Prom is going porn this year. The days of dressing like a lady are over -- with teens preferring to parade around at their first big dance looking more like strippers than schoolgirls. The hot trend is slutty chic -- with cleavage-revealing frocks, bellybutton-baring gowns and dresses made of barely enough fabric to make a washcloth. "I can't believe that mothers let high-school girls buy these dresses for prom," said one sales associate at Saks Fifth Avenue, embarrassed to be selling a collection of prom dresses that were more appropriate for the main stage at Scores than a high-school gym. Nathan Vaknin, manager of Fiesta Ladies Fashion, a dress store on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, said, "For prom this year, girls want short and poofy or long, tight-fitting, with everything cut out -- the sides are gone, the back is gone, the front is basically gone. "Personally, I think it's too much, but we sell whatever puts money in our pocket," he said. "The parents might say no at first, but I don't think anyone can convince these girls to get a dress besides the one they really want." At Saks, one of the most popular prom dresses this season is a $380 floor-length leopard print La Femme dress that is backless and practically frontless with a diamond cut out between the breasts. Girls are also coveting a Panoply dress with the sides cut out and a plunging neckline that sells for $370 on the Web. Perhaps the most shocking dress available this year is the Nadia, designed by Boutique. The stretch-satin dress -- whose front dips to just above the pubic bone -- retails online for $349. The city Department of Education doesn't impose a dress code for proms. It's up to each principal to make a judgment call about acceptable attire. At Christopher Columbus HS in The Bronx, Principal Lisa Maffei-Fuentes inspects every dress herself. "I check all of the dresses to make sure their body parts are covered," Maffei-Fuentes said. "They're not allowed to wear anything where their breasts are exposed. It can't be very short, and their rear ends can't be exposed." Maffei-Fuentes has the girls show her pictures of their dresses before the big day. On May 26, when the school will hold its prom, Maffei-Fuentes will be at the door to make sure no outfits are breaking her rules. "I watch them walk in," she said. "If they're wearing something inappropriate, I send them home or we fix the dress with pins, thread and needles." -ANNIE KARNI NY Post
"A dark wash, with wrinkles around the pockets, leading right to the crotch, an extra layer of fabric around the fly, creating a kind of wonder bra for your little friend." -Michael Miller NY Observer
Prom is going porn this year. The days of dressing like a lady are over -- with teens preferring to parade around at their first big dance looking more like strippers than schoolgirls. The hot trend is slutty chic -- with cleavage-revealing frocks, bellybutton-baring gowns and dresses made of barely enough fabric to make a washcloth. "I can't believe that mothers let high-school girls buy these dresses for prom," said one sales associate at Saks Fifth Avenue, embarrassed to be selling a collection of prom dresses that were more appropriate for the main stage at Scores than a high-school gym. Nathan Vaknin, manager of Fiesta Ladies Fashion, a dress store on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, said, "For prom this year, girls want short and poofy or long, tight-fitting, with everything cut out -- the sides are gone, the back is gone, the front is basically gone. "Personally, I think it's too much, but we sell whatever puts money in our pocket," he said. "The parents might say no at first, but I don't think anyone can convince these girls to get a dress besides the one they really want." At Saks, one of the most popular prom dresses this season is a $380 floor-length leopard print La Femme dress that is backless and practically frontless with a diamond cut out between the breasts. Girls are also coveting a Panoply dress with the sides cut out and a plunging neckline that sells for $370 on the Web. Perhaps the most shocking dress available this year is the Nadia, designed by Boutique. The stretch-satin dress -- whose front dips to just above the pubic bone -- retails online for $349. The city Department of Education doesn't impose a dress code for proms. It's up to each principal to make a judgment call about acceptable attire. At Christopher Columbus HS in The Bronx, Principal Lisa Maffei-Fuentes inspects every dress herself. "I check all of the dresses to make sure their body parts are covered," Maffei-Fuentes said. "They're not allowed to wear anything where their breasts are exposed. It can't be very short, and their rear ends can't be exposed." Maffei-Fuentes has the girls show her pictures of their dresses before the big day. On May 26, when the school will hold its prom, Maffei-Fuentes will be at the door to make sure no outfits are breaking her rules. "I watch them walk in," she said. "If they're wearing something inappropriate, I send them home or we fix the dress with pins, thread and needles." -ANNIE KARNI NY Post
Fashion mogul Elie Tahari'smarriage to his wife of 10 years, Rory, might be on the rocks, as The Post reported -- but he was all smiles at Bergdorf Goodman on Thursday, when Elle's Joe Zee and Bergdorf VP Linda Fargo threw Tahari a party to help celebrate his Spring 2010 line. While he wouldn't answer questions about his marriage, he did mention that he's been doing a lot of yoga and was friendly with guests. The Post also previously reported that Tahari has quietly been looking to unload $70 million in property he owns with Rory, who is 20 years his junior. -Page Six, NY Post
AN ERA ENDS Patrick McCarthy, left, was known for fairness in fashion reporting.
