Iconic Prom Dresses and Prom Movies

There are two events in every girl’s life that give her the rare opportunity to wear a princess-worthy gown. Long before the wedding dress comes a dress immortalized in yearbooks, captured in throwback pictures and bestowed on the eyes of a very nervous date. In our culture, senior prom dresses are given almost as much thought as the wedding dress, commemorating the transition from secondary learning to more grown-up ventures. 

Prom is celebrated and highlighted in our media to the point of glorification. Films like American Pie and She’s All That depict the fun and drama surrounding prom, prom dates and prom dresses, and in the end every leading lady appears in her perfectly selected prom dress. While each movie holds its place in pop culture, two of the most memorable prom productions have captured my heart -- thanks to an iconic pink dress and an adorable rendition of “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.” 

Molly Ringwald melted hearts in the 1986 classic Pretty in Pink. When the 80s star waltzed on screen as Andie, a high school nobody picked on by the popular crowd and crushing on one of that crowd’s leading men, we felt for her social struggle. Andie not only created the perfect pretty pink prom dress but won the heart of her crush. She was the belle of her prom in her homemade gown. Capture your own Pretty in Pink style with Betsey Johnson's Hamilton Pleated Halter Dress. 

While the next memorable prom film gave me plenty to love, it gave the leading lady Kat, played by Julia Stiles, plenty to hate about one dashing Heath Ledger... 10 things to be exact. In 10 Things I Hate About You, Kat’s younger sister Bianca plots to earn her overprotective father’s permission to attend prom. Bianca’s only ticket to the end-of-the-year event is her older sister’s presence. While Stiles resists attending the “antiquated mating ritual,” she ultimately graces the screen in a elegant, long midnight blue prom gown. To be your own Kat, try JS Boutique’s Long Midnight Blue Prom Gown. 

Prom is one of those lifetime events so clichéd yet so great we’re never likely to forget it, and our idolization and embarrassment get immortalized in cherished movies. Such a memorable occasion deserves an equally memorable prom dress.