mall of America

Thank you readers for all of your comments. Congratulations to Sarah S. on winning a $100 gift card to Glitz! 

The season of sparkle, glam and glitz is upon us and MOA™ is feeling the fabulousness of Prom 2012!

Since we have more dresses, shoes & accessories than any other mall in the Midwest, we want to boost teen (and mom) excitement by highlighting a different prom 2012 trend each week found right here at MOA. Oh, and I guess we could give away a $100 gift card to help make the dress featured yours, too. Afterall, our job here is to make sure you stand out from the rest, from dressing room to dance floor.

[ Trend: Emerald frocks ]

1. Classic Pavé Link Bracelet @ J.Crew (Level 2, South). $118.
2. MacDuggal Emerald Prom Gown @ Glitz! (Level 3, North). $278.
3. “Bubble Bath” Nail Color by OPI @ Trade Secret (Level 2, East). $8.50.
4. “Deeeva” Nude Platform Pumps @ Betsey Johnson (Level 1, South). $129.95.

Want to rock this gorgeous green gown to your prom? Tell us what song you hope the DJ spins at your prom this year by commenting below by Sunday, Feb. 26 at midnight and provide a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift card to Glitz! We’ll announce the winners via email and update the post to reflect that we’ve chosen the winners.
Official Rules.

Prom is in the air. With all this talk of hair-dos, makeup and gowns, our Mall of America® retailers are prepared to help you with everything you need from head to toe for prom.

Take advantage of these special offers for prom:

♦     Stop by Betsey Johnson and mention code: PROM20 to receive 20% off  your dress on Monday, Feb 20.

♦     Jessica McClintock is offering 20% off all full-priced dresses on Monday, Feb. 20. You’ll also receive a free gift with purchase (while supplies last)!     

♦     GLITZ! - Mark your calendars girls! On Sunday, Feb. 26 GLITZ! will host a spectacular prom event complete with prize drawings, a fashion show and designer trunk shows.

Attendants at the event can also register to win a Minnesota prom night package including dinner at CRAVE, hair and makeup services, flowers, a photography package from CRYSTAL ROSE and a tux rental from SAVVI.

Other drawings include a $1000 modeling scholarship to Caryn International, a chance to enter a national contest sponsored by Sherri Hill to win a trip to New York to walk the runway with Kendall Jenner, and gift certificates and prizes from various designers and Mall of America.

The fashion show at 11 a.m. features title holders from Miss USA and Miss Collegiate, as well as local teens. For more information, visit GLITZ!.

With your help, Operation Glass Slipper has outfitted over 2,800 girls at Mall of America® by providing prom gowns and accessories free of charge to high school girls in the Minneapolis-St. Paul region whose financial circumstances make it impossible for them to attend prom due to the cost. This year, we’re hoping you’ll help make this night magical for another special girl, too.

How can you participate?

From now until Feb. 11, drop off your old prom gown at GLITZ! [Level 3, North] and receive a $25 coupon toward the purchase of a new prom gown. To learn more about Operation Glass Slipper, visit their website.

Ladies, mark your calendars:

It’s prom, and for a fair number of us gals, we absolutely cannot settle until we’ve found the perfect dress. Having trouble finding your fairytale gown?

Mall of America is your one-stop-shop for everything prom! Stay tuned next week for upcoming information on all prom-related deals, events and trends you won’t want to miss!

Note: This is the last post in the PROM ReMIX mini-series by the MOA Blog team. The series celebrates our looks from back in the day and allows us to pick a look if we were able to go all over again. To see other bloggers’ PROM ReMIX posts, click here.

I set off on a journey to dig up some photos from my past…scrounging the crawl space for photos from my senior prom. Scared of what I might find, I was hesitant to begin the search. Alas, I found them and this is what I’ve got:

There we are…my dates (shout out to Sarah and Ashley!) and I killing it at prom back in 2005 and 2006! Looking back at my attire choices (and hair…wow 2005!) I cannot say that I’d make the same decisions now. I think there are ways to make prom much more comfortable and more visually appealing…which is why I would make more casual and sleek selections if I could do it all again.

To start, I’d pass on the tux and go with a suit instead. Maybe make an investment in a suit that could be used after prom, rather than dishing out money to rent one that has to go back. I came across this 2-Button Pinstripe Suit from Hugo Boss that would do the trick. The pinstripes add a subtle touch of character to the look, and that I like.  For the shoes, I’d choose a more comfortable design like these Fantom slip-ons by Steve Madden, comfortable and class at the same time is a sweet thing. Finally, I’d forgo the matching vest and accent my date’s dress with a sharp looking necktie like these woven check ties from Burberry. Overall, it appears that I’d take a completely different path if I were to do this whole thing again. Having a bit more life experience under my belt I’ve learned that there is something to cherish in comfortable clothes and if you do it right it can still look really good!

It was spring 2005 – I had the Cinderella-esque dress, and, in the words of Aerosmith, “Pink was my favorite color.” Yes, I’m talking about my senior prom. While taking this trip down memory lane, I discovered a few things:

+  I was right on track with what is one of this year’s prom trends: bright colors.

+  I’m still giving major props to my prom date’s fashionable pinstriped tux and matching pink vest. Rock on Aaron!

+  Instead of hanging my head in shame at my prom attire six years ago, I realized it’s more fun to embrace the ‘then’ and remember  ‘now’ how exciting it was to be a princess for a day.

 The strapless A-line dress, with vibrant pink, hombre coloring, and cascading beading was exactly the type of dress my young, flirty-self should have been wearing at that time. It fit my curvy body type to perfection and was easy to move around in while I was busting a move on the dance floor. Being the matchy-matchy fashionista I tend to be, my accessories consisted of a pink gemstone earring and necklace set with a simple bracelet.

As much fun as I had in that dress six years ago, I would shop with a completely different mindset for prom today. I wouldn’t ditch the sparkle, rather I would strive for more of a sleek, red-carpet look. I still believe in the elegant floor length dress for prom, therefore I would go with this eye-catching number from Nordstrom, pairing it with these glamorous satin pumps from Steve Madden. Since the dress is where all the attention should be, my accessories would be minimal with simple rhinestone earrings and a muted gold clutch from For Love 21. To top off the Hollywood glam look, I would keep my eye makeup subtle but then add Mac’s Viva Glam I true red lipstick for the final oomph to my prom look. Paparazzi: get your cameras ready!

You are invited to Bloomingdale’s White Hot Pre-Prom Party! Bloomingdale’s style experts will help you find your dream dress, accessories and beauty essentials – everything you need for the perfect prom.

Date: Saturday, March 26

Time: 2 – 5 p.m.

Location: Bloomingdale’s {SE Court}

Deets: Receive 20% off select Prom dresses from BCBG Max Azria, Laundry, Jessica McClintck and more! See store for details.  

Note: PROM ReMIX is a mini-series by the MOA Blog team that celebrates our looks from back in the day and allows us to pick a look if we were able to go all over again. Hope you enjoy. To see other bloggers’ PROM ReMIX posts, click here.

The saying ‘time flies’ has taken on new meaning since being tasked with reflecting on my 2001 (yes, that’s 10 years ago) Prom ensemble for our Prom ReMix ‘then and now’ series.

Unlike some pictures from my past, I don’t cringe when I look at this photo of my darling prom date, Sterling (a unique and fabulous name – and quite fitting) and me. My dress was a simple pink polyester stretch with pink floral beading down the bodice and two thigh-high slits. I chose a comfortable strappy silver sandal with silver beading and an understated silver bangle. I’m an athletic gal who loves to break it down on the dance floor, so the cut, material and style suited me well. It also went astonishingly well with  Sterling’s white tux (how amazing is that?).

The older I get, the more comfortable I become with my classic and simple gal taste. I’m a big Jackie O fan. While I don’t have her budget, I find it’s generally pretty simple to find classic pieces that complement my features while keeping up with fashion trends.

If I were to go to prom today, I chose this lovely ensemble. The dress, from Cache is a great jewel tone for my dark features, it’s sleek, but offers a little flare with its cut and bodice detail. The strappy black sandals from Call it Spring will allow me to walk and dance comfortably while maintaining the classic look. This bracelet from Francesca’s Collections  was the perfect accessory to top of the look. And what is any outfit without nail polish? I chose this beautiful navy with confetti (Lady Sings the Blues) Deborah Lippmann shade from Nordstrom.

As you get older the opportunities to glam it up are few and far between. When I was in high school, my mom always said I was too young for the glitz and glam. She always wanted me to wear ‘simple’ dresses and preferably black. “It’s slimming,” she always said.

[ Prom: 2003 ]

That is why today I would choose a Glitz! dress. In the words of Fergie, “G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S.” The gown I have chosen is a Sherri Hill cream colored dress with gold accents. It’s flirty and fun, and the slight flare at the bottom would have a lot of movement on the dance floor. The gold would also shine nicely in photos. However, it’s a dress I would certainly need a tan for!

The sassy shoes are the Badgley Mischka ‘Humbie II’ pumps from Nordstrom. Let’s be honest ladies, if we learned anything from Carrie Bradshaw, it’s that it’s all about the shoes! Not only are these shoes a fun addition to the dress, but they could also be worn again for a night out with the girls or to dress up a boring pair of jeans.

This glamorous but still elegant look would even have impressed my mom. Now go get your glam on girls!

It’s time to temporarily travel back to 2002 (what up, Bill).  Apparently I thought MN was almost the same as Hawaii with my faux tan, shimmering coral frock and oversized hibiscus. Oy. However, looking back, I still have a love for the look I pieced together. This is still one of my favorite colors to wear and considering most girls in my class rocked the uber sparkly + sequined ballgown, I like to think of myself as a prom pioneer. Let’s face it, prom and minimalism aren’t two words usually uttered in the same sentance.

Now, let’s travel 9 years to 2011. While I would definitely do a few things differently (adios matching necklace + earrings), there are many elements that are still so ‘Jenn’ in both looks. I was never brave enough to rock the short hems (thanks, private schools) so this gold number was a no brainer.  Plus, why hide amazing shoes? The cutout sleeves also turn a could-be MOB dress into a youthful stunner. As for the bling, I would pile on the gold bangles (2 or 3 sets) and add a little punch with a cocktail ring (cute, that rhymes).

Cue “Hot in Herre”… time to get back to the dance floor.

All of my pieces can be found at Bloomingdale’s (SE Court). 

Let me start by saying how hard prom dress shopping is when you live in a small town and don’t have your own set of wheels! I pretty much had to settle for anything I could find in the 30 mile radius my mom would actually drive me too, and this long, satin number was the winner.  I did throw in the silver metal armband for a little sass – which I now realize screams ‘silly’ louder than ‘sassy’, but it was cool at the time! I think.

If I could go to prom today, Betsey Johnson (Level 1, South) would be my one and only stop. Imagine struttin’ in the Grand March wearing this adorable pink puffball! Since I also have a weakness for anything animal print, I would pair this frilly frock with fun leopard heels (the higher the better for this shorty) and top everything off with the most adorable earrings on the planet – pink lips. These can also be a not-so-subtle hint to your date that you’re lookin’ for a smooch during the first slow dance.

Shoes – “Eloise” Shoes, $175
Dress – Evening “Tallulah” Strapless Dress, $485
Earrings – Lips Studs, $25
*all pieces can currently be found at Betsey Johnson, Mall of America