Ethan Stark gets a feel for his prom outfit as Sisters co-owner Kelly Murphy checks to make sure everything fits correctly. While black is the most popular tuxedo color, co-owner Sandra Portner Quiring said gray is still quite popular.
NEW ULM — It's prom season, and with it comes new ways to dress up and hit the dance floor.
Sisters Bridal and Tax owners Kelly Murphy and Sandra Portner Quiring said there is no busier time of year than prom season. They accommodate wedding requests all year round, but prom only happens once a year, especially this time of year. The combination of both creates the biggest spike of the season.
Portner-Quailing said that while the effects of COVID-19 are still being felt, they were still able to attract relatively good participation.
“I don’t think we’re fully back to where we were before COVID-19.” she said. “It was better than last year. I think it's getting a little bit better every year.”
According to Murphy, the current trend in hip dress styles is bright colors, sparkles and sequins. Portner Quiring said prom-goers are moving away from simpler dresses and flocking to more detailed designs. Three-dimensional flowers that pop out from the fabric are especially popular.
Isaac Elekov (left) and Ethan Stark (right) stand in their completed prom outfits at Sisters Bridal and Taxes. Prom season is the best season for sisters because it gives them extra inspiration on top of the regular wedding season.
Purple, pink, blue, and red are the most popular colors for prom dresses. While purple and blue are very common as they are school colors, Portner-Quailing said pink, a popular dress color, has made a huge comeback thanks to the Barbie movies.
Portner-Quailing said wild prints and big cutouts are the main things she's seen disappearing when it comes to fashion that isn't popular.
“Currently, in some schools, [cutouts] Probably not very appropriate. ” she said. “There are Catholic schools in town, and there are MVLs. I think some of them are probably not a good fit for those schools.”
Portner-Quailing said gray, navy and other blues have become more dominant colors than black in recent years. Black will be back in 2024.
“Black is definitely making a comeback with a classic look.” she said. “Sure, there are still a lot of people wearing white or paisley jackets.”
These colorful dresses are displayed in the window of Sisters Tax and Bridal and reflect the current popularity of bright, eye-catching colored dresses. Co-owner Sandra Portner-Quaring said blue, purple, red and pink are the most popular.
Colors that are no longer popular include chocolate color and true light sand color. The surprise for the popular choice lies in the necktie.
“A tie with a floral pattern is fun.” Portner-Quailing said. “The guys and the floral ties are going to be like, 'Wow, are they really going to like this?'” They really like it. ”
A necktie is no longer an automatic tie of choice. Murphy said opinions on neckties and bow ties were 50-50 this year.
Murphy said she enjoys prom season because it brings something unique to the store.
“I really enjoy helping young people.” she said. “They bring a different energy to the business. It's so much fun to help them. It's a happy and exciting time for them, so they're happy and excited.”
