Senior Prom: Then and Now

Saturday marked another ‘last’ in O’s high school career. This time, it was his high school prom.

Despite it being a ‘last’, because our school district combines the senior and junior proms into one single event, it wasn’t all that different from last year — with two notable exceptions:

1. O still went with a group of his best buds — but this, year there were girls (read: girlfriends/dates) involved.
2. His style was still on point — but instead of a green tux, he opted for an all-black pin dot look and traded in the sockless loafers for shiny patent leather low Jordans (for comfort and style).

I’m still in awe of how much high school proms have changed since I attended mine in 1990.

First of all, we received a (cheap) printed invitation (it was embossed, but not on card stock or even high-quality paper) and had to show an actual ticket at the door to get in. Now, it’s all digital. I don’t remember how much it cost back in 1990, but I’m sure it was less than what proms these days cost.

Then there was the style — or lack there of. As I said in last year’s junior prom post, back in the late ’80s/early ’90s, it was all about big ruffles and even bigger hair. Now, thankfully, the look is sleek and sophisticated. Even the guys have swagger (or at least don’t look junior members of the mafia or like they’re the restaurant maitre d’ in a cheesy rom-com).

The pre-prom event is also more high-brow than it was back when I went to school. No en-masse block party with wine coolers and disposable cameras. Only manicured lawns and lots of mom-photographers with iPhones (and the occasional professional camera). And while we imbibed on the way to the prom thanks to rented limos with full bars, I think today’s kids save the drinking for after prom (for the most part, anyway).

Speaking of after-prom, back in my day, we took said limos out to West Hampton for an unsupervised, overnight post-prom beach party, followed the next day by a sloppy booze cruise that historically always ended with someone puking over the back of the boat. In 1990, that ‘someone’ was my prom date. (I’d post photos, but think it’s best not to.) Now, our kids default to a neighborhood house party after the official event. It’s not the Hamptons, but I’m sure it’s filled with just as much youthful debauchery as our beach party/booze cruise, just without the seasickness element. (FYI, the kids have a week-long version of our one-night beach event called SWeek following graduation; I’m sure I’ll have a post about it soon enough.)

All this to say, high school proms may not be the same as they used to be, but from what I can tell, they’re still just as much fun — and far less flammable (thanks to the lack of tulle and hairspray).

— LJDT