Styles May Change but the Tradition Remains

Even with prom for many area schools just a few weeks away, there’s still time to prepare.

In style this year are bright or bold colors and free-flowing or ruched styles with a lot of bling, plus some traditional standbys.

“We’re seeing some of everything,” said Linda Villalobos of Jess Fleur Fun, a boutique in downtown Waukesha that features nationally recognized dress lines for prom, in addition to their business of custom-designed floral arrangements.

Gone are the pastel prom bombs of long-ago eras. Dresses for today’s girls are sleek and fitted, sometimes asymmetrical, with or without a small mermaid tail, or chic and free-flowing, with patterns, bold designs, all with lots of bling, on the shoulder straps, neckline or even the waist and skirt.

“Everything is going out the door, from poof to the form-fitting styles,” Villalobos said.

Updated colors are bold – dark jewel tones, gray, teals and “fuchsia is always hot” – or unique in some way, such as the paler, multi-colored, floral-patterned dress chosen by a customer from Hartland.

Most girls in the area are still choosing long dresses for prom, although on the west coast shorter, sassier styles are becoming popular.

However, one tradition that remains is shopping for a prom dress with mom.

Mary Jo Martin and daughter, Kayla, a senior who is attending prom at Nathan Hale this year, visited the store Saturday morning. They noticed the store last weekend while in town visiting a relative.

Villalobos, her partner Mindy Rutta and Rutta’s daughter, Carly, were on-hand to help critique Kayla’s dress selections. The ladies were busy Saturday morning preparing a wedding but not too busy to share encouraging words and oohs and aahs for particularly good dresses, causing Kayla to laugh and blush.

“You’re so cute!" Kayla was told.

Shopping for dresses was fun but mom and daughter were a little nervous about Kayla’s prom. Martin said that she asked her daughter about dinner plans and other details, however, nothing is settled yet since Kayla was asked just a few days ago.

But Martin was happy to be included in the milestone trip.

“She could have booted me, but she didn’t,” she said.

After Jess Fleur Fun, the pair was going to visit Lares, another shop in downtown Waukesha.

There’s still plenty of time before prom to have fun finding the right dress.