Endless hours of scrolling websites, driving miles to other cities, and trying on hundreds of dresses all come with the journey of prom dress shopping. Only then come the difficult decisions of silk or lace, plain or sparkly, open back or closed, and–most importantly–the color. Picking the perfect prom dress can be easy for some, whereas for others, it takes hours to decide. 

   On March 4, senior Trini Rojas walked into Leslye’s Boutique to see the walls lined with dresses of all colors, cuts, and material. Walking down the rows, one dress in particular caught her eye. Although it wasn’t her imagined color, she tried it on. To her surprise, the fit and size were perfect! The only thing missing was the perfect color. Luckily, the store allowed her to order the same dress but in the color she wanted. She explained, “It just took me one day to find the dress. I liked it so much, I was sure it was perfect”. All that was left for Trini was to wait until March 30th for the dress to arrive and count down the days until prom night.

   Scrolling for hours was the route senior Emily Suyama decided to take in March. The websites Revolve, Beginning Boutique, Prom USA, and Jovani were some of the multiple tabs lined across her computer screen. She viewed hundreds of dresses and imagined herself in almost all of them. One dress was ordered online, but didn’t satisfy her in person. To make matters even worse, she was not only looking for a dress for Charter’s prom, but West Broward’s as well. Still on the hunt for the perfect two prom dresses, she began her search in person.

    March 30th came and went for Trini, and still no dress was delivered to her doorstep. Anxiety and worry incremented as she faced reality. With no dress and prom only a month away, she would have to make new plans.  She explained, “I haven’t picked a new one. I’m still working on trying to get the same one.” Hopefully, time and luck will be on Trini’s side this prom season. Regardless of what dress she does end the night in, it will surely be one to remember. 

   Now, as Emily walked into the store, her eyes glanced frantically around the abundance of dresses in search for the perfect two. “Having to look for two dresses almost made everything easier because I didn’t just have to pick one I liked”, Emily highlighted. She found a total of four suitable dresses but fell in love with two of them. Having the dresses she needed for the two occasions caused an immediate sense of relief. 

   The journey of prom dress shopping is an art–it takes time, patience, and a keen eye. These girls and all the others who will be attending proms are sure to light up the floor with their beautiful gowns, all dresses unique to the wearers and surely the perfect fits!