Makenzie Adams ’26
As prom rolls around each year and photos of everyone’s dresses come out online, a popular question emerges. Why are solid color dresses the most worn year after year, and why does no one stray from them? For Makenzie Adams ’26 however, a floral dress was her first choice.
“Once I landed on this dress, I knew it was the one I wanted to wear,” Adams said. “I didn’t want a solid color. I just wanted this dress.”
Her vibrant purple dress contrasted with the rest of her groups, making it stand out beautifully. Despite not fitting in with her friend’s solid color dresses, Adams doesn’t regret a thing.
“I didn’t want to have something that everyone else would have,” Adams said. “Prom is once in your life, so I wanted something that I loved, not just something everyone else was wearing.”
Morgan Mannino ’26
Each year, sweetheart necklines or straight cut tops are the most popular styles for prom dresses. Not many decide to go the alternate road with uniquely shaped cut outs, however for Morgan Mannino ’26, a cut out top was the only route she wanted to take when picking out her dress.
“I was so happy with this dress,” Mannino said. “I got my inspiration for it off of social media, and the cut out at the top really stood out to me, making it an immediate winner for me.”
Mannino’s halter top dress stood out in comparison to her peers, making it extremely memorable. Despite having a sweetheart neckline dress picked out originally, Mannino doesn’t regret her choice.
“Although the overall base of the dress was fairly basic, I really did love the neckline, and didn’t want a dress that blended in with everyone else’s,” Mannino said.
Maeve Shine ’27
Jumping into prom early, junior Maeve Shine attended prom with a senior, earning her an early entrance to the prom experience. Sticking to traditions, she made sure her dress was short to distinguish herself from the seniors. Bought off of Revolve, Shine’s dress was floral, elegant and a breath of fresh air.
“I really just saw it on Pinterest and instantly really liked it,” Shine Said. “It was sold out for months, so I just waited, which was probably a good thing, so I made a Pinterest board with a bunch of dresses I liked.”
Planning far in advance, Shine wanted to make sure that her first prom dress was something to remember. For her, she wanted this dress to express the difference between her day-to-day outfits and when she has the opportunity to dress up.
“I feel like I don’t express my taste through my everyday outfits, so that’s why I put more effort into what I wear to these kinds of events,” Shine said. “Its a chance for me to show off what expresses me better.”
Gillian Byarski ’26
After numerous contenders, Gillian Byarski ’26 made an entrance with a dress that mixed vintage elements with a modern silhouette. Starting broadly with searching through Revolve, Byarski likes to narrow down the brands of dress to help her decision. This led to her fun and playful, fringe-forward dress.
“I initially found this dress a couple of months ago before prom, but it took me a while to pull the trigger and order a bunch of them,” Byarksi said. “Honestly, I put more effort into what I was wearing rather than my experience wearing it, just because I had planned this dress for so long that I never really planned the day I wore it.”
Challenging herself, Byarski wanted to show up in something not only something she had never seen before, but something that none of her friends had seen before. Although the color wasn’t anything too bold, the unique elements of her dress shone through.
“I felt like most of the dresses I was seeing online really didn’t fit my personality or I wasn’t completely in love with them,” Byarski said. “It was unlike some of the others I was seeing, and it looked like it would be really fun on the dance floor.”
