Prom 2011: West Bloomfield Teens 'Say Yes to the Dress'

Next to her choice of which college to attend, there are few decisions a high school girl will make that carry as much excitement as that of selecting the perfect prom dress. With (WBHS) prom scheduled for June 2 at the Detroit Yacht Club, West Bloomfield teens are in the midst of securing final dress alterations, confirming tuxedo rentals and ensuring that their prom look will be one for the record books.

When it comes to prom fashion trends for 2011, Teen Vogue touts dreamy neutrals and shimmering metallics as looks worth considering, and many local teens are following suit.

Sonia Kadoo, the owner of in West Bloomfield, notes that many of the girls coming into her store are seeking light-colored dresses for the big night.

“Many of the girls are opting for pastel colors particularly in yellows, blues and greens,” says Kadoo whose Bella Bridal offers exclusive looks for prom and annually participates in WBHS’ prom show. “We’ve seen a few go for red, but light colors have definitely been the most popular this year.”

Another trend the Bella Bridal proprietor has seen in recent years is a move toward short prom dresses.

“In the past, all the girls wanted long dresses, but in these last two years we’ve seen that change,” she says.

Ashley St. Dennis, manager of Windsor Fashions in Auburn Hills, agrees.

“More and more we’re seeing girls opt for short dresses,” she says. “During the past few years we’ve also seen more girls opting for strapless or halter dresses.”

While trends guide many in their prom dress selection, many other girls choose to depart from what’s popular.

“Prom dress styles are still all across the board,” says St. Dennis.

Kadoo agrees. “Some girls want short, others long. Some want their dresses to have lots of beading; others none at all.”

Elena Zerin, 18, of West Bloomfield strayed from the norm with her purchase of a prom dress from a thrift store. She wore the dress when she attended North Farmington High School’s prom last year.

Zerin, who graduated from Andover High School in 2010, purchased the dress from Value World in Oak Park. The fitted blue sequined number cost Zerin somewhere in the neighborhood of $8-$10. By comparison, her friend’s dress cost $200.

"It was fun to wear something crazy,” notes Zerin who regularly shops at thrift stores. “It was really unlikely that someone else was going to be wearing that same dress. I think people throw out a lot of awesome clothes. “

And Zerin has been able to wear the dress again. "I've worn it outside of prom, to family dinners and stuff," says Zerin who plans to wear a different thrift store dress to her brother’s wedding.  "That one is a bit more conservative."

Guys make their statement

High school girls aren’t the only ones looking to make a statement with their prom attire. Bruce Henderson, store manager of in West Bloomfield, is in the midst of helping WBHS boys make their fashion statement for the big night.

“By far the most popular coat style is the two-button jacket with notch lapel,” he says.

Henderson notes that the boys tend to match their ties and vests with the color of their date’s dress.

“That means we’re renting out lots of pinks, oranges and yellows,” he notes. “The tropical colors are hot right now.”

For those really looking to make a statement, President Tuxedo offers powder blue and light orange tuxedos modeled after those worn by Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne, characters played by Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels in the 1994 comedy “Dumb and Dumber.”

“Once in a while those get rented out,” Henderson says. “But those tuxes that are never over-rented.”

Prom shopping trends

When it comes to how girls shop for their prom dress, local business owners observe trends there as well.

“Some girls come in to look for dresses with their girlfriends,” says Kadoo. “But most come in with their moms. After all she’s the one paying.”

As for who makes the decision as to the guy’s prom attire, Henderson says it’s typically his date or his mom.

“He’ll be the one to pick it up, but he’s often not the one to pick it out.”