Style

Prom Trends That Should Be on Your Radar, According to NYC High School Students

From themes to silhouettes, these teens know what’s coming this year.
By Teen Vogue
a young teen holds a prom dress
Emily Malan

Prom season has already started, and New York City high schoolers are on the hunt for the prom looks that will make them stand out this year. On Sunday, March 15, we caught up with some of the teens headed to Brooklyn's Barclays Center for the Brooklyn Prom Project and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment's clothing drive, where any NYC student could show up and shop preloved prom looks—all for free.

As students dug through prom dresses, tuxedos, suits, and accessories, they gave Teen Vogue the scoop on what's trending this season and how to find the best looks that will, as one student aptly put it, “make me prom queen.”

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“I see a lot of corset-type dresses that people my age wear during prom. A lot of tight dresses that are long and down to the ankles. I'm going for a lot of bling, a lot of gems, lots of sparkly.”

Emily Malan
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“Trends are off-the-shoulder and corset dresses, so that's what I want. My prom theme is Hollywood, so I'm trying to do red or black.” -Gabriella Signoriello

Emily Malan
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“Prom trends that I'm seeing this year is more like themed proms. For my prom, we're doing New York City, and others will do a masquerade. What I like about the dresses is that they're fitted and sleek.” -Azealia

Emily Malan
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“Something that will bring out my skin color and make me prom queen. The trend for prom is exotic dresses, custom-made pieces. [My prom style is] royal and exotic." -Taylor D.

Emily Malan
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“I'm looking specifically for red or purple because I feel like those colors look the best on me. But I saw this green one, and I'm seeing a lot of ruffles, but I'm also seeing more simple dresses, so I don't know if that fits my vibe. I don't want to be really blatant, but I also want to feel confident and shiny—not just simple.” -Anaia

Emily Malan