What was prom like in *your* decade?

[MIGrandma]

I went to high school from 1972 - 1975, went to a couple proms when I was an underclassman. Fancy long dress, went to the salon to have my hair done in an "updo", date rented a tux, date gave me either a corsage or a small nosegay in "prom colors" and I gave him a boutonniere. We went to a nice restaurant before the dance. Home by midnight.

Senior year my high school prom was the same night as my date's (who became my DH). Same as other proms for dress, hair, etc. I don't recall that we went anywhere for dinner first, maybe because DH was in the field until just before the dance (he's a farmer), I'm not sure. We went to my prom first for an hour or so, then finished at his prom.

All proms were held in the high school gymnasium, decorated by a committee, there were probably refreshments like punch and cookies but don't remember that. My prom theme was "Stairway to Heaven." They gave out little prom booklets with satin covers and tassles. Professional photos were always taken at prom, plus we'd pose for pictures at both sets of parents' houses before going as well.

No limo, and we didn't go in groups.

 

[MomofKatie]

1984- senior prom. All the girls wore floor length Old South style hoop dresses in pastel colors. Mine was mint green and I got it at the 579 Shop. I did my own hair and nails, but a lot of girls went to a salon for a fancy updo and manicure.

My date, who went to a different school, picked me up in his dad's nice car that he borrowed for the evening. A few of the rich kids rented limos, but the vast majority drove their own cars or borrowed their parents'. We went to an upscale restaurant before heading to the prom, which was held in the ballroom of a nice in town hotel. There was no food there, but we had a full band. No Prom King or Queen, either.

After the prom, a group of us had late night dessert at a fancy downtown restaurant atop a skyscraper hotel. We went to an afterparty, and I think I was home by about 3am.

The one difference today that I really approve of- kids feel fine going to Prom without a date, in a group. I missed my Junior prom because I didn't have a date- back then, it was unheard of to go stag or with some friends. You HAD to have a date, or you stayed home.

 

[mnrose]

1970's small midwest town. Prom was in the school gym, and before prom there was a dinner at the "fancy" supper club in town. It was a rubber chicken dinner. LOL! There were NO limos. Guys did wear rented tuxes. Girls had long dresses...some home made. It was "fancy" for the attendees, but it pales in comparison to what happens now.

 

[mamamary]

1984 - My senior prom - Loved it! My date is my current husband. I went to an all girls school so it was just my prom not his. My group consisted of two other of my girlfriends and their dates. My gown was a very light pink ordered from a bridal shop. Did my own hair and nails. My date rented a tux from a wedding shop. We ordered a limo for 12 hours. We all met up at my house for pictures and off we went.

The prom was held at the Waldorf Astoria in Manhattan. It was super fancy - or so I remembered. There was dinner and dancing. Then we hopped in the limo and hit a few clubs in Manhattan for dancing. I'm assuming they were clubs that you could get into if you were 18 cause the drinking age was 21. It was lots of fun.

Then the limo brought us all back to my school around 5am or so where they held a breakfast. Then the limo brought us all home. At that point we all showered and met up an hour or two later. We all hopped into a car and headed to Six Flags in NJ (it was nice at the time - I hear it's gone downhill) for a day at the amusement park. Not sure how we kept it going all that time but it was a blast.

ps - Prom theme was Heaven by Bryan Adams

 

[lovin'fl]

1991- Senior Prom

Went with boyfriend and 2 best friends and their boyfriends. We had ugly dresses (now they are considered ugly, but they were hot then...though not as skimpy as the dresses now ) and big big hair. We tanned the couple months prior to the prom. Our prom was at Martins West in Baltimore. They served dinner and had DJ and dancing. We took a limo to/from. Went to the Inner Harbor after, to hang out until curfew. Many of our HS folks went to hotel (right next to Martins) to party all night but we were serious with our BFs (I was engaged to mine just a few months later...but didn't marry him though and one of my BFFs married her BF at the time and are still happily married)...so we were more adult and chill after our prom.

 

[Christine]

1981: Big, poofy hair hadn't really started yet.

I went to school in a DC area suburb so our prom was at the Mayflower Hotel. My date and I went in his car, with another couple, to a restaurant and then went to the hotel ballroom for the prom.

He had a on a baby blue tux and I had on a pale pink cotton Gunne Sax long dress. It was not a good color for me!

Afterward, my friend and I ditched our dates and went out to party on our own.

 

[goofyintoronto]

1994: went with a male friend, and a bunch of other couples. Wore a little black dress. Rented a limo. Went to a fancy banquet hall. Food sucked! Had fun dancing the night away. The school had a block of rooms booked at a hotel. So after the banquet hall, there was more partying at the hotel.

BTW, our school never had "junior" prom....never even heard of such a thing.

 

[wendy46001]

Prom 1997. Over the top is a good way to describe it. A few thousand kids held at disneys contemporary ballrooms. Limo's, long ball gowns (some sleek other poufy), guys rented tuxes, DJ's, laser stage shows. It was all about going to the fancies dinner you could find (we ate at Victoria and Albert’s). Than renting a hotel room and parting the night away.

Don’t know why the hotels put up with it…but hey it was fun to teenage me

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

Junior prom was in 2001. I wore a purple dress and date rented a tux. Had hair, makeup, and nails professionally done. Some went tanning, but I didn't. We met some other couples for dinner at the country club. We didn't rent a limo, but some of the kids did. Not really the norm, though. Prom was held at an old hotel in our town that was no longer a hotel and just used for proms and weddings (think of the Hollywood Tower Hotel as that is a lot like what this place looked like). Danced and had fun with friends. Went home sometime around 11:00, I think. Some had post-prom parties and some even had co-ed sleepovers, but that was not my thing.

Senior prom was in 2002. I wore a black dress and date rented a tux. Again, no limo, but did get my hair, makeup, and nails done, again. His parents and my parents were friends so they all came over for photos. He and I forewent the country club this year and decided to just go to a local steak house for dinner just the two of us. Prom was the same and in the same location. When it ended, he and I went to IHOP to just talk. Then I went home. Again, I didn't do the post-prom parties that year, either.



Oh, and at neither prom did any of the girls wear short dresses. They were all long.

 

[njmom47]

Proms were in 76, 77 and 78.
My mom made all my dresses out of Quiana (that slinky shiny fabric).
I had a sea green halter dress (date wore white tux/black stripe, what was he thinking?), a pale peach sweetheart neckline halter dress, and an eggshell colored spaghetti strap dress (bf wore brown for both). We drove our own cars. One year I hosted a pre-dinner party with hors d'oeuvres and champagne. (and then we drove like 45 mins to get there!). All our proms were at country clubs (The Shadowbrook and Shore Casino). The last 2 proms I went with my boyfriend and we went down to the beach (Bradley Beach) with a bunch of other kids and drank. Got home at the crack of dawn.



Ok, so now you all know what I looked like in 1978!!!

 

[sj&k]

Went to both proms in 1987 and 1988 with my husband, who was older and already out of school. Junior year I wore a floor length white dress and senior year a tea length hot pink dress. The first year we met another couple for dinner at a steakhouse, the second year we went on our own to a seafood restaurant that ironically was next door to what is now my husband's office building. Took his car both years. My mother curled my hair both years with hot curlers and I did my own (minimal) makeup. I never got my nails done at all until my thirties so that was out, though I did try press-on nails one of the years-they were getting on my nerves and I popped them off in the car as soon as he picked me up. Prom was at a ballroom in a downtown Atlanta hotel-same hotel both years. First year we came straight home afterwards, the second year we went for a horse and buggy ride and then rode elevators in hotels with another couple we knew. Pretty tame and not terribly expensive.

 

[design_mom]

I went in 1990.

At our school, there was no option for buying single tickets, and all couples had to be boy/girl. I went with a friend, but we weren't really dating.

My mom made my dress (but that was because I had an idea of what I wanted and we couldn't find it). I ended up being the only girl at the prom in a red dress though. Pastel colors were popular that year.

I did my own hair and make up, but my mom took me to the Clinique counter for new lipstick and eye-shadow, and a demonstration on how to do an "evening look" for my makeup.

My date rented a tux and borrowed his Dad's sports car. (He wasn't very comfortable driving a stick-shift though, so I would have preferred to ride in his regular car... but he thought it was ultra-cool that he got to borrow the car.) A lot of kids rented limos and sometimes a few couples went together to split the cost, but I don't remember the huge groups of kids that I see in pictures today.

Our prom was held at a local restaurant/banquet hall (also popular for weddings). It was a dinner/dance. You had to check in when you got there and check out when you left (and once you left, you couldn't come back.)

A few families had after-parties at their homes, but there wasn't anything formal. We were invited to one, but my date had a newspaper route and had to be up really early, so he just took me home.

 

[NAB]

We never had a proms in our area, I graduated in 1982. I only knew about proms that were in movies. Might have had a formal dance but it was like any formal dance at a high school.

We don't do homecoming here either like you guys do in the U.S. Heck I'm not even sure I know what homecoming is only what I saw in movies too.

After saying that ....now a days they do have proms. Our senior prom is $65. not sure where it is being held. My son will do this next year so not sure .

My dd is graduating from grade 8 and is going to high school next year. They are having a dance in the gym with the three classes from the school. My dd did by a nice fancy dress for this but there will be know limo etc. The dance is 8-10. After a ceremony at the church to give out awards etc.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

1984: long dresses/prom gowns, tuxes, hair and makeup done professionally, limos for everyone, prom held at a country club. After prom everyone went into NYC to a club. The next day everyone headed to the Jersey Shore for the weekend.

The difference now (DD will be going to her senior prom this year), no limos or NYC after party. Now the kids are all bused to the prom location and bused back. No drinking either. If you are found to be drunk or have alcohol or drugs on you, your parents will be called and you will leave, plus suspended, etc. Our prom was 4 hours. DD's prom will be 6 (8 p.m.-2 a.m.) at a very nice reception hall. The next day everyone is still heading to the Jersey shore for a few days, except DD. Not into the party scene. Instead she's going to a graduation party for a friend she made at Girls' State last year.

Can't believe it's exactly 30 years after my senior year.

 

[RyMacJ]

I'm about the same age as JennaDeeDooDah, and our experiences are similar.

Junior prom was in 2000, senior prom was in 2001. Guys rented tuxes, black only (we did have one guy, the class clown, who wore a pastel blue tux and sported a walking cane with it). Girls wore long dresses. NO short dresses at all.

I had my hair and nails done, but my aunt did my make-up. Most people did tan, but I didn't. I'm very fair skinned and my mother wouldn't let me near a tanning bed (thank you, Mom). It wasn't the norm to get a limo. We went out to dinner before hand, but nothing fancy. I think junior year we went to Applebee's, and senior year we went to a local steakhouse. Junior year it was just us and one other couple, senior year there was about 10 of us who went as a group.

There were plenty of after prom parties, but I didn't go to any either year. Junior year my boyfriend was from a different school and I didn't want him to be uncomfortable (and he would have been, because the boyfriend before him was one of our school's top dogs, and he would have intentionally made the night awkward).

Senior year I went with my best guy friend because I didn't have a boyfriend. We didn't go to either of the after prom parties, opting instead to go to his older brother's apartment (we lived in a college town) and hang out with him and his friends. It was wayyy more fun than I heard that the parties were.

 

[Disneychick75]

Proms were in 76, 77 and 78.
My mom made all my dresses out of Quiana (that slinky shiny fabric).
I had a sea green halter dress (date wore white tux/black stripe, what was he thinking?), a pale peach sweetheart neckline halter dress, and an eggshell colored spaghetti strap dress (bf wore brown for both). We drove our own cars. One year I hosted a pre-dinner party with hors d'oeuvres and champagne. (and then we drove like 45 mins to get there!). All our proms were at country clubs (The Shadowbrook and Shore Casino). The last 2 proms I went with my boyfriend and we went down to the beach (Bradley Beach) with a bunch of other kids and drank. Got home at the crack of dawn.



Ok, so now you all know what I looked like in 1978!!!

My dress was made of this too, .

OP, our dates picked us up in their cars. We went to dinner, either at a restaurant or at a home, then we went to the dance. Everyone had liquor and some had other things- it was the 70's. After dancing a bit, people went their separate ways. My date and I went to the beach and attended several different parties. Others attended parties closer to home.

 

[EMode]

1990. Our Prom was held at a really nice hotel, no dinner. We had to go as boy/girl couples, no single tickets and no same sex couples (Catholic school).
Most of the girls did their own hair, make-up and nails. Most kids rented Limos but I ended up going with another couple and we rented a really nice car, I think it was a Rolls Royce.
Everyone met up before the prom to party a little bit, I'm sure we all told our parents we were going to dinner first. My friend's boyfriend worked at the hotel so he had a room there and I'm pretty sure I spent most of time up there drinking instead of at the actual prom. Then after there were more parties.
Things have definitely changed since I went, nobody cared who our date was, or how old they were and the teacher chaperones had to have known 1/2 of us were plastered but they didn't do anything about it. I had a great time

 

[msjprincess]

1983- gown, tux, limo, prom was held at a catering hall, dinner was served. There was a picnic that weekend.

 

[antmaril]

Senior Prom - 1969 - Yep, I'm old. My mother and I went to a bridal shop to buy my dress. Pink with an empire waist. Long gloves and a "bunny fur" over my shoulders. My hair was in a French twist with little pink flowers. My boyfriend (who I married in 1974) wore a black tux. We had a "Coketail" party for some of my friends at my house before the prom. We drank Cokes and my mother made appetizers for us. No limo. We had dinner at a fancy restaurant after the prom. Very fond memories for me.

 

[MrsDuck]

Went to prom in the 2000s... very fancy affair! Got my nails and hair done. Bought a gown, DH (boyfriend then) rented a limo, we went to dinner. There was also prom favors.