What Jasmine Tookes, Rachel Hilbert and 27 More Fashion People Wore to Prom

Spoiler: Victoria's Secret models cannot take a bad photo — even for a high school dance.

Author:
Fawnia Soo Hoo
Updated:
Apr 26, 2017
Original:
Apr 25, 2017

What I wish I wore to prom. A look from the Saint Laurent fall 2016 collection. Photo: Francois Durand/Getty Images

All around the country right now, fresh-faced, trend-loving teens are participating in the age-old rite of passage: dressing for prom. And judging from history, that means fully embracing delightful details like sequins, sparkle, feathers and super-trendy (and most likely really glorious) hair that might not stand the test of time, but that make for fantastic pics to reminisce about years later. (Ah, remember the age before Instagram and Facebook... )

A stroll down memory lane via photographic evidence is even more fun when it comes to today's tastemakers — but also proving that fashion people were always innately fashion-forward — from Monogram and Vena Cava co-founder Lisa Mayock and her on-point vintage (which experienced its own Kate Moss moment that night) to Teen Vogue and Allure Editorial Director Phil Picardi's mid-aughts Justin Timberlake vest situation to models Jasmine Tookes, Rachel Hilbert, Zuri Tibby and Grace Elizabeth's natural abilities to never take a bad photo. Plus, a few of us at Fashionista were team players in sharing our throwbacks. (To see what Alyssa, Tyler and I — plus, 15 other fashion people — wore to prom, head on over here.)

Scroll through the gallery below to check out 29 fashion people at prom:

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What Fashion People Wore to Prom

"One of the things I loved about this dress is that it had a little bit of sparkle. I always imagined prom being this magical moment where I would be super-glam. Of course, to a 17-year-old (and even at my age now), nothing seemed more glam than a long formal dress with some shine! As far as the prom itself, I had one of the best nights. I probably danced the whole night and I had a really cute date so I was feeling pretty good here."Photo: courtesy Jasmine Tookes

"I used to 'model' for a prom company in my town, and at the time all I knew was prom and bridal. Sherri Hill was a dream client of mine and for the big night I chose one of her dresses. Little did I know I would soon be working with her. Nor that I would hit three proms in a week. Needless to say, I didn't return to prom the following years, I got my fill!"Photo: courtesy Grace Elizabeth

"Here we are right before my senior prom in 1999. My awesome date was a good friend of mine and a bunch of our friends went as a group. My dress was an amazing 1930's chiffon and tulle gown that I found for $20 at an antique mall, with a vintage kimono on top. Thank God for that kimono. The bottom part of my dress shattered on the dance floor — suddenly I was wearing way less than I had started out with. It definitely made the night memorable."Photo: courtesy Lisa Mayock (left)

"My mom owned a bridal and formalwear shop on the square in my small town Texas, so I pretty much had free reign to choose any dress from any catalog. It's a two-piece and the corset is an iridescent denim purple with a rhinestone zipper. It was way too tight, so every so often I would have to go to the bathroom and unzip it to breathe a little. Not to brag or anything, but I was Prom Queen."Photo: courtesy Jenna Blackwell (right)

"Prom was so exciting for me! I remember doing my own hair and makeup and picking out my dress. I wore a strapless red dress with a feather detail down the back. The dress was way too big for me though so I remember having to pull it up all night! I have no idea why I look so angry in all of the pictures, but looking back on them now I can't stop laughing."Photo: courtesy Zuri Tibby (left)

"The white feather dress was for Hewlett High School prom and the black sequined tulle was for Lawrence High School. I actually had the black dress made. I would totally still wear both of these. I mean, who doesn't love a good sequined tulle or feather? I remember the post-party for the white dress [prom] was in the Hamptons. We were full-on Long Island strong in a black stretch limo and champagne. It was very 'Gossip Girl,' just without Chuck."  Photos: courtesy Aliza Licht

"So this was actually a dance called 'Starlight.' I can't seem to find any of my prom photos because literally all of my high school friends (and myself) have deleted any albums on Facebook from that point of time in our lives. Judging by this photo here, I'm sure you might understand why. This was taken in, maybe, around 2006 or 2007 — peak J.T. In 'Sexyback' — which explains the vest/skinny tie combo that I bought on clearance on Bluefly.com. Someone probably should have talked to me about my hair, but I was an Italian boy from the North Shore, so that was the look! At least my foundation was on point."Photo: courtesy Phil Picardi (right)

"I was really proud of this dress because I'd done a big princess-y ball gown the year before at my junior prom and thought it was time to do something a little more sexy and sophisticated. And I have to say, the cutouts and beadwork are still very on-trend, though I'm not sure that exact color of purple ever has been. I owe my date a huge thanks for going along with it and getting an exact-match bow tie and vest!"Photo: courtesy Jessica Chia (left)

"Prom was a huge deal in upstate New York where I grew up. It's what everyone looked forward to all through high school. I wanted to stand out, so I picked gold. I was already modeling at the time I went to the prom so I was in and out of New York City a lot. My mom took my shopping while I was working one day and I just remember going to so many stores trying to find the perfect one. I'll never forget it because it was exhausting! We ended up at some wholesale store and that's when I found this dress after spending two hours looking through inventory. The place didn't have a dressing room, so I tried it on over my clothes and looked at myself in the one cracked mirror that they had and fell in love."Photo: courtesy Rachel Hilbert

"I'm from Bay Area California, and my mom and I were visiting family in LA for the weekend. We were walking through the garment district in downtown and I came across this dress. I remember I wanted mint green (my favorite color) — and that was my real inspiration — and it was so great how I had unintentionally found it there. I definitely got it for a bargain, considering it was purchased on the street, however I thought it was the coolest dress because I got it in LA and I knew that no bitch would steal my look! And the interesting story is that the guy pictured in this photo left me at prom for another girl he was interested in. Good times."Photo: courtesy Gilleon Smith

"I fell in love with a pink Emanuel Ungaro dress that Lucy Liu wore on the red carpet for 'Charlie's Angels' and it was the reason I went to New York City for the first time in search of it. I wore it to four proms and pulled it out for New Year's a couple years ago for a laugh."Photo: courtesy Tanya Taylor

"This is a pic of me from my 1995 high school prom. I chose to wear an emerald green sequined dress (a dress I subsequently wore on my 25th birthday which was Halloween themed and I dressed as Tinkerbell). I thought the dress was fun, grown up and easy for dancing. I admit that it is still hanging in my closet although I haven't worn it in soooo many years. Too many happy memories associated with it."Photo: courtesy Alexandra Wilkis Wilson

"I am a native New Yorker and growing up in Brooklyn, you get to experience mostly everything. In high school, I was one of the popular kids because I was on the track and field team and my sense of style was very unique — and that attracted all the girls! I remember prom night like it was yesterday. I couldn't buy the suit that I wanted, so I ended up renting it at a way cheaper price. At that time, boxy oversized suits were trending, so, of course, that was the suit I got! My date and girlfriend at that time wanted to wear a dress that would stand out from the crowd. So she wore a purple dress and a Jimmy Choo shoes that she was dying to wear. It was our first time in a limousine and it felt like heaven. I wore these big Louis Vuitton glasses that were too big for my face and it was the talk of the night. Everybody loved it!"Photo: courtesy Romeo Hunte (left)

"I got kicked out of the private school I went to when I was 15 for being a smidge too rebellious, so my older friend Jennifer took me as her date to her prom. We wore coordinated black lace dresses that we found at the mall and danced all night in them."Photo: courtesy Jessie Willner

"It was the late '90s, so I was into the half-up-half-down hair thing, dark matte lipstick and chokers. I handmade the choker from these beautiful glass black beads (I wish I still had it today!) and my mum made my dress which was burgundy and short. I wore black velvet platform pumps to complete the look. Oh and my retro parents are in the pic with me."Photo: courtesy Nyree Corby

"My favorite dress from prom was definitely this pale periwinkle-grayish-muted lilac dress I bought at a store called Let's Go in downtown La Jolla, California. It's BCBG, and was a simple column with a shoulder detail/back strap that I thought was really cool and unusual. I wore it with simple black Nine West heeled sandals, Clinique Black Honey lipstick, and a cringeworthy French manicure. The dress is still in the closet at my parents' house, though I only wore it one other time. I think the color appealed to me because it reminded me of that lilac Prada dress Uma Thurman wore to the Oscars a few years prior to this dance."Photo: courtesy Hillary Kerr (left)

"I had never worn a suit or a tux before and the thought of wearing one to my prom stressed me out as a 16-year-old. I was all about comfort and went for a business casual look."Photo: courtesy Jacob Park

"I remember when I found this ABS gown on sale at Bloomingdale's in South Florida. To this day, I'm still a sucker for a red gown. I also still wear my mom's vintage choker and a big bun, so I guess my style is back to where it was 15 years ago. While our dates to the prom may not have been memorable, I'm still best friends with the girls in this picture (and we forgave each other for all wearing red gowns to prom, ha!)"Photo: courtesy Nina Alexander-Hurst (right)

"I wore a silk burgundy dress as I wanted to have a boudoir feel, hence my bra peeking out. As you can see from our semi-coordinated outfits, my friends and I all went for that silk 'negligée' vibe."Photo: courtesy Michelle Copelman (middle)

"I was so thrilled when the cute boy next door invited me to his prom. This was 1983, and all I wanted was a floral prairie dress with a lace-up bodice for prom. My mom took me shopping, and I was so thrilled as I walked out of the dressing room in the dress that I had dreamed of with little pink flowers and puffy sleeves. She took one look at me in that dress and refused to buy it. She tried to explain to me that not only was this the wrong style for my short, sporty physique, but that it was a trend, and I should always go for style that was more classic, more sophisticated, and more individual. She took me to another store, and even though I'm quite sure we couldn't afford it at the time, she picked out a beautiful silk dress. I didn't want to admit it, but the moment I put it on, it felt like a dream; the material, the cut, the color were like nothing I had ever tried on. After several hours of trying to convince me, and a few stops at the bar of the Chinese restaurant in the mall (for my mom), I finally agreed to the dress. That lesson has stuck with me to this day — you can't go wrong with understated, timeless classic design."Photo: courtesy Koren Ray

"I went to an all girls school so this picture is from the brother school, Chaminade's prom. They had a prom boat cruise that year where we all went into New York City to take a boat around the Hudson. I was obsessed with this dress. I got it from Milly and since it was a more casual dress, I wore it to death in college for sorority and fraternity socials. I'm pretty sure it's still hanging in my closet."Photo: courtesy Danielle Roever (right)

"My date, Caroline, looks young and cute. I love that she did separates with a boa and what looks like a really big cameo necklace. She looks a 1990s version of a flapper. I look like a wannabe Backstreet Boy who hasn't yet quit has day job as a butler. Like I am just about to pick up that tray of cheese and crackers in front of me and serve the other prom-goers."Photo: courtesy Brenner Thomas (right)

$"I went to Exeter for boarding school, so prom was not a huge deal for us, but it was still exciting. The dress was Tadashi Shoji, the clutch was my mom's vintage Chanel and the flip flops were a long story. Basically, I fractured my foot while walking down stairs on April Fool's Day. Unfortunately, I was stuck with an air cast and crutches (not the best look), while everyone was out enjoying their senior spring. Prom was the first day I was finally able to take the boot off. Since heels were out of the question, flip flops it was. My friend Win also wore his flip flops in solidarity!"Photo: Christina J. Wang (right)$

"Instead of wearing a long sparkly princess gown, I wore a short abstract print bubble dress by Diane von Furstenberg for my high school prom in Tyler, Texas. To make the look pop, I bought patent leather hot pink heels that my fun date cleverly color-matched to his vest and tie."Photo: courtesy Sarah Bray (middle)

"Prom was a big deal for us; it was the one school-sanctioned formal dance of the year and people went all in. Plus, we had ours at the Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier [in Chicago] and I remember the whole thing feeling very fancy. No one wore long dresses — I'm pretty sure only a few people from the whole 900-person graduating class wore gowns — and I got this dress at least a full year before prom. As I recall, my mom and I spotted it while shopping and immediately knew it'd be perfect, so I held onto it. And it still holds up! The white eyelet is beautiful, and you can't see that it had a thin layer of tulle beneath the skirt to give it some flounce. It's still at home in Chicago and I'd honestly wear it again if I had a reason to. I should note that I was also really into my hair, which was coated with so much hairspray that I could've spontaneously combusted at any given moment. And the shoes showcased some pristine pink ombre (!) and also made my feet bleed."Photo: courtesy Maura Brannigan (left)

"In 2007 Midwestern suburbia, it was practically a requirement that your prom dress be from BCBG. In a desperate attempt to subvert prom clichés — poufy, floor-length gown; pageant up-do — I tried to keep it classy, and became obsessed with this li'l off-white brocade number, which I was convinced epitomized class. Unfortunately, BCBG was a bit out of my parentally-enforced budget, so I tried it on in the store, and then my incredibly selfless mom (seriously, bless her) managed to track it down for probably half the retail price on eBay. What you can't see in this picture are the shoes: sparkly silver-and-cream T-strap wedges that were just the worst (and, as an added bonus, also super uncomfortable!)."Photo: courtesy Stephanie Saltzman (second from right)

""I found this dress the old school way... in the prom issue of a teen magazine. I had to go to look up the dress's fashion credit in the back of the publication, call a number (from a landline!) and find out where it was for sale in my hometown. The photo is a little blurry but what I love about this gown is the color (though, I wouldn't wear that shade today), the silhouette and the one-shoulder-strap detail covered in crystals, which matched my silver heels. Luckily, my prom date went to a different high school so I got to wear this pretty gown twice."Photo: courtesy Maria Bobila (front middle)

"The fact that I insisted on buying a new dress for every 'banquet' (my school's version of dances or prom) seems very high-maintenance to me in retrospect, but this dress from my junior formal was one I actually ended up re-wearing a fair amount at other fancy occasions. I was one of the few girls who decided to forego the floor-length option, and I felt super hip in my LBD and dark eye makeup."Photo: courtesy Whitney Bauck (left)

Jasmine Tookes, model and Victoria's Secret Angel

"One of the things I loved about this dress is that it had a little bit of sparkle. I always imagined prom being this magical moment where I would be super-glam. Of course, to a 17-year-old (and even at my age now), nothing seemed more glam than a long formal dress with some shine! As far as the prom itself, I had one of the best nights. I probably danced the whole night and I had a really cute date so I was feeling pretty good here."

Photo: courtesy Jasmine Tookes

Homepage image: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

What Jasmine Tookes, Rachel Hilbert and 27 More Fashion People Wore to Prom

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