FLMORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Kurt Nagamine, left, and Joy Yamamoto chose formal attire for the Hawaii Baptist Academy junior prom at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider Hotel Saturday. Yamamoto holds a wand bouquet fit for a princess.
A sweet and simple wristlet or lei exchanged as a token of affection once sufficed for proms. It was enough for what it is: a formal school dance. But these days, simplicity is out. Extreme is in.
Simplicity is out and extreme is in
Dresses from vintage to glamorous
when it comes to floral accessoriesStories by Nancy Arcayna
narcayna@starbulletin.com
Proms are becoming more elaborate than weddings, according to Fay Teruya, of Leeward Florist, who says that in addition to rhinestones, butterflies and fancy chiffon ribbons, "we also get lots of request for glitter, used on the tips of the roses."
Here are arrangements that are in demand, and with approximate costs: Most popular
For girls:
Wristlets: $15 and up
French bouquets: $35 to $65
Wand bouquets: $50 to $65
Cascading bouquets: $50 and upFor guys:
Maile leis: $20 to $30; maile with roses: $38 to $50
Boutonnieres: $7 to $25
Teruya said some girls want bouquets that are larger than a bridal bouquet.
The florists know how important prom night is for their young customers, so they try to work with them to make their corsages, bouquets and boutonnieres special, but Teruya said she often finds herself encouraging girls to order a minibouquet that is easier to carry around over several hours.
In the Leeward area, the most commonly ordered flowers are French or hand-tied bouquets comprising of roses or lilies. "Wand bouquets on a stick are also getting very popular," Teruya added.
The bulk of orders at Kailua Florist are for red roses, according to Pam Wilhelm. The newest thing in Kailua is requests for hand-tied bouquets. "The bouquets are more natural-looking; it's definitely a more casual look."
Presentation bouquets that are wrapped in cellophane and similar to what Miss America carries during her winning sashay down the runway are also popular with girls who want them for prom photos, Wilhelm said.
Tammy Kaku, of Honolulu Florist, has seen an abundance of elaborate orders this year. Most girls order round French bouquets, but she said the trend is moving toward cascading bouquets.She said another change since the days of Mom's prom is that girls are opting for spring flowers instead of roses.
In addition, sweet floral prints in prom fashion have a lot of girls ordering white flowers with ribbons matched to their dress colors, Kaku said.
Even though girls want the works, many of their dates find the flowers' cost hard to justify.
"It's impratical," said Michael Mayeda, a Castle High School junior who attended his prom Saturday at the Hyatt Regency. "The flowers are used for the pictures, then they just lay on the tables. They're not even held for one hour.
"My friend spent $70 on a bouquet and ... it was really small. He had to order it from the mainland because the flowers his date wanted weren't in season."
But the peer pressure to have the perfect flowers is tremendous. "It's all about social status. If you go without flowers, you're a weirdo -- an outcast," Mayeda said.
For those who have not yet made floral arrangements, he suggests heading for Safeway, which "has really nice bouquets for $20."
FLMORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM
Tammy Kaku of Honolulu Florist finishes a prom bouquet. Kaku also styled the bouquet of lilies and other spring flowers below.
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This year’s looks Prom is one of the biggest nights in a teen girl's life. And with the excitement come a lot of decisions. Where in the past, prom fashion has often been limited to one look -- slinky and fitted one year, poufy another, or Cinderella style the next with a fitted bodice and ball-gown skirt -- this year's top looks in prom fashion range from romantic and vintage to glamorous and wild, according to Lavina Wong, director of special events at Macy's.
in prom fashion
range from vintage
to glamorous
It's possible to accentuate your best features as it's OK for floor-length ball gowns to share the dance floor with flirty tea-length dresses. Styles are bare and showy with a variety of off-the-shoulder and halter-top styles accessorized with chiffon scarves for a little more coverage, which should make dads feel grateful.
Where: Macy's Pearlridge 'This Is It' department Prom Fashion Show
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Admission: Free
Call: 486-6701
A full parade of styles will be featured during a prom fashion show taking place Saturday in the "This Is It" department at Macy's Pearlridge. Makeup and hairstyling tips will also be offered.
Attendees will witness a sea of pastel dresses in various shades of pinks and orange, periwinkle and turquoise.
Then, after honing in on the perfect dress, head for the shoe department. This season's look is feminine, and you'll want to exit that rented limo with the flash of your strappy sandal. Heels are high and narrow, often with sexy lacing or the embellishment of flowers, ruffles or rhinestones, in a pearlized or satin finish.
A pair of special-occasion sandals at Macy's starts at about $60. Payless Shoe Stores also carries some of the trendy styles, priced from $12.99 to $15.99.
But it isn't prom if it's not costing Mom and Dad a small fortune. Mom understands you need to finish the look with jewelry. Chandelier earrings add drama suitable for a gown. Macy's has pastel and rhinestone styles that cost $10 to $55.
Rhinestone earrings at Claire's cost between $8 and $12. Necklaces run from $12.99 to $15.99.
At Claire's Ala Moana, manager Char Lum pointed out another phenomenon: Now that we're living in an era in which people dream of marrying a millionaire, she said: "Everyone goes for the princess look. A lot of girls come in looking for tiaras.
"It's a time to really shine, go all out and show off," Lum said. "It is every little girl's dream to be a princess."
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calendars and events.
