

Prom is supposed to be a rite of passage for teens; it’s the most sacred event in high school lore, so why should people get to ruin it for others if they’re not happy with the way things are? The fake prom and the paddling are just many marks on prom’s scar board, so where and when will the Prom Gods draw a line?

Sarah “G”

Waaaazzzuuup?! Y’all already know my name(s) so I’ll just skip that part and move on. I’m the token Canadian girl, but not-so-token these days, because there is actually several Canadians around! Isn’t it amazing? It’s definitely amazing. Hmm… I’m also pretty accident prone and by ‘pretty accident prone’, I mean dangerously accident prone. It’s quite bad, but apparently entertaining at the same time. I’m a complete and utter history nerd, a big Canucks fan, a roller coaster junkie and I have a slight addiction to Snuggle fabric softener and I’m rambling; so I shall bid you all adieu.

This ain’t no generic, “been there, done that” kind of place. Which is why we spilled 20 of our best Prom tips that you haven’t heard before. You can thank us later.

Prepping

1. Don’t fret about not having a date, find a friend to go with! Prom is about fun! Not who-asked-who.
~Binks

2. The days before pamper your skin: exfoliate it, put on a hydrating mask and it will be thankful! and so will you btw when you see the pictures.

3. NEVER! wear heels for the first time at prom… or new ones… If the first one you will walk weird and may fall (with all those cameras probably not a good idea). If the second one, try to tame lol your shoes the week before, wear them for an hour a day so that they stretch and become more comfortable… If you don’t wear heels it’s fine! There are tons of gorgeous party shoes that aren’t heels, maybe you can try wedges!
~Lucy

4. The night before prom is not the time to try out any new skin creams, makeup, etc, because you never know how your skin is going to react. Give yourself at least a week in case you break out in a crazy rash.

5. Fake a tan and save your skin! I personally think girls can look gorgeous with creamy porcelain skin or with a tan, but if you’re determined to go darker, use lotion that gradually tans you or get a spray tan a couple days before. JUST SAY NO to skin cancer.
~Jen

6. Night before zit shows up! Something that works MIRACLES is to put Neosporin on the blemish – it works really well, I suggest at night because it is slightly oily but the anti-bacterial medicine in Neosporin along with the herbal remedy helps clear things up LIKE THAT!
~Maia

The Dress

7. Prom dresses don’t have to be expensive, or cliche! Outlets have great designer dresses at an affordable price. My friend from Idaho came to visit, and was in need of a prom dress. We went to an outlet near Philly, and she found a gorgeous floor length prom dress from BCBG Max Azria. It used to be over $600 and she got it for around $100!
~Maia

8. I vote vintage dresses or DIY all the way. I’ve scored some of my favorite clothes secondhand. And dresses can be altered, too, so you could even makeover something you already have if you’re strapped for cash. For example, you could add a layer of tulle underneath a dress to make it “poofy”, wrap a colorful scarf around the waist or accessorize to really personalize it.
~Jen

9. DO trust your mom’s opinion when it comes to dresses! Yes, she’s from a generation when different styles were popular, but she knows what classic looks have stood the test of time so far.  Take heed, because it’ll prevent you from looking back on your photographs and thinking “Why did I wear that?”
~Lauren

The Makeup

10. Don’t try out fake eyelashes for the first time on prom night. Trust me.

11. Use a highlight eyeshadow (white or light colored) just under your eyebrows on the brow bone and also in the inner corners of your eyes, it makes them sparkle!
~Jen

12. Use a make up primer to make sure your makeup stays on if you hit the dance floor. All your makeup should be water proof, try to avoid foundation with a high SPF because the ingredients in it will reflect lights and that will make you look ghostly in pictures.

13. Set your foundation with powder but instead of brushing it in sweeping motions pat it on with your favorite brush.

14. Carry blotting tissue to mattify your skin if needed!

15. Don’t overdo your makeup and try to wear a look that is timeless so you won’t regret it when you look back ten years from now… Seriously an enormous cat eye or fluorescent orange may look good today and even go with your dress but later you may think it wasn’t such a great idea… *rolls eyes*
~Lucy

16. If you are wearing a lighter dress make sure your makeup is a bit darker so it pops, but if you are wearing a darker dress make sure your makeup is lighter as to not outdo it. I’ve had this happen to me once & it looked so bad.
~Susy

The BIG NIGHT

17. Keep spare transparent or black bobby pins handy. You or someone else may need them… Oh and if you have frizzy hair like me carry a sample-size hairspray.

18. Carry your lipgloss and powder in case you need to re-apply after eating or dancing.
~Lucy

19. Take pictures of people doing things OTHER than just wrapping their arms around each others shoulders. It gets old fast seeing all the same pictures. And don’t forget the details: shots of your shoes, the decorations and you putting on your makeup will make you smile in the future.

20. To keep your dress straps in place, try double-sided tape or a product called “Top Stick”. They use it in the movies to prevent “wardrobe malfunctions”.
~Jen

Everyone is constantly telling us to save the planet, and to go green! So I figure, when’s a better time to start going green than on the night that most of us are the least green conscientious?
It’s that time of the year! Yep, prom! Girls have been waiting their whole high school, and possibly middle-school careers for it, and it’s finally here. All the frilly dresses, painful heels, make-up, extravagant hair styles, and not to mention the limo rides, have finally arrived, and we couldn’t be more excited. Prom night is meant to be a night to remember, and you’ll remember it alright! You’ll look back and say, wow, that was one green prom! So, here are some simple ideas to make your prom a green one!

Okay, so we all know that girls have been known to shell out some serious cash for a prom dress. Well, that stops now. Girls pay about $195 on average on their prom dress, and some girls pay around $500 for a designer dress. Also, you only wear the dress one time, and then it gets pushed to the back of your closet. I know prom is meant to be special, but you don’t need an expensive dress to make it special.
Solution: Before you go shopping for a dress, set a price limit, then if you’re browsing online, you can just set the search engine for $100 dollar dresses and below, this way you’ll stay within your price range and you won’t come across any $500 dollar dresses that you fall in love with. And the really green solution is to buy second-hand. You can score a major deal on a dress that’s probably been worn once.

Cruising around town in a limo for hours before prom is a blast. You get to stick your head out of the roof and scream at all the pedestrians. It’s somewhat embarrassing when you come to a stoplight and all the people you were screaming at are staring at you for a few minutes, but whatever, it’s all a part of the limo experience! Sadly, that limo that you’re driving around town is a major gas guzzler.
Solution: You can still use the limo, because technically it is carpooling, just don’t drive it all around town. Pretty simple, right?

Finger foods, mmmm, and all the cream puffs, cups of punch, and those mini-sandwiches! Delicious! It’s not prom without the various finger foods. On the downside, all the finger foods require plastic plates, cups, bowls, and silverware, which our landfills tend to frown upon. 
Solution: Use actual dishware! Yes, washing them all will be a pain, and washing them will use a fair amount of water, however, water is semi-renewable, but that plastic will take centuries to decompose.
Location, it matters. Most people have their prom in an air-conditioned room. Unfortunately, air conditioning is a major contributor to global warming.
Solution: Have your prom in a non air conditioned room, just make sure there are windows so that there are some breezes flown through. Let’s face it, whether there is AC, or no AC, you’re still going to sweat from all the dancing!
There! Some simple ideas to make your prom a green one!

About Caitlin

My name is Caitlin, or Caity, whatever I feel like at the time I know that life has so much to offer and I hope I get to experience it all! I love languages and I hope that they’ll help me to travel the world. I’m a vegetarian and i’m proud of it… tofu is delicious! I thoroughly enjoy laughing at my own jokes…I’m obsessed with recycling… I love talking about awkward things…and, well, the list goes on…