A collage of coronation and prom dresses from Harrison students.
Every year all over the country, girls dream about which dress they want to wear to the Homecoming dance. The reason for this is because the right dress can set the mood for the night and make it a moment to remember. However, the wrong dress choice could have someone cringing for years ahead. A Homecoming dress is how the high school girls express and individualize themselves, so they need the perfect dress to perfectly showcase themselves.
At Harrison High School, a Coronation dance and Prom take place instead of a homecoming dance. And each event requires a different dress. Prom is more formal than Coronation so traditional long, elegant, floor-length dresses are the dominant style. In contrast, Coronation is more casual with short sparkly dresses (similar to Homecoming).
The look and type of dresses vary when looking at a group of girls at one of these dances, as each girl has their own unique style. A dress can help someone express themselves and show off their uniqueness, so seeing the same dress twice is kind of a rarity. Some may adorn a pink sparkly dress, while others rock a sleek satin black dress. It all depends on the taste in color and style each girl individually has.
Many students, here at Harrison, were asked on what they might look for when dress shopping and there was many different answers. One anonymous student said they prefer a sparkly dark blue dress, while another student said they prefer something more unique, and fun.
Girls don’t just differ when it comes to the style of their dress, but also what they do prioritize while buying the dress. Some girls may wait the day before the school dance to get their dress, while others may be over prepared and get their dress months prior. When asked how early girls buy their dresses, 71% answered that they buy their dress a few weeks prior, while 29% said they buy their dress about a month prior.
When it comes to dress buying season, some girls browse the internet to search for dress ideas. Popular search engines include Google, Pinterest, or any online dress store. When girls were asked where they look for inspiration online, 57% said they always look on Pinterest. The other 43% said they usually walk into a dress store blind and get whatever catches their eye.
When a highschooler is asked “What dress are you going to get for the dance?”, you’re probably not going to get the same answer twice. Every girl is unique, and their dress proves that. At any school dance there will be a variety of styles, colors, lengths, and more that uniquely customs to the wearer. So, maybe the next time you see a girl’s coronation or prom dress, think about all the different aspects of her personality are being represented.