11 Tips on Being BEST-Dressed at Prom

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There are a few events that are as prominent in high school as prom, and whether it’s the explosion of youth culture from the 1950s onward or the lack of coming-of-age events, it’s very popular today. This is the time to mark the accomplishments of this school year and to make lifelong memories with friends. And what better way to do that than in style? Here are some tips and advice on how to be the best-dressed at prom.

Our goal with this guide is to help you navigate your options when it comes to prom style, so you have one less thing to worry about. After all, if you’re anything like me, you were still looking up “how to tie a bow tie” when the limo arrived.

So, with your outfit squared away, you can focus all of your energy and attention on making it a great evening.

1. Be Yourself

Jack holding a fence and being himself
Wear what makes you comfortable and happy with your own personal style.

First and foremost, you should be yourself. This won’t be maybe the most important takeaway from this video, but you really should wear what makes you comfortable and happy with your own personal style. And as you might expect, given our focus on classic men’s style, our suggestions are going to follow suit. These are going to be elegant, classic suggestions that come from the realm of classic menswear, and while we might support anyone going full White Tie, that probably won’t happen. But, if that aesthetic fits you or you actually want to go for it, we’ve made a comprehensive White Tie guide.

White Tie Guide

However, we realize that not everyone’s style will match ours, so just take these as our helpful suggestions. While we feel this is a good post to help guide you, we’re not here to dictate your style, but we would recommend that whatever your personal style is, you make prom the time to really elevate and make it look its best. This will help set the tone that this is a special evening and make it unique.

2. Understand the Dress Code and Stick to It

Raphael wearing highly informal clothes
Know and follow the dress code!

Traditionally, prom was a Black Tie affair. However, most prompts today are a lot looser when it comes to the dress code, and usually, this means that wearing some sort of suit will be more than acceptable. And if your prom has a very strict dress code, it’s best that you follow it; however, if there’s some leeway in the formality, you just have to decide which way you want to follow.

We’d also recommend that you plan with your date the level of formality that you want to achieve, so that way, both of your outfits are harmonious.

Your options are most likely going to be: Black Tie, Festive Black Tie, Black Tie Optional, cocktail attire, and business formal. Luckily, we have guides for all of these dress codes here at the Gentleman’s Gazette, and anything more casual than this is likely too casual for a memorable, formal evening.

Black Tie Guide

Once you have the formality down, you really want to stick to it. For example, if you’ve chosen Classic Black Tie, our recommendation is not to mix and match or try to follow a trend because you’ll look back and realize that it didn’t really look good. Some examples of trend-chasing would be: wearing a black silk bow tie with a gray suit, wearing a pleated shirt with a blazer, or pairing a tuxedo jacket with a pair of day trousers or, even worse, jeans. And once again, if you’re lost on the different levels of formality, we have a lot of guides to that here on the website.

3. Own or Buy Your Ensemble

You might not own a full tuxedo or a suit, and you’re thinking, “Well, I’m not done growing, so the best option must be to rent.” Well, that’s where we disagree. That’s because if you own something, you are more likely to have it fit better.

You can rely on a tailor to make minor tweaks to it. You’re not just getting a run-of-the-mill tuxedo that a bunch of other kids have rented, and you’ll get the added benefit of being able to wear it for multiple events in the future, like graduation.

Raphael sifting through a rack of suits
Owning your ensemble allows you to alter and make it fit you well.

We totally understand if you don’t have a budget for this, so that’s where we would recommend pre-owned or vintage garments. As quite often, you can find them for cheaper than rent prices. Plus, if you have latitude when it comes to formality, and you have to choose between either renting a tux or wearing a suit that you already own, we highly recommend that you wear the suit, and that’s because a well-tailored suit will always look better than a rental tuxedo. Trust us, we tried. Plus, if you already own a suit, it’ll be far more versatile for future uses, job interviews, graduation, weddings, and funerals.

If you’re going to stick to Black Tie, we would still recommend buying over renting as the fit will be much better and, because Black Tie is so situational, you can find some really good, pre-owned pieces; and that means you don’t have to return it or worry about late fees. Plus, if you like the look of Black Tie, you could end up wearing it to events over and over again rather than continuing to rent and throw money down the drain. And after all, if you own a tuxedo, you’ll find excuses to wear it.

Let’s say, you find a gently-used tuxedo for four hundred dollars and you wear it three times, the cost-per-wear is gonna be much less than renting.

Should You Buy It? The Simple Equation: Cost Per Wear

4. Keep Your Main Garments Sedate

You’re welcome to be free and bold with your color and pattern choices if you so choose. I mean, after all, it’s your event. But, in all seriousness, we have a much better guide for more creative Black Tie choices here; however, if you choose to go for a more classic aesthetic, remember that less is more.

Panels showing Preston and Raphael's outfits
Wearing colors and patterns that are too bold may not benefit you.

We’d personally recommend going with jackets and trousers in a more muted charcoal, gray, navy, or blue if you opt for a suit. These are somber, traditional suits that can be worn not only for an event like prom but for a lot of other occasions like interviews, weddings, and funerals.

To stick with this more understated approach, we would recommend that you go with a white dress shirt. This is the most formal option, and it will also help mirror the formality of a white tuxedo shirt; and as oxymoronic as it might seem, the more traditional and simple the outfit is, the more that you’ll stand out in a sea of people doing crazy things at prom.

Many other attendees will go bold and wear things that they will look back on and say, “Oh! Why did I wear that?” And you’ll come across as more genuinely confident as you know that your outfit will stand up to the test of time and is classic. And as Huey Lewis said, “It is hip to be square.”

5. Have Your Ensemble Altered

We always recommend having your ensemble altered. 99% of the time, tailored clothing does not fit well right off the rack. This means you’ll have to set aside some time to alter your clothes by taking them to a tailor.

Raphael talking to Kyle about alterations
Have enough time for alterations.

Doing this is something you don’t want to procrastinate on. Please don’t drive to your tailor the night before prom. Try to be courteous, call your local tailor shop, and ask them what the lead time is. Typically, it’s around two weeks to a month, so give yourself plenty of lead time.

Keep in mind that a lot of other people will wait until the last minute, so your local tailor will be slammed by all the other people who decided to procrastinate. Tailoring is a game of patience, and there is a chance that, after you get the garment back, you might even have to make a few other small changes.

Also, keep in mind that if you have an alteration that’s more complex, that will take more time for your tailor to do. And to know what your tailor can and can’t alter, you can check out our guide on that topic.

Suit Alterations: What a Tailor Can (& Can’t) Do

6. Coordinate With Your Date

Orange boutonniere and silk pocket square
Complement, not exactly match outfits with your date.

A lot of people find this to be rather cheesy – with the most infamous example being Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears matching denim tuxedos. However, there is a way to do this tastefully. We often associate this practice with a man wearing a cummerbund and bow tie that perfectly matches your date’s outfit. But, here at GG, that approach is way too matchy-matchy for us, so we have other suggestions.

These more unique and creative approaches will allow you to spend more time planning your outfit with your date. An easy way to do this is by picking an accessory that has a similar color palette or design element. This could be a boutonniere, a pocket square, and so on. And if you’d like a foolproof way to know if you and your date are coordinating nicely, check out our guide on mastering the color wheel. After all, it’s best to complement rather than directly match.

How to Use the Color Wheel to Assemble Superior Outfits

7. Add Personality With Accessories

Red dotted bow tie with white boutonniere
Add your own personal touch by being creative with accessories.

Speaking of accessories, it’s a great way to add some of your own personality into your own outfit and also coordinate as well. Some accessories that would be perfect for this would be things like your pocket square, socks, or neckwear.

If you’re looking to make a statement with a classic approach, a great way to do this is with a black bow tie. You might think, “A black bow tie? How boring!” Well, a black bow tie can have a lot of different nuances that can completely change the feel. You have satin, grosgrain, and even more creative choices like velvet for fabric materials.

You could also opt for a batwing or single-end bow tie instead of a more common butterfly. And if you’re wearing a suit, you can even take some approaches by adding in some collar jewelry, and you can check out our dedicated guide on those accessories, too.

Men’s Collar Clips, Pins, Bars & More (Jewelry Style Guide)

If you opt for a shirt that has cufflinks, this is a great area to make yet another statement. Cufflinks come in a nearly infinite variety of colors and styles, so it’s very easy to pick one that really speaks to you. 

8. Wear A Boutonniere

A boutonniere is one of the most overlooked accessories for men. Today, this practice has an often-forgotten historical precedent, and boutonnieres were worn by nearly every dandy back in the day. And since this is a special event, these are an easy way to mark the occasion.

box of assorted boutonnieres
Having flowers on your clothes isn’t exclusively a girl thing.

There are a number of different styles to consider, but we’ll give you a few. A red or white Carnation is the most traditional choice for most evening events, but you can opt for whatever best fits your personality. Remember, this is a great opportunity to coordinate with your date. If they opt to wear a corsage, you can find a boutonniere in a complementary color to coordinate them.

You can opt for a real flower or get one of our silk flowers that you can find in our Fort Belvedere shop. Want to find out which boutonniere best fits you? Our guide will definitely help you.

Real vs. Fake: Which Boutonniere Flower is More Stylish?

9. Incorporate A Theme

It’s becoming ever more common for proms to have a theme behind them. Some of the common ones will be “A Night to Remember” or “An Evening Under the Stars.” However, there might be even more creative opportunities for you and your date to coordinate based on the theme.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to mirror the color palette of the event; so if it’s an “Under the Sea” event, you might want to wear blues and greens, or if it has a more vintage feel, take some outfit ideas inspired from The Great Gatsby. But, try not to go too far overboard with your choices. After all, prom is an event to have fun, and it’s not a costume party. It can very easily go there if you go way too far down that road.

10. Don’t Skimp On Socks and Shoes

black shoes and burgundy socks
Pick a shoe that matches the level of formality and dress code.

Nothing will drag your outfit down more than having white, athletic, Nike socks and crummy, fake, patent leather shoes. To make an outfit really stand out, you want to pick a shoe that really matches the level of formality and dress code.

Personal story aside, I have seen many friends and family members whose kids or siblings are going to winter formals and proms this time of year wearing basketball shoes or sandals or Yeezys or the cheap rental shoes – not a good choice. If you want help picking a pair of great shoes that won’t break the bank and will be a worthy investment for years to come, you can check out our guide on that.

Best Men’s Dress Shoes Under $300

Socks are also an often neglected part of your prom ensemble. Picking a pair that is quality and harmonizes with the rest of your outfit is really important here. By doing this, you’ll really elevate your outfit, and the whole thing will really shine.

11. Don’t Be Afraid To Have Fun!

Lastly, have fun! After all, it’s really important to remember that you’re only going to be young once. I mean, I think back to my senior prom, and it was all the way back in 2015. If I could only go back and tell young Nathan a few things!

Young Nathan and his prom date
Nathan with his prom date–now his wife!

Prom isn’t an event that needs to be taken way too formally or seriously. After all, have fun and express yourself. Now is the time of your life when you really can experiment with your style, so have fun with it. When you’re a teenager, it’s okay to do wacky, unexpected, or bold details.

This is also important because you start to understand what you like or what you don’t like as you become an adult. Even if you end up picking out something that you really regret twenty years later, you’re going to end up looking back and laughing. 

I mean, Raphael’s done this, and even me. For my prom, I wore this really poorly-fitting, light gray tuxedo. It was just not a good look, but my date was beautiful, and I ended up marrying her.

Conclusion

Prom is one of the very few moments in life where you get to dress up, and it’s all about you. And while we feel like these tips are going to point you in the best direction, ultimately, you need to choose what you are comfortable with. So, go out there and have fun. Now is the time to celebrate.

Are you attending prom soon? What are you going to wear? Let us know in the comments below.

Outfit Rundown

Nathan's outfit rundown
Nathan in a casual spring-summer get up.
Finest Socks In The World - Over The Calf in Black Silk

Fort Belvedere

Finest Socks in the World

box of assorted boutonnieres

Fort Belvedere

Boutonnieres

Today, I am wearing a pretty casual outfit as we head into spring-summer here in Minneapolis. There’s still a bit of a chill in the air, so I am wearing a sweater. My sweater of choice is from NAADAM, which we featured in a guide to budget cashmere. It is their $75 cashmere sweater, which isn’t the highest quality cashmere, but I really like it because it’s warm. 

I’m wearing it with a university-striped Oxford cloth button-down shirt. It’s made-to-measure from Proper Cloth. My jeans are from Brave Star in the Strongman fit, made of Japanese selvedge denim.

My boots are a pair of brown suede boots from TLB Mallorca. I love these, and they get a lot of wear. My socks are from Fort Belvedere. They are our shadow-stripe socks in Prussian blue and gray

And although I know you can’t smell it through the screen, I’m wearing Creed Aventus as my cologne. It was a gift for my wife, and I love it.

If you’re looking for these socks or any other prom accessories like some black silk socks or a boutonniere, check out the Fort Belvedere shop.

Reader Comments

    1. Realistically, both are great options. There are many gems to be found when shopping vintage, but you’ll need to input the time to do so. And Fort Belelvedere pieces are an investment in quality that will hold the prom memories when they’re worn time and again.

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