The start of the second semester marks a time when many girls at school start thinking about and looking for prom dresses and accessories. While some might think it’s too early because the actual prom occurs in May, being prepared and choosing a dress that a person actually wants is extremely important to some people. Many people at school shop online for prom dresses, but others go to Gipper Prom, a dress store that only sells one dress to a student from each school, as well as Macy’s and Windsor.

“I mean, I feel like I’ve been looking around or thinking about it all year just because I feel like I want to prepare. I also didn’t go last year. This is my first and only prom, so I want it to be good. I went prom dress shopping in February. I went to Gipper,” said senior Brea Fahey.

“I got my prom dress in the middle of February, and I got my dress at the Prom Shop which is in Oswego,” said senior Nicole Brown.

While many people shop online for clothes, the process can be difficult when shopping for prom dresses because the sizing varies a lot and repurchasing items that go for 100 to 300 dollars can be nerve-wracking for some. Some might think it would be easier since they don’t have to go store after store to find a dress that they like when instead they could stay at home and specifically browse for what they want.

“I feel like with online it’s hard to know how the sizing is, but in person you automatically know how the sizing is,” said senior Brooke Davies.

Buying a dress that could cost from $100 – $300 is difficult for a lot of people who don’t often or can’t spend a lot of money. The dress is only one portion of the amount people spend on prom. Other expenses include shoes, accessories, the ticket itself, and any flowers and boutonnieres that they or their date might have. Some people set a strict budget with themself on what they are allowed to spend during prom season and others don’t because of how important prom is in high school culture.

“Well my family paid for some of it, so for my prom dress, my budget was around 200 to 300 dollars,” Davies said.

“I didn’t really have a budget because I didn’t go last year. I also had to get two prom dresses this year because I’m going to be going to Central’s prom too. So, yeah, it was pretty expensive,” Fahey said.

Matching dresses and accessories is an important part of getting ready for prom and is something that could be difficult when it comes to saving money. While people might want to buy new shoes and jewelry, it might not be reasonable for others who will instead use their own heels they wore previously or borrow them from family members and friends.

“I think I’m going to do silver jewelry. Heels are going to be silver, and the corsage will probably be blue because my dress is blue,” Brown said.

The dresses that Nicole Brown and Brooke Davies will wear are both blue but are different styles with two different types of fabric. While they are quite different when you look past the color, the color blue might be a big part of the 2023 prom trend. Last year, a big trend was sparkly dresses, and years prior had trends like two-piece dresses or ones with more floral designs compared to a monochromatic look. While online stores are displaying what the 2023 prom dress trend could be, students have their own thoughts on what is going to be popular.

“From what I’ve seen, green is going to be a popular color. It could be a lighter green or a darker green, but I think that green will be a big pick this year,” Fahey said.

Seniors or juniors who could attend prom this year have different thoughts on what they have learned from the year prior on how to make prom a better or easier experience.

“I might get ready earlier this time because I definitely didn’t get ready early enough. So probably get ready earlier and then maybe hang out with friends after instead of going straight home,” Davies said.