On Monday is the root retouch, then Tuesday is the nail appointment, Wednesday’s the juice cleanse, Thursday, of course, is the spray tan and Friday is the everything shower. But then who can forget the meticulously-planned Saturday morning, with its 9 a.m. hair appointments and matching pajama sets and hours of sitting around waiting to get ready?
Through the years, the week leading up to prom has become one of the most expensive and stressful, yet luxurious and exciting weeks of the year.
While some might say the teenage girls responsible for this gradual change are going too far, I say we let them have that week.
The actual prom part of prom is a hit or miss situation, depending on the person. Though a good number of students enjoy the social aspect, an awkward mosh pit of sweaty teenage boys isn’t for everyone.
That’s why the preparation for prom is such a big deal – if you can’t be excited about the dance, be excited about the dress.
By the time prom rolls around in the spring, the upperclassmen have been to hell and back juggling AP exams, honor society inductions and endless scholarship applications. Prom week is an easy way to give those students a chance to put down their pencils and focus on themselves.
There’s no way around it – this way of life is not cheap. After ordering shoes, booking multiple appointments and scouring the internet for waterproof jewelry, you’re not going to have more than $20 to your name. But why should that mean you need to put a stop to all the fun?
A big part of what makes prom special is feeling special. If that means splurging on an $80 manicure, then so be it.
Despite the lavish exterior of the week before, some aspects of prom are headed in the opposite direction of glamor.
Earlier this prom season, the internet saw a fresh debate over what is and is not a true prom dress. The controversy sparked after attention was brought to the new style of prom dresses girls are choosing to wear – simple, satin and boring.
What happened to sequins and 8-foot trains and mermaid cuts? Since when are we not taking personal loans to cover our off-the-rack Sherri Hill?
As each trend gradually shifts away from the extravagance of the 2010s, we’re forgetting the point of prom altogether: to find a cute dress and spend as much money as possible.
If you won’t go all out for prom, when will you? This dance serves as a rare opportunity to express yourself through an excess of tulle and blinding rhinestones, not to blend in with a crowd of indistinguishable bridesmaid dresses.
While the days leading up to prom are meant to be filled with massages and hair masks and teeth whitening strips, it’d all be for nothing if your prom dress didn’t reflect your effort throughout the week.
So revert to ruffles and glitter, schedule the extra-dark spray tan and go add that silk pajama set to your Amazon cart.
Because when it comes down to it, the culmination of the week-long buildup is what makes prom a memorable experience, even if you have to unwillingly end the night in the middle of the dance circle.
