Prom patrol

These prom-ready teens are members of the Mall of America's Trend Board, which provides a voice for people in their age groups. They got to act out the big night as extras in "Dusk," a spoof of "Twilight" debuting online on Friday.

We thought the "costumes," culled from stores at the Mall of America, made the perfect prom wardrobe guide and the wearers are the ideal experts.They got to act out the big night as extras in "Dusk," a spoof of "Twilight" debuting online on Friday.

Wearing: Ruffled dress ($140), from Deb.

Going to prom? "If I do, I'll go with my boyfriend, Austin."

What will you wear? "I haven't found a dress yet, but I want to find something that is vintage-inspired, and very bold."

Trends: "Color is probably the biggest trend that I've seen -- everything seems very bright and fun."

Wearing: Blue dress by Giovanni ($168), from Caché.

Going to prom? "Depending upon if I get asked or not, I will either go with a date or a group of friends."

What will you wear? "I was looking at a simple floor-length red dress by Calvin Klein, but after this shoot, I want to go get the dress from Caché! I love how simple it is and how the few added layers at the bottom add that much more to it. It's a beautiful dress that gives you a more classic look, which you can never go wrong with."

Trends: "We are going to be seeing some 'Twilight'-inspired prom trends as well as more bright, fun colors and prints on the dresses. As far as accessories go, I always love simple jewelry with awesome makeup and hair. That way, it's not about your necklace or earrings, but it's about you and your dress."

Wearing: Dress by LaFemme ($417), from Bloomingdale's.

Going to prom? "I haven't been asked yet, but I'm hoping I will be. If I don't have a date, I probably won't go, because I'm a transfer student at Blaine, so I don't have a group of girlfriends."

What will you wear? "I feel like sometimes at prom, people lose their individual style and they buy a typical kind of dress. But this dress was formal, and kept my style. It was low-cut in the back, with a flower in the front and sparkly. I like form-fitting, long dresses."

Trends: "Patterns. It's a more updated look. While our style of casual clothing -- with the leggings and the scarves and what we normally wear -- has changed in the past few years, our prom dresses have been lacking. Now they're becoming more fun and individualized."

Wearing: Short dress ($198), from Jessica McClintock.

Going to prom? "As of right now, nobody has asked me. Hopefully someone will."

What will you wear? "I'd love to wear a long dress, probably a halter. Maybe a Jessica McClintock dress ... in pink or white."

Trends: "Flowy bottoms or something unique like accents on the dress, like sequins or details on the fabric. The decorative flowers on the shoulder of this dress are a trend."

Wearing: Strapless dress ($150), from Deb.

Going to prom? "Yes, I'm going with my boyfriend, Devin Benjamin."

What will you wear? "I always start shopping for what I ideally would like to wear, but usually end up with something completely different from what I originally wanted. This year I am looking for color, preferably purple, hopefully floor-length, with exquisite details like beading, an open back, a pattern and something interesting with the straps."

Trends: "Extreme detailing, whether it's beading, intricate patterns or draping of fabrics. I've also spotted a lot of predefined waists worked into the dress. They highlight the waist and fit the silhouette of the body nicely. There have also been many neutral hues, either white, off-white or gray."

Wearing: Short dress ($155), from Jessica McClintock.

Are you going to prom? "Girls and guys at New Prague High School have a tradition of not asking too soon, so the jury is still out on that."

What will you wear? "My clothing choices range from fun and sparkle to an absolute classic tailored look. Aristotle's definition of art sums it up best for me: 'The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.' I always search to find a dress that fits my personality. ... I stick to Becky's Three B's: It is about balancing your budget with your body type and what makes the beauty from within shine."

Trends: "Short is definitely the way to go in 2009. It also allows you to show off an awesome pair of heels at the same time ... and what girl does not love shoes?"

Wearing: Suit by Hugo Boss ($795) from Bloomingdale's. Find something comparable at MW Tux, rentals starting at $100.

Going to prom? "Yes! I am not sure who the lucky girl is yet."

What will you wear? "For sure, a tux with pinstripes. I also want a top hat, cane, the biggest aviators I can find and high-top shoes that match my tux."

Trends: "Black pinstriped tuxes and white tuxes. The Jonas Brothers' skinny ties are cool. Converse shoes and emo hair are also in."

Wearing: One-shoulder dress by Adrian Victoria ($238), from Caché.

Going to prom? "Yes. With my kind-of, sort-of boyfriend. It's kind of complicated. With my friend who's a guy. At a speech tournament, I came outside, there was a big poster board on my car, asking me to prom and he was standing there with a bouquet of roses."

What will you wear? "I have been to a million dress shops, but it's so hard to find a dress. This dress is a printed fabric, which I guess is the 'in' thing to wear this year."

Trends: "The hot colors this year are purple and yellow and black, but black's always in. And those side cutouts -- they're a lot more revealing than they've been in the past. Parents are always skeptical [about] dresses like that."

Wearing: Strapless dress ($445), from Glitz.

Going to prom? "At my school, only seniors go to prom, but there is a senior guy who I could possibly be going with."

What will you wear? "If I do go, I have a dress that was my mom's by Sophie Sitbon Paris that is black with a silver print. It's long and sleek, and happens to fit perfectly without tailoring. If not, there were a few dresses at Glitz that caught my eye. As far as colors, I want either black or red."

Trends: "One-shoulder dresses. I think they look very elegant and flattering on almost everyone. Also, no one should be color-shy. Bold is beautiful."

Wearing: Dress ($430), from Glitz.

Going to prom? "I don't have a date yet. For now, my plans are to go with some of my girlfriends from school and have a blast with them."

What will you wear? "The dress I wore in 'Dusk' is No. 1 on my list for my prom dress this year. The color was amazing and I absolutely love the sparkles and rhinestones. I felt like Cinderella while I was wearing it."

Trends: "Colors and prints are definitely huge for the 2009 prom season. Prom is about feeling special and knowing you're unique. The best thing about prom is that it's all about you, so don't be afraid to take a risk and go for a dress that expresses who you are as a person."

Sara Glassman • 612-673-7177