Prom has returned to Hamilton, with ‘unprecedented’ demand

Teenagers mill about the high school gym, rifling through racks of tulle, sequins and bright floral satin.

It's a Saturday in May, and students are chatting excitedly as they try on sparkly cocktail dresses, floor-length gowns, strappy heels and sharp suit jackets. Some stride in arm-in-arm with a friend; others have brought sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers for a critical eye.

Prom, an annual coming-of-age tradition, is back after a two-year hiatus. With it, a veil of gloom lifted.

I feel beautiful," said Darrah Seager, 17, twirling slightly to show off her dress. I wanted princess,' but I also wanted it to fit the theme, and it's both."

Pale pink satin with a black, lace-up bodice, the real feature of the graduating student's chosen prom dress is the woodland scene at the bottom of the knee-length circle skirt. Delicate leafy limbs climb from the lace-trimmed hem, butterflies fluttering above them.

The theme of Bernie Custis Secondary School's June 2 prom is enchanted forest meets Met gala, complete with a red carpet, she said.

The Grade 12 student knew it was the one" the minute she saw it.

Another lady had it, and I was like, Hey, do you want that?'" said Darrah. I knew that I wanted it."

The 17-year-old first tried one on in the store - for $250.

I like this one way more," she said, chatting excitedly as a seamstress measures the length of black spaghetti straps on the dress.

Her mom does, too - in part because her daughter got the dress for free at Prom Project, a pop-up shop" event where students in Grade 8 through Grade 12 can pick out donated formal wear for end-of-year events.

For some kids, it's the first time they've ever, ever seen themselves like that," said committee chair Krysta Bucci, who co-founded the initiative nearly a decade ago.

A lite" version of the event, cancelled for two seasons amid the pandemic, returned on May 7 this year, with it 500 students seeking the perfect outfit.

Standing between racks of suits in the Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School gym, Hamilton student Christopher Goulbourne stretches out his arms to check the sleeve length of a shortlisted jacket. He needed a jacket to fit his six-foot frame.

What he's looking for in a prom outfit?

Basically anything that makes me look good," he said.

Christopher, who is taking a fifth-year victory lap" at Bernie Custis, graduated last year with no ceremony, dinner or dance, so he's taking advantage this year.

First, he tries on a black suit jacket - too big. Then, he tries one with blue pinstripes - too small. A navy basket-weave plaid ends up fitting just right.

Christopher, who recently took a high school fashion course, pairs it with a peach-coloured button-up and paisley tie. He plans to wear black jeans and sneakers.

Nothing too fancy," he said.

Unprecedented demand'

Graduation season is in full swing, with thousands of Hamilton teens chauffeured in limos, party buses and parents' cars to prom.

Students and staff say many Hamilton events sold out in record time this year.

St. Thomas More principal Brian Daly told students there was unprecedented demand" for last Thursday's prom - the biggest the school has ever had.

Photos from prom - dubbed A Classy Knight," a reference to the school's mascot - show a red carpet, a pianist, and black, gold and white balloons under soft revolving lights.

We had to expand the event because there was so much more interest than normal," Daly told The Spectator.

Typically, they'd have to promote heavily" to sell 450 tickets, but this year, they sold out in no time" and added more tickets, Daly said.

Also returning in June is Rainbow Prom, where two-spirit and LGBTQ students - and allies - can dine and dance in a safe space.

This year's event features Hamilton-based Talli Osborne - an inspirational speaker and musician born without full arms or legs - and, of course, a rainbow theme.

We all sort of feel disconnected and kind of lacking community, but for marginalized students and students of the two-spirit and LGBTQ communities, that isolation has perhaps been a bit heightened," said Venetia Fletcher, an equity consultant with the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board. So we wanted to make sure that we were offering them an opportunity to reconnect and community build."

For many, prom matters - and perhaps more this year than most.

For the class of 2022, high school was abruptly interrupted partway through as the pandemic took root in Ontario. Now, with remote learning and masks behind them, students are ending this chapter of life in a more normal way.

Child psychiatrist Dr. Jean Clinton said such milestones are needed after two bleak" years.

For hundreds and hundreds of years there's been the marking of the rites of passage," she said. Groups have recognized that when you enter and leave particular stages of life, it's worth raising your hands up in celebration."

In Hamilton, at least, teens can't wait.

Students are really excited about prom," said student trustee Aisha Mahmoud, 16. These seniors have gone through a lot ... so to celebrate their very unique journey together is really nice."

Kate McCullough is an education reporter at The Spectator. kmccullough@thespec.com