Prom pomp

Everybody wore pearls to our prom. My friend Nikki, one of the better-dressed in the begowned lot, wore gigantic pearl earrings with a sleek burgundy velveteen halter dress. My other friend Viv opted for freshwater earrings to better complement the pearl-strung straps holding up her cream-colored empire-cut frock. Camille in royal blue satin? She also wore pearls. So did Cher, with her stylish silver tube dress. And so did the other girls in my class, those wearing long black dresses and those who came perfectly prettified in swaths of pastel chiffon.

Even I wore pearls with my ecru, off- shoulder crinkled minidress, which I particularly chose because I wanted to stand out among all the slinky floor-sweepers. I didn’t realize that, despite all my efforts to veer away from the conventional, the strand of pearls around my neck, ironically, plunked me right smack onto the already crowded bandwagon.

Looking back, 12 years later, I can only surmise that we were so eager to look chic, elegant and grown-up that we automatically assumed that a pair of pearl studs or a strand of South Seas was the all-pervading means to achieving all three ends. Some of us just exhausted all our energies hunting for the perfect dress so we copped out when it came to accessorizing and just settled on classic pearls. Same goes for the ubiquitous strappy black or silver sandals and sequined clutch.

The thing is, so many girls don’t realize that prom is not really about looking grown-up or elegant. (You’ll get enough opportunities to try and do just that when you go for job interviews.) Prom has always been about you. Your perfect night; the night you’ve dreamt of since the first time you saw Chad Michael Murray kiss Hillary Duff in A Cinderella Story (in my case, Molly Ringwald and Michael Schoeffling in Sixteen Candles). So let you and everything that signifies who you are shine through.

In an entire school year of wearing the same uniform day in and day out, prom is probably the first real chance you’ll get to show off your individual style. And don’t just start and stop with your prom dress. Don’t be afraid to complete an entire look from head to toe, or to look completely different from every prom visual represented in films and magazines. Proms aren’t like weddings where people are aghast when you don’t wear white – prom is a free for all that you should completely take advantage of.

If you love Mischa Barton’s trendy red carpet style, then wear funky jewelry and tote an equally funky bag. If you think Sienna Miller is all that, strap on bohemian style bejeweled sandals to match your long beaded necklaces. And if you really believe that your style, just like Julia Roberts’, is classic and fuss-free, then by all means, wear all the pearls you want.

The classicist

The palette: White, ecru, pretty pastels, neutrals such as black, midnight blue, burgundy

Detailing: Diamonds, pearls, crystals, clean lines, princess cuts

Buy your dress at: Anne Klein, Max and Co., Rustan’s eveningwear section

Your dream date: Jake Gylenhaal, Chad Michael Murray

Boho babe

The palette: Earth tones, orange, old rose, pine green, deep purple, burgundy

Detailing: Chunky stones, feathers, textured fabric such as silk shantung, brocade and velveteen.

Buy your dress at: Salabianca, Jessica, Chocolate Clothing Co, United Pop at The Ramp at Crossings

Your dream date: David Beckham, Jude Law

Rocker chick

The palette: Textured black, silver, gold

Detailing: Chains, studs, layered tulle and organza, brocade, pleather, dark lace

Buy your dress at: Second-hand thrift stores like I Love You Store on Makati Ave. or locale designer haunt Backstage along Pasay Road

Your dream date: Mojofly drummer Ali Alejandro, Dave Navarro