The dance floor at Blue Mountain was a swirl of color and styles as the Class of 2017 celebrated one of the most memorable events of their lives, but selecting the perfect attire for the event required hours of shopping and planning.

“The prom is the ultimate dress up party,” Class Adviser Steph Dunbar said. “It lets the kids get the chance to dress up and be grown-ups.

“When they dress up they have a whole different attitude.”

It’s no wonder what to wear was the hot topic in the days and months leading up to the big event.

Brooke Wehr found her two-piece prom dress at Macy’s after trying on some 40 other dresses.

“The top is a white halter and the bottom is a floral [in] pink, green and orange,” she said.

Jess Bachman actually ran into Wehr at Macy’s while she searched for the perfect dress.

She opted for a one-piece dress that gives the illusion of being a two-piece.

“The black top has an open back, with a light blue poufy bottom,” she said. “I probably tried on over 20 dresses, near 30 really, but the last one was the one I wanted.”

For Mallory Sanders, the second time was the charm.

“We went shopping at a store near my grandma’s house where I found a dress, but when we got home I didn’t really like it,” Sanders explained. “Since we were down to two, I swapped [the first one] for the other one.”

Her dress came from Group USA.

Emily Witt went to two stores before finding the perfect white, two-piece at XOXO Formals in King of Prussia.

“The bottom looks like pink and purple watercolor flowers,” she said, smiling. “It’s very summery and springy. My date is wearing a light gray tux.”

After trying on 10 dresses, Tessa Nichols found the perfect one.

“I wanted a princess-style dress,” she said. “I like poufy dresses. Mine is a cream and goldish color, [sort of] champagne.

“The fabric makes it seem like it’s glimmering a little.”

She went to David’s Bridal.

“We have a friend who works there and she was living vicariously through me,” she said. “I got it a couple of months ago after trying on 10-plus dresses and I love it.”

Shopping for a prom dress is the perfect thing to do with friends.

Robin Zellner went shopping at Macy’s with Nichols where she found “a two-piece in a mix of blue and turquoise, with a beaded top.”

“I really liked the poufiness,” she said. “It fit me nice. I tried other ones after that but they really didn’t impress me.

“[My three friends] put me through so many dresses.”

Dressing for the prom is not a girl only activity. Those guys who thought choosing clothing for the prom would be a no-brainer were caught by surprise.

“There are different styles,” said Dominic DeMilio, who shopped at Top Hat. “I got the Frank Sinatra-style, with a slim lapel [on] a black jacket with a blue vest and blue tie.”

Noah Seng DeLong had to rent two tuxedos, one for his girlfriend’s prom and the other for his.

“I wore a gray tux with plum accents for my girlfriend’s prom,” Seng DeLong said.

He rented that tuxedo from Men’s Warehouse but he rented the second one from C.E. Roth.

“It’s about as classic as I could get, black [tux], black bow tie and black vest,” he said, adding his outfit complimented his girlfriend’s black dress. “I call it the Sinatra. It’s very straightforward.

“C.E. Roth delivers the tuxedos to [Northwestern] and then picks them up at Northwestern.”