But for our money, the dresses that stick out in the best way possible are the ones that skew current trends and styles, and instead, go for a look that is a little more vintage-inspired.
Because, while current trends in modern prom dresses come and go, vintage styles that have made it to today have, more often than not, stood the test of time.
Plus, who doesn’t love a little good old-fashioned glitz and glamour in their prom dress?
If you feel like going with a vintage or vintage-inspired dress to prom this year, then you’ll want to take a look at these particular prom dresses for the right inspiration for your own.
Starting off our list with a dress that will really wow the crowd, we have this gorgeous tulle ruffle dress.
This dress for a simple, yet elegant design, with the only major additions being the ruffles around the shoulders, which give the dress a nice element of visual design that lets the eye follow the dress (and the person wearing it) very elegantly.
The immediate detail around the shoulders immediately draws attention to the upper torso and head of the person wearing it, before following this gorgeous dress’s patterns as a passerby takes in all the detail.
The embroidered patterns along the skirt of the dress, before cutting off into the clean, solid white fringe, are just the right amount of detail that you want to see in a dress that is both elegant and a little extravagant, for good measure.
This red and black prom dress is perfect for any girl that is going for a classy prom dress but wants to add a dash of color to the mix to help that solid color dress stand out.
Inspired by many of the vintage dresses of yesteryear, the color palette of this dress is simple, yet incredibly effective. Plus, the bow on the sash is just adorable and adds a little detail to a part of the dress that might otherwise look a little bare.
The lace floral design around the collar and shoulders of the dress stops the entire top half of the dress from being a single solid color, uninterrupted by only the red sash and bow.
Which is not a bad aesthetic, not by any means! But it does add a distinct element to a dress that might otherwise come off as too simple.
Now, if you’re going for a look that is all about glitz and glamour, you can’t go wrong with this particular dress!
As we’ve already established, sequins are a perfect way of getting a little extra detail, color, and texture in a dress. Now, make those sequins a shining metallic gold, and you have a recipe for a dress that is sure to stand out from the rest of the crowd!
This dress will make anyone feel like they’re walking down the red carpet.
Plus, it’s prom day! Why wouldn’t you want to feel special on this day?
If we’re talking about a style that is considered vintage, we have to talk about the comeback of floral-style dresses.
While arguably floral design, in general, has never really gone out of fashion, there was a time just a few years ago when floral designs, whether they were part of interior design, or a pattern on your dress or other clothes, when this would have been considered kitsch or tired.
Now, floral patterns have started to see a real resurgence in popularity, as people appreciate this simple addition to any outfit. Take this dress, for instance.
What otherwise may have come across as an overly simple black dress, with the addition of a floral pattern in the design that extends past the base layer of the coat, is now a classy dress that can be used at any classy event, whether it’s prom, a wedding, or anything else for that matter!
Pleated off-shoulder dresses have always had something about them that just makes them stand out from the crowd, you know?
Maybe it’s the fact that they have always seemed to be popular with high society, distinguishing people that wear them as out and above their peers. Maybe it’s the off-shoulder design, giving an unbroken flash of skin color against the color of the dress itself.
Maybe it is just that many of the designs that we have come across, like this one, are just really great dress designs.
Whatever the reason, off-shoulder dresses are both contemporary and vintage at the same time, and will help you stand out when it comes to prom too!
Now, if we’re talking classy, this is a prom dress idea that does the job with style (as every prom dress should)!
Once again, we’re back with a beautiful sequin dress, only this time, the color of the day is a deep indigo/navy blue color.
While gold is a great color for any prom dress, some people might like the more understated color of this dress. Stark, but not showy.
Great for showing your figure, but not in a way that leaves nothing to the imagination, this is the perfect balance of both high glamour, and pristine elegance.
Plus, despite what we’ve said about the color being understated, the sequins help give this dress a little shine when they catch the light of the room just right.
It’s a dress that is at home at pretty much any highbrow even, and one that you’ll want to emulate in your prom dress, if not outright own this one for yourself!
Now, if you’re going for the retro look, this is the dress to go for a 50s throwback with!
Like floral patterns, polka dots have never really gone out of fashion, especially when it comes to dresses and design in general, where there has always been an appeal that never really faded.
Perhaps it’s the colors that this dress goes for. The back spots against a pastel sky-blue are a pretty stark contrast, but one that combines that classic vintage pastel color set with a striking black that just pops from the dress in the best possible way.
Whatever it is, it helps transform what was already a pleasant vintage throwback dress design into something that stands out from a formula that might otherwise feel a little too samey when compared to some of the other vintage designs on this list.
Plus, the black bow around the sash and waist is just adorable!
This midi dress is the perfect combination of a strong aesthetic, combined with simplicity, in a simple package that looks great for any occasion.
The tie-dye aesthetic on the show here is gorgeous, for starters.
While tie-dye is probably best known for being used on t-shirts, and often with mixed results, with the right color palette and design, it also works as a pretty cool way to add color to midi dresses like this.
Plus, with tie-dye being a part of the counterculture movement of the late 60s, this also makes this kind of dress the perfect throwback style to where to a vintage-themed prom too!
So, if you’re looking to rock a psychedelic style, this is the perfect dress to rock it with!
While many of the items that we’ve covered here have had all kinds of incredible patterns and ideas, there is something to be said about the less-is-more approach that this simple high-cut skirt dress goes for.
It’s simple, yet bright color helps it stand out, but it also adds a very open feeling to the dress, especially with the cut-off shoulders and skirt design.
Honestly, there isn’t much more to say here. It’s a very simple dress design that, while not having the same glitz or glamorous look that some of the other examples have had on this list, still holds its own very nicely.
And finally, going in the complete opposite direction with our final prom dress entry on this list, we have this puffed-up sleeve mini dress!
The emerald green puffed sleeves and bow are the main attraction of this dress, which pop off against the black mini skirt part of the dress.
Despite how showy it feels, however, there is surprisingly little to this dress, which makes it all the more impressive in our eyes. Sometimes a two-piece dress is all you need to wow the crowd!
It is the perfect throwback to the puffy dresses of the 80s and 90s, and it looks great while doing it!
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, the vintage and other retro-inspired dress scene is certainly alive and well, if the dresses that we have discussed here are anything to go by!
Have you ever thought that you were born in the wrong generation? That you would have suited the 80s better? The 70s, 50s, or even the 30s?
Then welcome to my website, where you’ll fit right in. Hi, my name is Willa Price and I am a self-confessed fashion lover.
I specialize in vintage fashion at a designer label, and it is my dream job. I spend my days reinventing old pieces and reworking them into modern fashion trends.
Please, enjoy my website as you take a step back in time to relive the fashion evolution that we are still moving through now.
