The world of high school girls is divided: sparkly dress or Easter dress?
Walking around school, all I hear about is Prom. Girls are looking for dresses and asking if I have mine, where I got mine, what it looks like, and if I have a picture. I love dress shopping, so I enjoy these questions, but every time someone goes to show me their dress, I wonder if it’ll match the vibe of mine. So far, it’s about half and half with all of the dresses I’ve seen.
This year more than any other, I’ve been seeing a divide between getting a traditional, sparkly dress for Prom and getting a more casual, simpler “Easter dress.”
My TikTok For You Page tells me this isn’t just an FHC trend—it’s gone national.
So why the divide? What’s brought about the “Easter dress?”
Let’s start with why the dresses are being called “Easter dresses,” which seems to be new this year. Last year, the same type of dress was defined as a “garden party dress,” according to the TikToks I saw. I guess the wording has changed. Typically, this style of dress is a lighter color and has no sparkles, though it may be a floral pattern. Most that I see don’t go all the way to the ground but still reach about the ankle. Though the dresses don’t hold the showy sparkliness of traditional Prom attire, they hold a simpler elegance.
The biggest pro for an “Easter dress” is the fact that it is more likely to be re-worn. Depending on the color, shape, and pattern, these dresses could be worn to weddings, nice dinners, or fancier events in the future without all the attention of a light-catching or large-skirt traditional Prom dress.
However, a con would be that these dresses don’t fit the “Prom look” for everyone. I personally love them, but I’ve heard some people who don’t.
But since this is my story, let’s look at the best places to buy re-wearable Prom dresses.
House of CB
Though House of CB is on the pricier end for a simple dress, their dresses are so incredibly flattering. I bought my dress from the website in January as the end-of-year sale made it about $100 cheaper. Most of their maxi dresses tend to be in the high $200s range with some a little cheaper and some quite a bit more expensive. Some of my favorite styles include the Ariela and Anabella styles, and I haven’t seen either very frequently.
Mac Duggal
Mac Duggal is an insanely pricey brand for a one-time wear dress, but they definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to floral dresses. They have an entire section on the website called “The Garden Party Prom Edit,” which is perfect for those looking to be less sparkly but still more traditionally Prom-like than an “Easter dress.” The Ruffle Tiered Floral Cut-Out Chiffon Gown is a classic that I always end up seeing, but the less popular Ruffled Sleeveless V-Neck A-Line Gown is also stunning.
Lulu’s
Lulu’s is the cheapest option that I am mentioning, and there are so many dresses available on the website. Ruffles and pleats make Prom dresses more Easter-like, and Lulu’s holds great options. For ruffled dresses, I love the Dramatic Allure Ruffled Cutout Strapless Maxi Dress, while I love the Precious Charm Pleated Sleeveless Maxi Dress for pleated dresses. There is also a dress that has pleated fabric on ruffles, the Beauty Icon Satin Pleated Tiered Lace-Up Maxi Dress, which is a perfect mix of both.
Nordstrom
As a department store, Nordstrom has dresses from each brand that I listed above, though not all of the specific dresses, but many similar ones. Nordstrom also has cute garden party or Easter Prom dresses from Petal & Pup, Dress the Population, Bardot, and WAYF.
Though I love both traditional and less-traditional Prom dresses, this year feels like a less-traditional “Easter dress” kind of year.
