Portland Prom Planner 2010 + Win a Benefit beauty package

By Karen Vitt, NEAT editor in chief

Brittnee Rosenblum has been prom shopping for weeks, and she still hasn’t found what she’s looking for. “It has to be perfect,” she said. “After all, it’s something you look forward to all year.” Totally! The day we met the Central Catholic High School junior shopping for prom dresses at Macy’s Lloyd Center, she had her heart set on a long gown. By the time we called her the next day she’d changed her mind to a short dress. This kind of indecision is pretty typical when it comes to shopping for the biggest event of your high school career, right?

Well relax, girls. We’ve got good news. We tracked down the best local fashion and beauty experts to help guide you through your Portland prom planning for 2010. We also got some great restaurant and limo recommendations, and talked to recent prom veteran Molly Voorhees, a senior at Parkrose High School, who attended her prom two weeks ago. Voorhees says her best advice is to plan and shop ahead so you’re not rushed at the last minute, and most of all don’t stress out. “Just have fun and be yourself, she said. “Stressing out is a waste of time.”

FASHION

Local prom fashion experts have zeroed in on two key looks for prom 2010: Vintage inspired, and long, glamorous gowns. “I was surprised,” Vorhees said. “A lot of girls like to wear short dresses, but a lot of people did longer dresses and lots of colors and prints for prom this year. There were old-fashioned Cinderella dresses, too. It was classy.”

We’re a little surprised, too, because we’ve seen so many stunning short dresses this year. But our experts at Blush Beauty Bar, Caché, Ginger Salon, Tower Bridal and Macy’s say most girls are inspired by celebrities, magazines and Oscar fashion, and this year’s most popular Portland prom looks are quite long on sophistication.

Caché at Pioneer Place has a staggering selection of long gowns in cool, watercolor floral prints (like Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Oscar gown), eye-popping colors such as purple and royal blue, or sleek black strapless numbers. We love this long Floral Zebra Dress, which is similar to the style Voorhees ordered from Tower Bridal (Voorhees is pictured here on the far right with her friends at Parkrose High School Prom 2010). Tower carries a limited stock of sample sizes so you’ll have a one-of-a-kind look, but you’ll need to order your dress in advance – which works if your prom is in mid to late May. They also say they’ve been selling more long, slinky bridesmaid dresses to prom shoppers than ever – and they have hundreds of those in stock, both long and short.

Macy’s Prom Shop carries countless long and short styles from Jessica McClintock, BCBG Max Azria, XOXO and more. Our absolute Macy’s fave is this long, strapless black and white striped BCBC gown (right). Other usual suspects for glamorous prom finds include Nordstrom, where this pale yellow beaded gown is a bestseller, and Saks and JCPenney, natch. Or if you can hold out for Sunday, April 25 when Zac Posen For Target hits Portland, you could snatch up the first designer gown in Target history.

Budget shoppers are especially in luck this year because vintage prom dresses are hot hot hot, and usually come in at half the cost. “There are so many people coming in for prom dresses this year,” said Joanne Burke of  Xtabay Vintage on Southeast Clinton Street. ”Vintage dresses are perfect for people who are a little bored with the same-old thing and want to try something more special.”

Xtabay has an amazing selection of party dresses from the 40s, 50s and 60s, so whatever decade you choose you’ll make a standout statement in the $70 to $200 price range. We also like Magpie, Hollywood Vintage and Red Light Clothing Exchange for gorgeous old-school prom duds for boys and girls.

Finally, a few rules to remember when choosing a dress: 1) Long gowns are beautiful, but shorter girls tend to look better in shorter dresses. Try the shops above or local boutiques Mink or Mabel and Zora, where you’ll also find great, one-of-a-kind prom jewelry from local designers. 2) A-line styles are the most universally flattering. Try an empire waist if you have a smaller bust. 3) Practice moving around in your dress before you buy. 4) And wear comfy shoes! You’ll take them off to dance, but it’s a long night and you do not want blisters at prom! We recommend cute kitten heels or jeweled flip flops.

BEAUTY

Guess who keeps an entire calendar of every Portland prom? Blush Beauty Bar! “We do so much prom makeup, and we love to get involved,” said Blush owner Deborah Haynes. The Blush beauty experts keep the prom calendar handy so they can staff enough makeup artists on prom nights, which take place some Fridays and most Saturdays from April 17 to May 22.

If you’ve never had your makeup done professionally, this is the perfect opportunity. Polished makeup is a big prom trend this year, likely due to the sophisticated and vintage dresses girls are choosing for the dance. Blush can help you find a look to match the style of your gown – a peachy, natural complexion, dramatic eyes or a glamorous red lip – and they can also set your face in place so it won’t melt on the dance floor. If you don’t know what look you want, you can flip through their big beauty books for ideas. A Shirley Temple makeup application costs $30 and includes free false eyelashes (neat!)

If you’re doing your own prom makeup, watch Blush Beauty Bar’s prom video for tips you can use at home:

Blush Beauty Bar
513 N.W. 23rd Ave., 503-227-3390
www.blushbeautybar247.com

HAIR

Just like prom fashion and beauty trends for 2010, prom hair also is more sophisticated this year. “Girls are getting more adult and progressive with their hair styles,” said Mandy Zelinka, a stylist and expert up-doer at Ginger Salon. In fact, Zelinka says many gals are becoming so sophisticated they are skilled enough to do their own prom hair, which they can copy from styles seen in magazines or TV. (That’s exactly what our Parkrose promgoer Voorhees did, by the way, getting help from her mom to pull her hair up into a bun with an orchid flower detail.)

Whether you hit the salon or style your own prom hair, Zelinka says it’s important to match your hair style to the style of the dress. For example, if you’re going vintage, you might use a vintage brooch accent piece in your hair. It’s also very important to find something you’re comfortable with.

“I love sleek hairstyles for prom,” Zelinka said. “Pulled straight back on the head and into a bun is good because they’ll be dancing and it keeps hair off the face. I also do a lot of red carpet hair, like loose, upswept chignons or simple side ponytails, which are a lot more refined.”

We especially love the ease of a sophisticated side ponytail (as seen on Carrie Underwood, above right), which is an on-trend style that could match most gowns – long or short, from any era – and also would hold up well throughout the night. Salon styling starts at about $50.

Ginger Salon
1720 N.W. Lovejoy St., No. 215; 503-546-4689
+ 1319 N.E. Fremont St.; 503-867-8577
www.gingersalon.com

DINING OUT

Ok, you’re all dressed up and ready to rock, so where ya gonna roll for din? Brittnee Rosenblum and her friends want sushi for prom dinner, which is yet another sign that teens are getting more sophisticated. We advised her to check out Sinju in The Pearl District, which is a beautiful and centrally located sushi choice. But for the rest of y’all with more traditional tastes and modest spending abilities, we recommend one of Portland’s cool, old-school steakhouses or somewhere to carbo-load on pasta before a long night of dancing.

Ringside Steakhouse (right) has been serving prom couples since 1944, so you’ll be served traditional appeal with your excellent meal. This is our top-end prom dinner choice, with entrees in the $20-$40 range and a super convenient downtown location. For more affordable tradition – and decor to match your vintage prom gown – try Clyde’s Prime Rib on the east side, where you’ll cozy up in ginormous red leather booths while they carve prime rib right at your table, and dinner entrees run about $15-$35.

Molly Voorhees dined at downtown Portland’s Romano’s Macaroni Grill before her prom, which is a simple, traditional and affordable upscale Italian joint that would please most teens. She said a lot of her friends went to Red Robin or Olive Garden, but as a champion of local establishments we recommend instead you try pasta at DeNicolas Restaurant, an Italian classic on Southeast Powell Boulevard; Northwest cuisine in a waterfront setting at McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside at the Marina (right); or Papa Haydn in Northwest Portland, which is sophisticated without being stuffy (and you have our permission to skip straight to the amazing desserts).

One prom trend we didn’t expect this year? A lot of girls are not taking dates, and therefore they’re not even going out to dinner. They’re meeting at the dance instead, and saving their money for group bowling afterward. Brittnee, we recommend a short dress for that! Hope this helps you find what you’re looking for. Have the best time + xoxo!

Win a Benefit beauty gift package! Share your prom tips with The Neat Sheet readers and you’ll be entered to win a set of beauty booty from Benefit cosmetics, including Sofia eau de toilette perfume, Lip Plump primer, Bad Gal Lash mascara, silky finish lipstick in “Swoonderful” and One Hot Minute Face Powder. (Retail value $125). Just leave a comment on this post with any Portland prom tip (Did you find a great dress or do you know of a neat restaurant?) and we’ll pick a lucky random winner at noon on Friday, April 30.

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