By Sophie Sands

As Collegiate moved on from its Upper School Prom, which took place on Saturday, April 13 at the Tuckahoe Woman’s Club, prom season around the country was still in full swing in May. Prom, which comes from the term “promenade dance,” is a traditionally semi-formal dance that is culturally significant across the United States. It typical occurs in late spring, specifically April or May. It is a celebration and farewell to graduating seniors who are about to enter a new stage in their lives, although at many schools there are also Junior Proms, or, as at Collegiate, Juniors and Seniors have a combined dance. On prom night, various other activities occur, including group photo sessions, dinners, and after-parties. In essence, it is a highly anticipated social event for many American teenagers. But where did the tradition come from?

A group of girls pose with their prom corsages. Photo credit: Ariana Xenakis via Instagram. 

The modern prom tradition can be traced back to the late 19th century, rooted in debutante balls. Young women from wealthy families would attend these events in order to be introduced, or “debut,” to society. Debutante balls gave women the chance to enter high society and meet potential suitors. The focus of prom has since diverged from suitors to becoming a celebration of adulthood for both men and women. By the 1920’s, prom began shifting to high schools, where it became a much more casual event, meant to teach societal gender roles to teenagers. By the mid-20th century, prom had become an essential part of high school, often culminating in the picking of a prom king and queen. Since then, prom has become a much more inclusive tradition that welcomes all students.

Prom holds different levels of significance to different students. For some, it is simply an opportunity to dance and have fun with friends. For others, it is the culmination of extensive planning and preparation. The glorification of prom culture in television and social media has caused the event to become increasingly extravagant in recent years. The exposure of the event through media breeds competition between students, who view prom as their opportunity to outdo each other. As a result, students and their families are put under pressure to finance expensive dresses, suits, “promposals,” and much more. Particularly for girls, the unspoken requirements of prom preparation come with extensive costs. Buying a new prom dress can cost a few hundred dollars. Corsages, boutineers, dinner, and transportation must also be paid for. Additional charges for spray tans, nails, makeup, and professional hairstyles add to the mounting costs. Coupled with the price of the tickets themselves, students may find themselves paying hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars.

On social media, many girls post about their prom nights, including price breakdowns of everything they bought. These posts not only provide transparency, but they reveal the wide range of budgets high school seniors around the country set for prom. 

A social media user named Rachel shows her thrifted and customized prom dress.
Photo credit: @rachspeed via TikTok.

One girl on TikTok named Sophia, who goes by @sophianepola, posted a price breakdown in April, highlighting the more expensive side of the event. Including an $800 prom dress and a $1500 pair of heels, she spent around $3700 before and during prom night. However, at the end of the video, she said, “Other than my dress and my shoes, this was pretty low maintenance for prom,” indicating that some of her friends may have spent more. Sophia’s comment section was shocked by the total cost. One commenter addressed the creator directly, writing, “It’s expensive because you made it expensive.” Another prom breakdown, posted by a mother on TikTok by the handle of @beingmrsjjones, detailed the costs of her daughter’s Senior Prom. In total, including a dress, beauty appointments, accessories, a pre-prom party, and transportation, she spent $2275.

In contrast, other girls spend much less on prom. User @mak1ahh posted a price breakdown on TikTok, which summed up to a reasonable $355. By doing her own makeup, and utilizing accessories she already owned, she was able to keep her prom expenses to a minimum. To truly mitigate the costliness of prom, students can thrift their clothing or borrow from friends. One such video, posted on Tiktok by a woman named Rachel with the username @rachspeed, shows her thrifting a dress for only $21. Rachel proceeds to mend the dress to fit her perfectly, transforming it into a gorgeous, budget-friendly black gown.

A girl name Mi’Kera received over 722,000 likes in this viral clip from a goat photoshoot. Image credit: @duhh.itskera via Tiktok.

The presence of social media has also spurred the creation of unusual prom trends. Last spring, class of 2023 seniors began renting goats for bizarre prom photoshoots. The goat appearances are meant to refer to the “Greatest Of All Time” acronym. The trend has received mixed feedback, as many find it ridiculous. The trend originated in Atlanta and may be an ode to Michael Jordan, who is considered one of the greatest basketball players in history and famously sported the “23” jersey.

For example, in a TikTok video from last year, a girl with the username @duhh.itskera stands in a parking lot with a goat, trying to keep the animal still. She is in full glam, wearing a sparkling blue prom dress, while suspenseful music plays. Her goat seems unimpressed and almost succeeds in dragging her across the parking lot. One commenter remarked “I’m sick of prom 2023. The goats are ridiculous,” while others were simply confused.

Overall, prom culture and traditions have evolved greatly since the 19th century, a change accelerated by the rise of social media. The amount of time and money that modern high schoolers invest into prom is both shocking and impressive. While social media often glamorizes prom, painting it as a lavish event, students can absolutely make it budget-friendly and still create lasting memories.