Prom Dresses Through the Years

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1970: Belted Dresses

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The full skirt of the '60s and hourglass silhouette led to girls everywhere belting their prom dresses in the late '60s and early '70s. Can we talk about those chic glasses though?!

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1971: Babydoll Dresses

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We give credit to Twiggy's iconic 1970 Vogue cover for this cutesy trend taking over prom nights everywhere.

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1972: Empire Waists

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You're looking at the go-to dress style in the early '70s. Bonus points if your dress had a different fabric on the top and bottom.

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1973: Thin Straps

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Jersey material + barely-there straps = prom queen status. Spoiler alert: This one comes back around in a few decades.

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1974: Peasant Details

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We see you, folksy trim on a ruffled sleeve. Girls found clever ways to work in peasant details during this very special time.

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1975: High Necklines

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The high-neck, long-sleeve look of the mid-'70s was the only way to embrace your inner flower child on prom night.

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1976: Satin Dresses

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Things might not have ended well on prom night for Carrie, but the dress Sissy Spacek wore was right on par with trends of the time.

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1977: Pastels

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Whether you wore head-to-toe buttercup yellow or peachy pink was up to you.

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1978: Eyelet Lace

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The peasant trend of the '70s meant that eyelet lace was a go-to fabric for prom dresses. Rustic glam, I guess?

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1979: Halter Necks

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If you wanted to be the epitome of style and sophistication in the late '70s, you channeled Studio 54. As in, you wore a sleek halter style on prom night, and your date wore bell bottoms.

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1980: Big Sleeves

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Entering the '80s, we started to see that bigger was better—and this meant sleeves started growing a few inches upward.

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1981: Tulle Skirts

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Tulle, tulle...and more tulle. The more layers, the better. And a high side pony was appropriate formal hair, apparently.

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1982: Bows

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A big bow was essentially a requirement for all prom looks in the early '80s, whether it was on your bustle or in your hair.

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1983: Drop Waist Dresses

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The most common prom style throughout the '80s was a drop waist dress that gave way to a billowing skirt. Don't ask us why tho, because agreed, it wasn't always the most flattering.

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1984: Ruffles

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Ruffles became big—no pun intended—during the mid-'80s, because, say it with us, bigger is better!

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1985: Sheer Gloves

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'80s fashion was all about accessories, and by far, the most popular addition to any prom dress were sheer lace gloves.

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1986: Matching Dates

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Outfit coordination reached a new level in the '80s. We dig it.

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1987: Bubble Dresses

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In the late '80s, girls started opting for shorter styles—and the oh-so-popular bubble dress was born.

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1988: Iridescent Fabrics

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Shiny, shimmery fabrics were *very* '80s. These dresses definitely made it harder for your date to lose you on the dance floor.

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1989: Layered Dresses

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All. the. rage. Bonus points if they happened to be worn with white tights and flats.

I'm Cosmopolitan's Associate Fashion Editor and write about any and all trends, major celeb fashion moments, and why wide-leg jeans are basically the best. I originally moved to New York City to audition for RENT, only to find out that the play closed 10 years ago.

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