Kennedy’s prom is on Saturday, May 13 and girls are already shopping for and purchasing a perfect prom dress. The grand march will be held before the dance, allowing family and friends to watch students walk across the stage to show off their beautiful dresses.

Prom dresses come in many different styles, prices, and colors. Throughout the years, these dresses that girls choose to wear to their high school prom have greatly changed.

“In the 1970s, ladies didn’t spend hundreds of dollars on their hair, nails, or even prom dresses,” Kennedy faculty member Kathy Ulch said.

Ulch, the associate principal’s secretary, remembers that she “settled with my second choice dress of $35 which was a cream-colored eyelet gown, accented with tiny floral bouquets.”

Teacher Nicole Wildeboer remembers how she wore a dress designed by her aunt. “My aunt is a seamstress and designed a short, blue and white dress for my cousin in 1993. I loved it so much, I then wore it in 2005 to my high school prom.”

Back in the 1900s, some high school prom dresses were even known to be short, like a homecoming dress you would see at a dance today. Nowadays, girls often choose dresses that may cost a couple hundred dollars.

Preparation in finding a prom dress can be fun and there are numerous dresses and styles to choose from. Often, girls begin their shopping months in advance.

Morgan Micheals, sr., bought her prom dress for $750 in Chicago. “It was the first dress I tried on and instantly fell in love with it,” she said.

It could take girls trying on one dress or many until they find the perfect one to wear. Sometimes girls may not have to try on many because they know when the dress is right for them.

“I tried on three more dresses after trying on the red one I loved and none of them fit quite right, I was lucky to fall in love with the first dress I tried on,” Rockey Green, sr., said.

At times it can be difficult to choose between multiple dresses. Differences between the dresses and their costs might sway final decisions.

“It was hard to decide between which dress I liked better on me and the amount of money that the dress was compared to the others I liked,” Calysta Heunisch, sr., said. She eventually made her final choice.

“I’m excited to dance with my date and to see everyone’s dresses at the grand march,” Heunisch said.

Prom is known to be a night to remember as it is seniors’ last dance of their high school careers. Girls will often choose a dress that is special and monumental to mark the occasion and make the night memorable.

“Everyone said I looked like my mom when trying on my dress, and my mother is so beautiful,” Green said. “I can’t wait to wear it to prom.”

Faculty flashback: Prom dresses then….

Gallery • 3 Photos

Rachel Collins, a Kennedy counselor, wore a stylish, classic black and white gown to her high school prom.