Who needs Pinterest when the big and small screens have fed us decades of prom inspo?
Most teen-centric movies and TV shows include a prom storyline, with characters often showcasing some of the most head-turning looks.
Kat Stratford (Julia Stiles) made her entrance in a navy spaghetti-strap dress while Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and Regina George (Rachel McAdams) paired their outfits with klunky medical accessories. Whether the characters made it through the night unscathed or in ruins, their formal wear has remained iconic in pop culture.
From Hilary Duff’s fairy-tale ball gown in A Cinderella Story to one-of-a-kind designs in recent teen dramas, check out some of the most scene-stealing prom dresses.
Regina George, Mean Girls
Rachel McAdams as Regina George in ‘Mean Girls,’ 2004.
Paramount Pictures
Only Regina George could arrive at the school dance with a fractured spine and “still look like a rockstar.”
While she didn’t win Spring Fling Queen, she turned heads — while barely moving hers — in a flower-crowned halo brace and the shoulderless pink minidress from the 1-3-5 store.
Carrie White, Carrie
Sissy Spacek as Carrie White in ‘Carrie,’ 1976.
United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock
Most people remember Carrie White’s (Sissy Spacek) handmade prom dress soaked in pig’s blood, and as a frequently recreated look every Halloween.
But before the incident, spending the night in her pale pink satin gown — which she sewed herself against her mother’s (Piper Laurie) wishes — made the shy outcast feel “like being on Mars.”
Devi Vishwakumar, Never Have I Ever
Ramona Young as Eleanor Wong, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar and Lee Rodriguez as Fabiola Torres on ‘Never Have I Ever’.
Netflix
Wearing a floral ruffled A-line ball gown, Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) heads to prom with her besties Eleanor (Ramona Young) and Fabiola (Lee Rodriguez) as her dates.
But after their limo driver (Ken Marino) accidentally runs them off the road, the soon-to-be graduates have an emotional heart-to-heart and decide to skip the dance entirely.
Lady Bird, Lady Bird
Saoirse Ronan as Lady Bird and Laurie Metcalf as Marion McPherson in ‘Lady Bird,’ 2017.
Merie Wallace/A24
While shopping with her mom (Laurie Metcalf), finding the perfect dress to match the pink streaks in her hair came with an emotional cost for Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan): She realizes her mother doesn’t “like” her.
Still, the rebellious teen proudly wears her thrifted frock to prom, ditching her pretentious date (Timothée Chalamet) and choosing to share the evening with her bestie (Beanie Feldstein) instead.
Rory Gilmore, Gilmore Girls
From left to right: Shelly Cole as Madeline Lynn, Teal Redmann as Louise Grant, Jared Padalecki as Dean Forester and Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore on ‘Gilmore Girls’.
Randy Tepper/Alamy
Not many can say they wore a one-of-a-kind look to prom, but Rory Gilmore (Alexis Bledel) did just that at her first Chilton formal, showing up in an off-the-shoulder navy blue gown her mom (Lauren Graham) pulled a back muscle while making.
Romy White and Michele Weinberger, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
Lisa Kudrow as Michele and Mira Sorvino as Romy in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,’ 1997.
Alamy
It was the late ’80s, so, of course, BFFs Romy (Mira Sorvino) and Michele (Lisa Kudrow) attended their prom in chic Madonna-inspired outfits.
Both blonde with black-dyed roots, Romy wore a sleek spaghetti-strap minidress while recreating the singer’s iconic clip-on high pony, and Michele rocked a black lace rendition of her 1984 VMAs look.
Marissa Cooper, The O.C.
From left to right: Cam Gigandet as Kevin Volchok, Mischa Barton as Marissa Cooper, Benjamin McKenzie as Ryan Atwood and Navi Rawat as Theresa Diaz on ‘The O.C.’.
Greg Schwartz/WB/Everett Collection
Never has there ever been a high school student as chic as Marissa Cooper (Mischa Barton). The girl was practically a walking Chanel ad from the show’s very first episode, so it was only fitting that she wore the designer on prom night.
It’s been almost 20 years since Newport Beach’s most infamous teens took on prom, and Cooper’s dress is still as envy-worthy as it was back then.
Buffy Summers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’.
The WB
As the name of the show states, Buffy (Sarah Michelle Gellar) always slays, but perhaps more so at prom, where she wore this lavender strapless dress with a near-magical shine to it. Fitting, right?
Sandy Olsson, Grease
Olivia Newton-John as Sandy Olsson and John Travolta as Danny Zuko in ‘Grease,’ 1978.
Everett
Cha-Cha DiGregorio (Annette Charles) may have won the dance-off — “Whose side are you on, Sonny?” — but Sandy’s (Olivia Newton-John) breezy cream dress made her the sartorial winner of the evening.
Brenda Walsh, Beverly Hills, 90210
Shannen Doherty as Brenda Walsh and Luke Perry as Dylan McKay on ‘Beverly Hills, 90210’.
Everett
Nothing screams ’90s teen TV quite like Beverly Hills, 90210 does.
So for the show’s answer to prom — the generically named “spring dance” — Shannen Doherty’s Brenda Walsh went for an of-the-decade black-and-white dress, complete with a big bow. It was such a hit, fellow 90210-er Kelly Taylor (Jennie Garth) also wore it.
D.J. Tanner, Full House
Scott Weinger as Steve Hale and Candace Cameron as D.J. Tanner on ‘Full House’.
ABC via Getty
Walsh wasn’t the only ’90s girl to go to prom. Up the California coast, San Franciscan D.J. Tanner (Candace Cameron Bure) also attended her own prom in the show’s final season, choosing a black off-the-shoulder dress that has stood the test of time.
Sam Montgomery, A Cinderella Story
Hilary Duff as Sam Montgomery in ‘A Cinderella Story,’ 2004.
Everett
When you’re going full fairy tale, à la Sam (Hilary Duff), don’t forget to have many layers of tulle, a mysterious mask and killer heels (that hopefully you won’t leave behind).
Elena Gilbert, The Vampire Diaries
Nina Dobrev as Elena Gilbert on ‘The Vampire Diaries’.
Bob Mahoney/The CW
For a more modern on-screen prom look, Nina Dobrev’s Vampire Diaries character went with a flowing, floral gown in a pretty pink-and-purple hue.
It’s so chic, we’ll forgive her for stealing it from Rebekah (Claire Holt) for the big night.
Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl
Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf and Chace Crawford as Nate Archibald on ‘Gossip Girl’.
Giovanni Rufino/The CW
Even Upper East Siders go to prom — and when they do, they look really good.
Though this black-and-gold gown initially upset Blair (Leighton Meester), thinking it was sent from Chuck (Ed Westwick) to ruin her night with Nate (Chace Crawford), she still wore it — and looked amazing — on the big night.
Mercedes Jones, Glee
Chris Colfer as Kurt Hummel and Amber Riley as Mercedes Jones on ‘Glee’.
Mike Yarish/FOX
The teens of Glee know how to put on a show, so it was no surprise they looked stage-ready on prom night — but no one perhaps more so than Mercedes (Amber Riley), who stunned in a tiered fuchsia gown.
Josie Gellar, Never Been Kissed
Michael Vartan as Sam Coulson and Drew Barrymore as Josie Gellar in ‘Never Been Kissed,’ 1999.
20th Century
Josie (Drew Barrymore) looked totally “rufus” in her Shakespeare-inspired dress (remember, the theme was “Meant for Each Other: Famous Couples Throughout History”).
The night may have ended on a sour note, but one thing’s for sure: “She’s not Josie Grossie anymore!”
Kat Stratford, 10 Things I Hate About You
Julia Stiles as Kat Stratford and Heath Ledger as Patrick Verona in ’10 Things I Hate About You,’ 1999.
Buena Vista/Everett Collection
We can’t watch 10 Things I Hate About You without getting emotional thinking about the late Heath Ledger, but this prom scene is one of the best — thanks in part to Kat Stratford’s simple navy slip dress, pearl necklace and piled-on-top curls.
Andie Walsh, Pretty in Pink
Jon Cryer as Duckie and Molly Ringwald as Andie Walsh in ‘Pretty in Pink,’ 1986.
Everett
Teen queen Molly Ringwald may have ruled high school in a slew of ’80s films, but Pretty in Pink was her only on-screen prom experience.
And with it came one of the world’s most iconic prom looks: a dress that featured lace, polka dots and, of course, pink.
Laney Boggs, She’s All That
Rachael Leigh Cook as Laney Boggs in ‘She’s All That,’ 1999.
Everett
In She’s All That, prom night wasn’t just prom night, it was the night of Laney’s (Rachael Leigh Cook) big, take-off-the-glasses reveal. And she didn’t need a flashy gown to show her true beauty — this simple black gown did just fine.
Bella Swan, Twilight
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen, Billy Burke as Charlie Swan and Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan in ‘Twilight,’ 2008.
Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate
When Bella went to prom, she did it her way — in a blue halter dress, a Converse sneaker and a cast boot. (She had just been injured during an epic vampire battle, so who can blame her?)
Ariel Moore, Footloose
Lori Singer as Ariel Moore and Kevin Bacon as Ren McCormack in ‘Footloose,’ 1984.
Everett
Ariel’s (Lori Singer) pink dress was an understated choice for the festive finale — when they finally get to cut, well, you know — and it’s also so iconic that Julianne Hough’s Ariel wore a similar version in the 2011 remake.
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