Prom Dress Shopping Simplified
(Explore is excited to showcase the work of the Marshfield High School journalism club! This article comes from editor-in-chief Bailey Cichon, a junior at MHS.)
Prom is arguably the most formal event a high school student attends, and as a result, teens put a great deal of importance on it. There is pressure to have the best date, the best ride to prom, and of course, the best dress.
With the constant accessibility in online shopping, it may be tempting to scour the internet for prom dresses. But when a dress is purchased online, there is no opportunity to see how it looks and fits until after it is purchased.
Some impressively low-priced dresses found on the internet cost so little because the designers fail to include the appropriate under layers to the dress. Ball gowns especially should have crinoline underneath layers upon layers of tulle, which creates the ball gown shape. Although seven layers of tulle can become pricey, it ultimately achieves the princess look that many girls want on their prom night. It’s best to shop in person when buying a prom dress.
Marshfield is fortunate enough to have a boutique that sells prom dresses. Jenny Kilty, the owner of Circle the Date, said, “We always try really hard here to make an experience. We help them pick out their dresses. It’s not just selling a girl a dress, it’s selling her an experience. We’re selling memories.”
When trying on prom dresses, it’s important to try on multiple silhouettes of dresses. Ball gowns are the most popular style of dress for prom, but prom attendees are not limited to a certain style.
“Some girls come in and say that they’re only a sophomore so they can’t wear a poofy dress,” continued Kilty. “I always say, to me, there aren’t really any rules to prom. You only have four years of high school to go to dances and get all dressed up in big, fancy dresses. After that, you don’t really get to do that again. I really feel that every year you should get the dress you love, regardless of what year of school you are.”
“Don’t look at size, try a lot of different things on. I take pride that I carry a variety of sizes. We carry sizes 0-28,” said Kilty. “What we have in stock is not everything that we offer. We can order lots of different colors and sizes.”
Circle the Date offers current season dresses from both Mori Lee and Mac Duggal.
“We picked up Mac Duggal this year and they have some more bold, unique patterns. Mori Lee is trying to go away from ball gowns, so most of their dresses are more of a slim dress or a two piece; but this area still has a high demand for some big ball gowns.”
Some of the biggest prom trends right now are graphic floral prints, floral embroidery, two-piece dresses, and high necks. Prom dresses are also starting to have pockets sewn into the skirt.
“We do have camo dresses,” said Kilty. “We sell about ten a year.”

It’s important to start shopping early for prom dresses. Boutiques such as Circle the Date only have a small timeframe in which to order a dress that will arrive in time for prom.
“We need about six weeks for alterations. As soon as you get your dress you want to start your alterations,” added Kilty.
“We register our prom dresses. We will not sell the same dress in the same color to the same school twice. We will, however, sell a dress in a different color,” said Kilty.
A Prom Registry is a blessing for those worried about another girl wearing the same dress as them. Although, with the prom registry in place, it’s important to shop early to secure the dress before another student from the same school buys the dress first.