Do I have to consider my prom’s theme in terms of what I’m actually going to put on my body?

Marie: I’m a total supporter of dressing in a way that goes with the theme of your prom—like wearing colors, silhouettes, or accessories that represent it—but ONLY if it’s an awesome theme. If your prom’s theme is something vague like, “A Night Everlasting,” then there’s not much you can do with that in terms of outfits—unless you take it super literally and construct a dress out of Energizer batteries (which, now that I think about it, isn’t a bad idea!). If the theme is “Under the Sea,” dressing like a beautiful mermaid would be fun—but wouldn’t it be super hilarious to somehow dress like a lobster instead, with a red dress and a lobster-claw headpiece, ya know?

CAPTION TK

Left to right: Monster-print dress, $144, Pin Up Girl Clothing; cocktail dress, $128, Unique Vintage; black satin dress, $90, Heart of Haute.

I also really love the idea of forgoing your prom’s theme to make up your own theme! Dresses like the ones above could all be jumping-off points for a DIY theme—the one on left screams “Monster’s Ball,” while the ones in the middle and on the right are glam but neutral enough to add whatever accessories you’d need for a build-your-own theme. Did you find a leopard-print dress you adore? Carry a leopard-head clutch, or channel your inner Pebbles Flintstone and accessorize your hair with a glittery bone hair clip. You can easily turn this dress into a flapper-type of look by putting this feather headband in your hair. Are you a Peter Pan freak? Why not go to prom in this Neverland dress? For a sultry, pinup-esque ode to Little Shop of Horrors, I’d wear this Venus flytrap dress. This outer space–themed dress is an awesome choice, too. MAN, I wish I could go to ONE MORE prom!!!!!

Does my outfit have to match my date’s?

Marie: During one of the three proms I attended, I wore a pink princess dress that I dreamt up and had made by a seamstress for about $125, while my date wore a tux with a pink, vintage ruffled shirt to match. We looked ADORABLE:

SEE WHAT I MEAN?!

SEE WHAT I MEAN?!

Matching with your date (or pal!) always makes for a fun photo op. I give to you these famouses as proof:

Left to right: Kanye and Kim; Britney and Justin; Becks and Posh.

Left to right: Kanye and Kim; Britney and Justin; Becks and Posh.

Of course you can always be like “FUGGIT, who cares what anyone else is wearing?” and dress however you wanna dress. This is your night to DO YOU. But if you do decide to go all matchy-matchy, you and your date/friend don’t have to be identical twins from head-to-toe. If your dance partner is wearing a purple dress or blazer, for example, try accessorizing yourself with a purple bow tie, purple tights, or a violet-colored fascinator.

If I’m wearing a dress, do I have to wear heels, too?

Marie: Nooooo. Wearing a fancy dress does NOT mean you need to wear sky-high heels. Some people can’t walk in them, and some people hate them, and that’s OK. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable.

Platforms add height but tend to be much easier to walk (and dance) in than heels. You could also wear sneakers or boots like you just DGAF. I mean look at these beauties:

From left: Kristin Stewart, Rihanna, and Rita Ora.

Left to right: Kristin Stewart, Rihanna, and Rita Ora.

I also love how these bloggers paired fancy tulle dresses with motorcycle boots and sequined sneaks:

CAPTION TK.

Left to right: Assitan of Styles by Assitan and Erin Elizabeth of With a Wink and a Twirl.

And if you’ve got your heart set on wearing a pair of dope heels, don’t worry about whether they’ll hurt your feet ’cause you can always bring a pair of shoes like these as backup.

What should I bring?

Gabby: You’re probably going to want to bring some sort of purse to hold things like your phone, a phone charger, whatever lip product you’re wearing that night (if any!), and some cash, in case you need it. I find clutch bags, the usual go-to prom handbag, to be super annoying because you have to hold them! If you’re like me, you don’t have the patience to keep your hands full.

Instead, I’d recommended a clutch that comes with a detachable strap, a cross-body bag, or…a FORMAL BACKPACK? I have been desperately trying to make the formal backpack movement happen, but not a lot of stores seem to be cooperating. (I mean, you can make any backpack a formal backpack, I’m just having trouble finding ones that are explicitly embellished or made of nice fabrics. I guess I just have to be a trailblazer for elegant girls on the go.) Still, this clear backpack (center) from Nasty Gal will do the trick, especially if you throw something like a glittery wallet in there!

CAPTION TK

Left to right: Crossbody bag, $54, ASOS; clear backpack, $40, Nasty Gal; minaudiere with removable chain strap, $25, Forever 21.

OK, so these aren’t the cheapest bags out there, but I think they’re all very practical ones you’ll want to carry again, unlike some throwaway evening clutch you won’t really need again after prom. But if you’re on the hunt for a super-cheap formal bag, I think thrift stores are the best bet. There is usually a plethora of evening bags (that people used once, at proms of yore), and for $10 or less.

What should I put on my face?

Marie: Makeup isn’t everyone’s thang. If you don’t feel comfortable with eyeshadow, lipstick, or the full shebang, you can opt for a more natural look, focus on eyes OR lips, or just use a little bit of powder, a light gloss and focus on your nails instead! We’ve got tons of mani tutorials AND makeup tutorials to inspire you, but let’s take a look at the various faces of one Katy Perry:

katy-perry-collage

Katy has been known to rock a red lip and bold lashes, a hot-pink lip and winged eyeliner, chartreuse eyeshadow that matches her chartreuse shirt, and even a neutral look. She has literally done it all—including with her hair. Why not dye your hair (temporarily or not-so-temporarily) to match your dress?! That’s what I did with the aforementioned pink princess dress, except my at-home hair dyeing skills were limited back then, and it ended up becoming more of a peachy-pink instead of the bubblegum I was going for. I also wore a lavender wig to match a purple dress one year:

marie_purple_wig

As you embark on this thrilling journey of figuring out how to decorate your bod for the most important event of your high school life (LOL!), let these wise lyrics from the High School Musical 3 song, “A Night to Remember,” be your guide…

It’s the night of our nightmares
It’s the night of our dreams
It’s too late to back out of this
Hey, makeovers, massages
Don’t know what a corsage is?
Been waiting all our lives for this

Go forth, prom warrior! ♦