By Joy Kraft / The Cincinnati Enquirer

Jennifer Renfro (left), Elisha Ellington and Lauren Laskey look through the racks of prom dresses at the Dillard's store in Kenwood Towne Centre. (Craig Ruttle photos) | ZOOM |

It's a Barbie kind of prom season with girls up to their drop earrings in sequins, beads and all things that glitter under the dance lights.

The saving grace of all the glitz, which teeters on the brink of tarty, is the wave of whispery pastels, cloud-like skirts and ripple of loose ruffles lending a soft, decidedly feminine touch to the gowns for the big night.

"Plain dresses are not in. It's very pretty, sparkle-and-fun . . . definitely a party-dress year," says Tina Minshall, manager of Bridal and Formal in the heart of Reading's dress-up strip.

"A little different from last year is the more developed beading pattern" on many dresses.

"Embroidery, glitter and beading. It's definitely in the details," says Ava Battershell, special events director for Dillard's, Midwest.

The clock is striking midnight on the Cinderella-like dresses that billowed onto the dance floor last year, though full skirts still make up at least half the sales, experts say.

"The costume-like voluminous ball gowns of the past have given way this spring to sophisticated slim A-lines and softly flowing shapes," says Cathy Ireland, special events manager for Lazarus.

And though strapless styles are still strong, the security of halter, one-shoulder and spaghetti straps is muscling out the bare shoulders, saving the skin show for laced-up backs, cut-outs, bare midriffs and peek-a-boo skirts.

Though cocktail-length dresses are out there, most proms are to-the-ground affairs with a variety of fishtail, asymmetrical and handkerchief hemlines sweeping the floor.

More spring '03 trends?

"They are going more for color, color, color this year," says Battershell.

That includes jewel tones, beautiful blues and a sprinkling of black-and-whites with a garden of pastels between, mimicking the spring runway looks that debuted last fall.

Most of all, the color is pink - in all its incarnations.

"It's definitely a spring trend," says Ireland.

Gap's pink MacIntosh coat is testament. It marched out of stores so quickly last month, especially after actress Jennifer Garner wrapped herself in one on Saturday Night Live, that reinforcements had to be ordered.

Call it a 9-11 backlash, a return to femininity or a trumpeting of spring, but pink and its cousins - coral to rich roses and fuchsia - will be big on the dance floor.

That doesn't mean a girl can't stand out in the crowd by making a pink dress her own. We took three girls fantasy shopping for prom-night pink at Dillard's at Kenwood Towne Centre and came away with a trio of different takes on the pretty pastel.

Lauren Laskey in a mermaid-cut fuchsia Jessica McClintock. | ZOOM |

Sophisticated glamour

Lauren Laskey, 17, a junior at Colerain High School, has chosen two-piece gowns before because of their fit. But this time, a solid, fuchsia Jessica McClintock mermaid-cut caught her eye. The strapless, one piece design is gored and form-fitting, swelling to a soft swirl at the bottom, $154.

What she liked: "I like the lace-up back because you can make the top part tighter to fit better, making it easier to keep up."

Her extras: Silver glimmer fabric sandals by Nina, $69; a Preston & York silver satin clutch, $15 and rhinestone necklace, $150.

Jennifer Renfro in a one-shoulder spaghetti strap dress by LA Glo | ZOOM |

Glitz and sparkle

Jennifer Renfro, 15, a sophomore at Ursuline Academy, set her sights on sparkle and a softer pink satin design with gored (flared) construction, a one-shoulder spaghetti strap and an overlay that blends from pink to gold and back to pink by LA Glo, $159.

What she liked: "This is better than strapless and it has plenty of room to move around and dance," unlike the last dress she wore to a winter dance, a long, black strapless number, straight cut, with a train. "I can move better in this one," she says.

Her extras: For shoes, she selected a two-strap sandal trimmed in beads by Nina, $69; LaRegale small white satin bag, $22 and glitter pendant necklace, $45.

Elisha Ellington in a soft asymmetrical tunic with sequined flowers by Rampage | ZOOM |

Feminine romantic

Elisha Ellington, 18, a senior at Glen Este High School, took the romantic path with a double layer of rose ruffles topped by a soft asymmetrical tunic sprinkled with scrolls of sequined flowers by Rampage, $84.

She was looking for something trendy, polished and "not-too-poufy" for $100-$250. "The high price range might be worth it if you really like it and it fits really well," she says.

What she liked: A halter-neckline was her pick because "you don't have to worry about pulling it up all the time, like a strapless dress. And I like the slim lines. It's slim, but not so tight you can't move. You can dance in it."

Her extras: A three-strap charcoal glitter sandal with flat-back heel from Nine West, $49.99; La Regale ÷ivory satin clutch, $18, and dinner ring, $15.