Dresses, Dates and Decades: Prom Styles Through the Ages

By MBonesGuest Blogger(view all posts by MBones)
at 10:12AM Wednesday April 14, 2010
under Special Events

Prom season is upon us. Each decade has brought us iconic looks and embarrassing snapshots. The 1980s proms styles are so notorious, people still do homage to them (ironically) to this day. As the class of 2010 gears up for that magical night, I thought I'd take a look back at the beauty styles of decades past to see if we can glean some inspiration for the proms of the future.

1970s

Feathered hair and frosted lipstick reigned supreme, of course, but so did sleeves! Long sleeves, short sleeves, bell sleeves, bat sleeves: the 70s was the last decade where sleeves showed up in force on prom night. Perhaps it was to accentuate the skillfulness of your Saturday Night Fever dance pointing. Girls looked fresh faced and freckled, maybe inspired by Ali MacGraw, because who doesn't want to look like a twenty-five-year-old girl who died...

While frosted lipstick should probably die with disco, a round ionic brush can create some Farrah Fawcett waves that still look fresh. Try Tool Science Thermal Ceramic Round Brush for less than $10 at Sally Beauty.

1980s

While neon dominated street wear, pastels were to go-to for girls hoping to dance the night away to Duran Duran with their rich boyfriend, Chip. While the dresses (and tulle) said demure , the hair said "I used a can of White Rain getting these bangs just so. If we don't make out tonight, I'm throwing your dancing Coke can out the window of your Delorean."

Put the crimper down...if it doesn't occur in nature, it's probably not the best look for you on prom night. To get some of the body that was so big in the 80s, try some hot rollers, like these Babybliss Jibere rollers on sale at Sally Beauty.

1990s

Beaded and shiny jewel tones were all the rage, as were acrylic nails and unfortunate, streaky blush. If you wanted to go Reality Bites, you could throw on some combat boots. You wanted to find the right dress to compliment your beau's ironic throwback "Zoot Suit." Matte lipstick? Yes, please! Glitter? Don't mind if I do.

While the looks of Generation X are making a comeback, don't go overboard and wear a flannel over your dress. Try a matte red lipstick with an otherwise neutral palette to look 90s fab. e.l.f. Royal Red is bold, but still neutral enough to share with your friends.

2000s

Paris Hilton Pink and spray tans dominated the early "Oughts," with strong showings from over-sized tendrils and princess complexes. It was the decade of bling, so every girl made their magical night one that would last forever by capturing the moments with digital camera and posting it to Friendster (then Myspace...then Facebook...)

Keep that sun-kissed glow without being sprayed with chemicals. Try a light dusting of e.l.f. Healthy Glow bronzer across your nose, cheeks, and shoulders.

2010s

It's a new decade, what will today's (and tomorrow's!) prom queen be sporting? I predict beachy waves and dewy skin. We'll see styles that accentuate the waist and bangs galore.

To get beachy waves, try a texturizing spray like Sedu Beach Beauty Sea Salt spray, and use a tinted moisturizer with a little radiance like Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers to get a healthy glow on your skin.

Whatever you wear on that big night, you'll be sure to be embarrassed by it in twenty years. So remember to have fun, be safe, and take lots of pictures!

Any fond memories of prom styles past? Leave 'em in the comments below!

Annie Mebane is a screenwriter and improviser living in Los Angeles. A veteran Savings.com DealPro and beauty product aficionado, you can catch her blogging about beauty on Wednesdays.