For some people, prom season is just another event on their calendar. For a lot of the senior girls at Malden High School, it’s their favorite season of the year. They start purchasing new shoes, accessories, makeup…and their prom dress! It might come to your surprise that it is not always as effortless as it seems to find the “perfect” dress.
Senior Olivia Sateriale created a private instagram account @maldenhigh26seniorprom for only seniors to follow. She had recognized both the stress and excitement that comes with prom season and wanted to create an account allowing girls to share the dresses they purchased with others in their grade.
When she shared a little bit about her experience looking for her dress she stated how it took a “little bit to find the one, but when I put my dress on I instantly knew I was bringing it home.”
Sateriale explained she created this page for people to gain confidence over their dresses and for inspiration. She’s “ always seen high school prom pages and couldn’t wait to be able to be a part of one. “There were no pages being made so I thought I’d take it into my own hands and make one”
Senior Ciara Freeman, who purchased her dress at Enchanted Quince & Bridal located at 75 Newbury St, Danvers Massachusetts, explained how it took her “the whole day from 12 pm to 7 pm,” to find her dress.
Most girls agree that the process was definitely not a quick one. Despite the stress, Freeman explained how helpful social media was for her. “I think social media influences prom, and prom planning a lot because posting the theme and seeing other dresses definitely help you pick out a perfect dress for your prom. It helps you get ideas when going to shop for your dress.”
Other students shared their similar experiences. Senior Mia Digregorio, who also purchased her dress from Lady Black Tie, described the experience as fun but slightly overwhelming due to the number of choices. “There were so many options to choose from and lots of colors to try on that you wouldn’t even think you liked. I will say it was a little stressful having to cut down options to find the perfect dress, but other than that, very fun.”
While social media can be a helpful tool for inspiration, it also might lead to measuring yourself against others. Senior Alivia LaMarra pointed out that platforms like Instagram allow students to explore different styles and share their ideas, but also may increase the pressure to follow trends or expectations.
“It allows people to get ideas but also can cause people to compare themselves to others, although seeing other dresses didn’t influence my decision because my dress was exactly what I was looking for,” LaMarra stated.
Senior Liana Ayala, who had purchased her dress in The Ultimate Prom and Bridal located at 130 Newbury St, Peabody, Massachusetts, had a slightly different experience than most. She described it as very smooth, fun and quick. “It didn’t take me long to find the dress I wanted because I came in knowing exactly what I wanted. I knew the color I was going to go for and the style of the dress that I wanted.”
Her advice for others searching for their dress is simple: “Pick a dress that you like and don’t worry about what other people would think.”
LaMarra encourages everyone to “try everything on even if it’s not in your comfort zone because you’ll never know if you love it until it’s on.”
“If any girl is struggling to find their dress you shouldn’t stress there’s still time and many places where a dress will be perfect for you,” Sateriale emphasized. .
Every girl’s experience is different. Some are long and stressful, while others feel efficient and smooth. However, the commonality for everybody will be the cherished lifetime memories, endless preparation, and one amazing night to celebrate the chaos of it all.
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