Prom 2027 Colours: Orange and Watermelon Are In (So Are Ballgowns)

Since our June show, every single enquiry has been for orange. Not some of them - all of them. Watermelon, coral, tangerine, sherbet - warm, bright, joyful tones on big full ballgowns. Prom 2027 has a colour, and honestly, we're here for it.

If you're starting to think about next season, here's what we're seeing - and why it's worth getting in early if you love the look. 

Why orange? The trend has some real momentum behind it 

When a trend arrives from several directions at once, you know it's the real thing. Global forecaster WGSN named Energy Orange as one of its five key colours for 2027 - not a subtle nod, a proper key colour. Around the same time, Taylor Swift's Life of a Showgirl era sent orange and coral formalwear trending worldwide, and the whole "sherbet skies" palette - warm, bright, unapologetically feel-good - has been building through fashion ever since.

And then there's what's actually happening in our fitting rooms. Every enquiry since June has been orange and watermelon. The boutiques that buy from us are asking for the same thing. When the forecasters, the pop culture moment and the actual orders all line up, the trend is real.

What was big before? 

Last season it was all about yellow and lemon - beautiful colours, and we'll still sell plenty of both. Towards the end of the season, champagne and silver came through: slim, beaded, really sophisticated. More understated, more grown-up. If orange feels too much of a statement, that direction - elegant metallics, sleek silhouettes - is still very much an option for 2027 and worth trying.

Orange itself had a moment back in late 2024 into 2025, so in some ways fashion is just doing what fashion does. The difference this time around is the sheer scale of the demand.

Who does orange actually suit? 

More people than you'd think and that's part of why it's winning.

Lemon and yellow can be genuinely tricky on paler British skin tones. If your daughter is very fair, yellow can wash her out rather than lift her. Orange doesn't have that problem anywhere near as much. It works on blondes, brunettes and it looks stunning on darker skin tones too. It's one of those colours that's far more generous than it looks on a hanger.

Make sure you don’t write it off before she's tried it on. Colours that look bold or even alarming on a rail have a habit of looking completely different on a person. This might be the season orange surprises her.

(Fun fact: it's always been Michele's favourite colour - right down to her scissors and her winter scarf. So, we're slightly biased. But we stand by it.)

Ballgowns are dominating 

The colour and the silhouette are moving together this season, and they suit each other perfectly. Last year, around 75 to 80% of what we sold were ballgowns. Every early 2027 sale is heading the same way - and if anything, the split is getting wider.

Orange works best on a full skirt. We have it in slinky styles too, but the ballgown is where the colour really comes into its own - the volume carries the warmth of the shade in a way that a fitted dress just doesn't quite do in the same way. If your daughter loves the watermelon and coral trend, start with a ballgown. We're pretty confident it'll be the one.

Why getting in early really matters 

When every enquiry is for the same family of colours, popular sizes in orange, watermelon and coral go quickly. And once a dress is registered to a school on our prom register, that's it - nobody else from that school can have it. But that only works if you've booked.

Dresses ordered by the end of February are typically with us in May, ahead of June and July proms - leaving time for fittings, alterations and actually enjoying the whole experience rather than racing against the clock.

If Prom 2027 is on your radar, now is a really good time to book an appointment and come and try the new colours in person.