What to Wear to Prom as a Chaperone

Not competing

The students rented satin and a limo. Your job is to be obviously an adult: covered, matte, a hem that works when you lean over a punch table. Sequins on a chaperone look like you wanted a corsage. A navy crepe midi or a dark suit is the uniform.

• Midi or suit, matte cloth, $90–$220
• Shoes already stood in — gym floors, four hours
• Pockets or a zipped bag; you may hold a phone, a radio, a student
• Skip: ballgown, tuxedo (usually), club mini, a white column

Pictures at the house versus the gym

Parents in the driveway photos can dress for the photo — a jacket, a dress — then change if they are also chaperoning. If you are only dropping off, you are still in the album; wear something finished, not gym shorts. Teachers: follow the school’s staff code, which is usually stricter than the parents’.

Standing, spill, authority

You may break up a fight or a cry. Wear clothes you can move in. Jewelry that does not snag. A layer for a freezing gym. Closed shoes. You want the quiet authority of ushers at the theatre, not a guest-of-wedding glow.