Teen fashion - just a formality

THE school year has barely begun, yet teenage girls are already on the hunt for the perfect formal dress.
Adelaide boutiques have been inundated with young women looking to secure an outfit for the biggest event on the school calendar.

But there will be nothing "formal" about this year's fashions, with classic ball LLgowns that once dominated teens' night of nights being replaced by shorter styles.

Night Child Evening Wear manager Nicki Stavrianos said teenage girls were emulating socialites such as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan by wearing sexier, shorter dresses.

"Floor-length formal gowns used to make up 80 per cent of our stock but there has been a total swapover and 80 per cent is now short," she said.

Muse Boutique owner Kristie Manuel said they had also been overwhelmed by the number of girls after higher hemlines.

"At least it is something that they can re-wear, as formal gowns tend to just sit in the cupboard," she said.

Riki Fenwich, 17, of Charles Campbell Secondary School, said her school friends looked to celebrities when choosing formal dresses.

"It's like we are skipping the formal and dressing straight for the after-party," she said.