Prom Season 101

By: Avigail Feldman

This time 2 years ago was both the most stressful and memorable time in my life. Prom season is right around the corner and as a teenage girl — especially those of you reading this still in high school — are probably getting super excited, or if you were anything like me.. you were having anxiety and stressing over what it was going to be like and what to wear. I hate to be a ‘negative nelly' and always talk about the not so fun emotions, but I wish there was someone out there to tell me that prom wasn’t THAT important.

Reflecting on if I could change anything for when I was graduating, I wanted to make a simple guide for prom season so us girls who tend to overthink could actually have fun and stress less. Here is your one stop shop for everything prom.

The Perfect Date:

In highschool I feel like there is some crazy belief that if you don’t have a date to prom you shouldn’t go. Time and time again girls are posting on social media about being embarrassed or left out if you don't have a prince charming to accompany you to prom. I am here to tell you that this idea is so not true and if anyone tells you that they are insane. Prom is about having fun, not flaunting some random guy you feel obligated to bring. So bring your friend, or go solo. But please don’t let this stupid non-existent rule deter you from missing out on your prom.

Prepare the Day Before:

Avoid last-minute preparations. While this advice may seem obvious, make sure you have all the things you need the day before and consider making a list of the things you need to do on your phone to lessen stress. I remember for my prom I wanted to self tan and get my nails done before the actual day – having this all scheduled was a life saver especially because prom/formals tend to be during or before final season.

Hair and Makeup:

In my personal opinion less is always more for makeup. For this year's trends and honestly in general I'm obsessed with the bronzed/glowy makeup look which is perfect for prom as you can really make it what you want. My favorite bronzer is from tarte – I’ve been using it for a while now and it blends beautifully and is very buildable.

As for hair, it really depends on your dress, but I always love some form of loose curls - either in a messy up do or styled down. Regardless of the style you go with, if this is your first time doing hair for an event, make sure to do a trail run so you know exactly how to style your hair for the actual day.

Dresses and Shoes:

My best piece of advice I can give you is to wear what you feel comfortable in. Dresses can be a pain to shop for, but if you need help for inspo do a Pinterest search and see what catches your eye for this year's trends. I noticed lots of florals and pastels! When researching for this article I fell in love with this dress from Revolve.

As for shoes, I always suggest prioritizing comfort. I love to wear block heels over stilettos if I know I will be on my feet for long periods of time. Of course wear what you feel best in, but it kind of ruins the night if you can barely walk (take my word for it). I love these heels also from Revolve!

Let Your Mom Take Your Prom Pictures:

Just do it. It may be embarrassing in the moment, but you’ll get to look back on these pictures for years to come. Plus why not make your mom happy?

Confidence is Key:

Finally, it's time to fake it till you make it. Confidence isn’t a switch you can flip on and o. But prom can be really intimidating for some people - I know it was for me. So if there was something I could have changed it would be how I carried myself. Hold your head up high – the only priority for the evening should be to enjoy it and make memories.

I hope this helped some of you take the stress out of prom and allow yourself to enjoy the night. It may not be perfect and the biggest deal in the grand scheme of things, but highschool makes things seem so much more important than it actually is. You got this, and don’t forget to HAVE FUN!