Two Pieces for Prom

It is about that season again when many high school girls search frantically for the perfect prom dress. They look for one that is different, but not too different. Bright, but not overpowering, and simple, but elegant. There are a million dress designs that are created every year, and every year some stand out more than others. This is the year of the two-piece.

It is no secret that fashion ha change over the years. Things have gotten smaller, brighter, and tighter. And prom dresses are no acception. First of all, the concept of Prom was first introducted in the 19th century. The word itself stands for 'promenade' and was the promenading around of the guests at a party, held for each graduating class in universities. But, as time has passed, the dance has been pushed younger and younger and is now held typically junior and/or senior year of high school.

As far as the clothing worn, it has always been a rather formal dress. Even in its origins, the dance was typically held around May, so it would make sense that many of the dresses were Spring-themed. But, over the years, styles have changed and matured.

Back in 1940, dresses were very modest. The skirt was a pencil shape and went down to the floor, but there was nothing too poufy or sparkly. Hey, it was war-time rations, what did you expect? In the '50's dresses became tea-length. They were a little more decorative, with some lace and a bit of pouf, but nothing too dramatic or sparkly. The '60's were kind of a changing period. The dresses slimmed down and were more silky than poufy. The dress was not the emphasis- the hair was! The dress was toned down because the hair was teased up!

The 80's and '90's were basically the same. The 80's of course had the big permed hair, but the dresses were often patterened or lace and lay relatively flat. The 90's were similar, maybe with dresses a little tighter to the body. The early 2000's dresses were totally spaghetti strapped and very minimalistic. This was rather different from before, as many dresses earlier were large and poufy. Oh, well.

Now, in the 2010's, things were back to the usual. There were beads, there were large skirts, there was flash. This brings us to 2016.

Anywhere you look, you will almost always see a few silk, floral dresses, and of course, the two-piece dress. Why two pieces? Is it even considered a dress? Is it classy? Is it different? Or is it just another passing fad? Either way, they are very popular this year. Probably the most popular brand is Sherri Hill. Though expensive, they are absolutley gorgeous, espeically if you like this whole two-piece thing, because that is mostly all that they have.

My opinion? I think this is a passing fad. I think it is a fun, new idea that could potentially take off, but I don't see it doing so anytime soon. In my experience, these dresses only fit a very certain body type. Even if it is your size, chances are that it may simply just not look right. Maybe searching for a very specific one may be necessary, but how much time and money are you willing to spend?

Money. Not to mention expenses! Two-piece dresses are almost always more expensive than the other dresses sitting right next to it at the same store or on the same site. Maybe this is because they are super trendy this year, but why? It is LESS fabric so shouldn't you spend LESS money. No, because that would make too much sense. I suspect that these dresses will not last long.