A History of School Proms
Posted on June 11, 2009 - Filed Under Arts and Entertainment
In the late 1890s, a diary that belonged to a student at Amherst College noted that he had been invited to an early prom at the neighboring Smith College for women. School proms were considered simple events during the early 1900s, where everyone just wore their Sunday best and no one even thought of purchasing an outfit strictly for that one affair.
However in the 1920s and 30s, this special school day started to become a little more elaborate. Students started showing up in cars, they bought new party clothes and they danced to prom music that was played by a band. It wasn't too long before they started dressing up a little more and started thinking about formal dresses and prom gowns.
When America's economy started to boom after the war, the school proms in the 1950s started developing into more extravagant affairs. The girls started taking their outfits more seriously and began to shop for the perfect prom dress. The Prom queen competition began to be more important as girls started searching for the perfect dress and the perfect date that would hopefully lead to being more popular.
Around the same time when proms became more important socially, the venues also moved from high school gyms to country club banquet halls, hotel ballrooms and just about any other type of “fancy” or upper class location that could be found and rented. This, of course, led to even more financial pressure for some, as it meant the perfect prom night was getting more expensive to attend. There were prom gowns, prom shoes, makeup, hair appointments, tuxedos and corsages, as well as the popular limo to be rented for the night.
Today, however, high school proms have become more elaborate and extravagant, which also means more expensive. The amounts can add up quickly when you consider all of the expenses. Often the school proms are made into all night affairs. In order to curb the chances of accidents or alcohol involvement there may be after this special school day parties.
Sometimes these are held back at the school and booths are set up to offer food and activities, and are usually chaperoned by parents. Additionally, often several parents will get together and volunteer their homes and they offer certain food choices and activities after this special school day.
The students simply go from house to house, with some parents volunteering to drive the students to the different homes. This is a good way for the students to continue to enjoy their evening without trouble.
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