Prom-core is the trend you’re going to see everywhere in 2025

Picture the scene; we’ve time travelled (just go with it), and you’re in your best taffeta gown, corsage in place.

Outrageous amounts of hairspray have been used (apologies ozone layer), and you’re ready to be whisked off to the biggest night in your social calendar: the prom.

Except, actually it turns out you’d much rather be wearing the bow tie and tuxedo or ruffled shirt and velvet suit combo that your date is wearing to pick you up (in a limousine, naturally.)

Welcome to possibly our favourite trend to kick off 2025 thus far, dressing like the most popular guy in school would for prom, but 30 years ago.

We all love a shirt and tie combo (and we are slowly but surely getting better at our Windsor knots), but now heralds the time to also embrace ruffles, bow ties, velvet and all the other OTT details that were menswear staples of the 1970s and 80s. 

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Fashion has been flirting with the prom-aesthetic for several seasons, marrying the quaint formality of high school dressing-up with electric modern touches. 

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On the runway, designers like Prada, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga leaned into reinvented nostalgia with oversized tuxedo jackets paired with lace trimmed dresses (seen at Prada for AW25), while McQueen’s collection for the same season showcased dramatic ruffles oozed 1970s energy. 

At Helen Anthony, classic suiting was teamed with bombastic leopard print outerwear, while Balenciaga have always had a soft spot for an OTT ruffled tuxedo shirt.

Now as for gender.. what’s that? Fluidity and freedom of expression play a clear role here with ruffles, suiting, satin and pastels all up for grabs for whoever’s fancy they happen to tickle. 

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Celebs are in on the act too with Timothée Chalamet sporting a sequin embellished tuxedo-inspired look by Louis Vuitton, complete with silk bow tie (worn un-done) to this year’s Golden Globes, while actress Naomi Watts opted for a razor sharp bow-tie for the 2025 Producers Guild Awards in LA.  

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Meanwhile Ayo Edebiri put a high fashion spin on tailoring, wearing Jonathan Anderson for Loewe (a fitting tribute to Julia Roberts’ iconic suit worn to the 1990 Golden Globes.) We’re utterly obsessed with the metallic braided tie, adding a touch of 1980s peacock energy. 

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And we can’t not mention Harry Styles whose entire aesthetuc is a love letter to a 1980s prom night fantasy or one of our favourite looks at the Oscars this year, a deconstructed tuxedo worn by K-pop singer Lisa. The piece - by Mark Gong- immediately went onto our 2025 moodboard.