In the 1980s, many of our mothers were in our sparkly shoes, putting on their makeup and dressing up for their high school prom. Let’s take a look at some of their photos, and how fashion trends have changed and evolved, developing today’s prom styles.

In the 80s, strapless or puffy sleeved dresses were all the rage. And of course the big hair. Their bright gowns replicated a princess’s look with their ruffled skirts.

Starting on the left, Stephanie Friscia, Ashley Jones, and Connie Carson are pictured here at an after party. Photo taken 1985.

3/4 length dresses were also popular, with black or white sheer tights underneath.  Many girls also wore gloves (preferably fingerless!).

Next, let’s compare mother, daughter dresses!

On the left is Connie (photo taken 1985) before her senior prom. She is wearing a silky, black, strapless dress with a large, white bow, and white, fingerless gloves. On the right is her daughter, Paige (25′), posing with Connie before her own senior prom. She is wearing a navy, sequin dress with spaghetti straps and a mermaid shape skirt.

                                                                                                      Next up is Laura on the left (photo taken 1988) and her daughter, Gigi (25′), on the right. Laura’s wearing a metallic silver dress with the iconic teased hair. Her daughter is wearing a halter dress with an open back and column fit rather than her mother’s slightly puffed out skirt and strapless top.

Lastly, one with couples! On the left is Laurie (photo taken 1985) with a white gown featuring ruffly off-the-shoulder sleeves, a flowy skirt, and white gloves to match. On the right is her daughter, Sofia (25′) wearing a green dress with similar sleeves to her mother, silky fabric, and a straight skirt with a leg slit. The two dates have similar outfits, but the bowtie on the left has since evolved to a tie to match the girl’s dress.

In conclusion, we can see that prom dresses have shifted away from flouncy skirts to more straight, floor length gowns. Fabric is more likely to be decorated with glitter or sequins instead of a metallic finish or lace accent. While strapless dresses are still popular, thick and thin straps are featured more often, especially with an open back. Overall, no matter the style or trend of the time, each of these beautiful pictures represents a staple in a young girl’s life.

P.S. If you’ve never seen your mother’s photos from high school, I highly recommend asking her to show you her prom photos. See if she was on trend or maybe even ahead of her time!