Stuck at Prom Scholarship Best Dressed 2026

Posted: July 10th, 2026

Background

Since 2001, each year contestants create prom wear out of duct tape for a chance to win a scholarship. Winners are chosen from multiple categories with the grand prize winners receiving the most money.

Introduction

I am amazed at how meticulous people can be in the name of fashion. Despite the incentive of the scholarship prize, taming a roll of duct tape isn't something one achieves on a whim ! At first glance, I would not have guessed that was the medium they used.

I will not go over each entry, but there are two outfits that stood out to me the most. I could not help but to share ! If you want to vote, the contest ends July 13th, 2026.

My pick for the best Dress: Sophie C.

Dress one Inspiration: My dress was inspired by my experience growing up as a girl and struggling with beauty standards and expectations of femininity. For a long time, I felt pressured to be pretty, sweet, polished, and admired. The strawberry cake theme came from the expectation for women to be beautiful and decorated, almost like a dessert made for others to look at and enjoy. The giant fork attached to the outfit represents how draining and consuming those expectations felt to me. When I was younger, I spent a lot of time comparing myself to others and worrying about whether I was

My Thoughts on her Inspiration
Every ruffle, dollop, and bow is perfectly placed. One cannot mistake how much effort went into creating an image delicate and easily digestible for society at large.

Sophie's sentiment is shared with women and girls everywhere spanning generations. None of this is real; the obligation to perform or fitting into the mold of what a woman should be. The only real aspect of this is the consequence of not performing. The more we challenge these norms, the more women and girls will break free and learn what it means to just be you and feel confident in uniquely expressing this.

My Thoughts on her Design
Ten days were spent on her design. From dress to accessory, each piece is something to admire, only leaving empty space where necessary. The folds of the dress flow like fabric and I am obsessed with the grandiose silhouette. Hime Lolita was the first thing to come to mind when I first laid eyes on this.

The pop of red from the bow dominating the back of the dress reminds me of a picnic tablecloth. I love the use of white space so as not to take away from that statement piece. I suppose the picnic cloth is where the pieces of her that were picked apart were discarded. Imagine how heavy they were to carry around.

The Strawberry slices in the shape of hearts is a nice touch along with rows and rows of ruffles. What more can I say? I could see myself wearing this.

My pick for the best Tux: Jeremiah C.

My Thoughts on his Inspiration & Design
I see the vision. At first glance Teyana Taylor's 2025 Meta Gala attire came to mind, which happens to be one of my favorite looks from the event.

This tux is elegantly constructed with a silhouette that demands attention with his poised stature tying the look together. The silver details of the jewelry and nail polish break apart the red and black color scheme that would otherwise overwhlem the design. Great job taking inspiration from the Met Gala. I am not sure if this was on purpose, but the hairstyle being somewhat rectangular speaks to the sharp design of the rest of the attire.