BOYS are using colour and casual footwear to freshen up their look on prom night, but their dates are the ones who are really calling the shots, sometimes from behind the scenes.
Brightly coloured shirts and coordinating ties and pocket squares are a hot new trend in formal wear for young men. But with all that colour comes responsibility: you don't want to clash with your date when you're standing next to her.
"They're already given marching orders on the colour of the shirt by the girlfriend," said Walter Dimini, a spokesman for Tip Top Tailors. "The whole thing is that the shirt must match the dress so that the prom photos look really good."
Dimini has also been noticing another trend - keeping the prom dress a secret until the big night. The girl's best friend, who has seen the dress, usually goes suit shopping with the boy to make sure his outfit compliments the dress.
Some grads are also choosing to wear fedoras or casual footwear, like Converse sneakers, with their suits. But Dimini warns boys not to take it too far - you don't want to upstage your date. And make sure the shoes are clean.
"Even if you want to wear Converse, it shouldn't be the ones that you wear when you're skateboarding," Dimini recommends.
Young men who want to look like James Bond at prom don't have to spend a lot of money on a suit, but they do have to take the time for a proper fitting. For the perfect fit, Dimini recommends bringing or wearing the shirt and shoes you plan to wear with the suit. A fitting at Tip Top Tailors normally takes about 30 minutes.
"If it fits well, it'll look like a million bucks," said Dimini. "It just makes you look smarter."
