What the "Easter" Prom Dress Trend Reveals About Gen-Z
by Guest Contributor: Lucy Johnstone
This article was contributed by a member of our beloved Sustainable Baddie community. Sustainable Baddie exists in part to share perspectives outside of our own and to present a rich array of diverse voices. The opinions presented are those of the guest contributor and do not necessarily reflect or represent Sustainable Baddie’s voice, tone, and point of view.
As a high school senior, the last few months have been filled with college decisions, senioritis, and prom dress shopping. I’ve scoured Pinterest and TikTok to find inspiration for the perfect dress. In my endless search for a high-quality, sustainable dress that feels like “me,” I’ve seen discourse about the “Easter” prom dress. In contrast to the poofy, sparkly, bright, and over-the-top “regular” prom dresses, the “Easter” prom dress is characterized by pastel colors, floral patterns, and an overall likeness to what you would wear to an Easter brunch. While many people love the re-wearability and simplicity of this trend, it has also garnered its share of critics.
The controversy over this trend started in March, with many people posting prom transitions with their friends, only to be ridiculed in the comments with remarks like, “I wore this to church last week,” “Prom where?”, and “Love your dress for brunch!” People took these comments and ran, with many posters mocking the trend by “revealing” their short, casual, cotton dress. Older users have taken this opportunity to show off the neon, sparkly dresses they wore to prom with captions like, “I don’t get the new prom dress trend, prom is supposed to be about sparkles and extravagance.” Of course, everyone can reminisce on their high school days, but these videos are the equivalent of boomer “back in my day” speeches. Trends change and everyone should be able to post themselves feeling beautiful in their prom dresses without being mocked by their elders.
Not every millennial on TikTok is against this trend. Some users have praised the dresses for their sustainability. While they loved their sparkly dresses, they’ve been collecting dust in the back of closets for years and these “Easter” dresses can be re-worn to weddings, dinner parties, and, yes, even brunches.
This trend reflects Gen-Z’s growing interest in sustainability and re-wearability. These dresses are easy to thrift, less expensive, and their simplicity allows them to be worn repeatedly. However, a dress doesn’t need to be simple to be re-wearable. Sustainability can fit into any aesthetic and with a little creativity, any dress can adapt to different occasions. For example, I prioritized thrifting a re-wearable dress last year and I’ve worn the funky blue and green column dress from the ‘70s three times since.
I’ve found ways to accessorize it with different shoes, jewelry, and hairstyles to reflect my personal style and the event I’m going to. This sensibility is not limited to just me. Outfit repeating is no longer a faux pas, but instead, a way to express your creativity and show off your favorite pieces again and again. It is also very common to hear, “Thanks, I thrifted it” as a response to complimenting someone’s outfit. People take pride in their unique thrift finds and are prioritizing sustainability in their fashion choices. The “Easter” prom dress reflects this growing interest in personal style and ethical fashion.
Whether you chose to go the “Easter” route, the sparkly route, or you graduated high school ten years ago, I hope you’ll find ways to get creative and feel beautiful in your formal wear.