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Oh, what to wear?!
This year's prom dates are pondering pastels, not black, and wearing a tad more fabric. Moms - and dads - rejoice.
By SHARON GINN
Published April 12, 2004
[Times photos: Lara Cerri]
Jamie Sherman ponders her choices, from left: Turquoise satin gown by Jodi Kristopher, Dillard’s, $149; Hot lemon gown with matching purse by Mori Lee, CC’s Boutique, $279; Pink and black handkerchief dress by Jessica McClintock for Gunne Sax, $114; Choker necklace, Jessica McClintock, $24; Fuchsia and pink gown by Tiffany, CC’s Boutique, $248; Red and white strapless gown by Tiffany, CC’s Boutique, $449; Drop necklace/chandelier earrings set by Glam G, CC’s Boutique, St. Petersburg, $55.
They probably have dozens of simple black gowns in their future, and decades of special occasions at which to wear them.
So why start now?
For this year's prom, most of the area's high school girls are thinking pink. Or yellow, or maybe turquoise.
Just about anything goes, except for boring all-black. From soft, demure pastels to high-contrast brights paired with black accents; from strapless ball gowns to shortened handkerchief hemlines, about the only common thread this year's prom dresses share is that they are anything but drab.
"There is nothing simple about the dresses," said Pam Jenks, the juniors dress buyer for Dillard's Southeast division. "They all have got a detail. If it doesn't have an applique, or . . . if there's not treatment in the front, there's going to be treatment in the back."
Jenks said halter-top and strapless ball gowns, many beaded or shimmering, have been the biggest sellers at Dillard's stores. It's a similar story at CC's Boutique in St. Petersburg, where for the first time in owner Gail Malecot's 23 years of selling prom dresses, yellow is one of the hottest colors.
Many girls are choosing puffy tulle ball gowns, she said, but "the middle of the road is probably the strapless A-line dresses." One thing is certain: The look is definitely more demure than in recent years.
"Even three years ago, the two-piece look was popular: The girls liked to show skin in the middle," Malecot said. Not surprisingly, parents are much happier this year, but "we like it better too," she said. "I was really uncomfortable selling these dresses showing so much skin."
This year, one of the most revealing items CC's offers is a shoe. It's clear and comes with 25 different ribbons, so girls can choose the colors that complement their dress and use them to lace the shoe at the ankles or up the calf. Malecot said many are completing their outfits with antique-style accessories.
At Jessica McClintock in Tampa's International Plaza, what general manager Joan Skiffington calls the "big, foofy" dresses aren't selling that well. The store has some ball gowns, but shorter, strapless dresses with handkerchief hems or corset tops are more popular. Black and white, black and pink or black and turquoise are dominant color combinations.
With A-line skirts back in style, it's easier for girls to find a flattering dress, said Jeannie Mazurek, a sales representative at Dillard's at the Citrus Park mall. Mazurek has a reputation for helping girls find the right gown among the wide selection at the Westfield Shoppingtown Citrus Park store. She has started a store registry to track prom-dress purchases for more than 60 schools so that girls can at least try to avoid seeing someone else show up in their dress.
The A-line suits those with more pear-shaped figures, Mazurek said, and shorter girls should stick with longer dresses. She's a big believer in accessories.
"We have little, almost transparent jackets," she said. "Scarves, you can do a million things with scarves. There are a lot of different ways to skin the cat."
And plenty of different colors. With shades of pink - ranging from baby-girl soft to bright watermelon - so popular, even guys are getting in on the act. A surprisingly large number of fashion-conscious dates are punching up plain tuxes with pink or yellow vests and ties, said Becca Carter, marketing director of Sacino's Formalwear.
For the more conservative, silver vests and ties are very popular, often paired with a black microfiber shirt. Microfiber in any color is one of the hottest looks, because it helps the guys stay as sharp-looking as their dates.
"They're going to be out all night and partying and dancing," Carter said. "(Microfiber shirts) are very lightweight. You don't sweat as much in them."
