Each spring, high school students around the country primp and preen themselves into glamour befitting movie stars as they ready themselves for an annual rite of passage: The Prom.

Hard on the wallet and hard on parents' nerves, the yearly bash has become the social event of a lifetime for high school students everywhere.

Preparation for the big dance has grown ever more complex with the passage of time. Proms, or promenades, first became common in the 1920s as a middle-class alternative to the elite debutantes' balls that were popular at the time.

Then, dances were held at the school, girls usually made their own dresses and boys wore their "Sunday best" suits.

Since then, dances have become more and more elaborate, from the decorations to the settings to, of course, the dresses. The process of getting ready for prom can start months before the dance itself.

The Herald followed several girls from across Mercer County as they shopped for dresses, had their hair styled and left for prom: Gina LoScalzo from Hickory High School in Hermitage, twins Laura and Virginia Mateo from Kennedy Catholic High School in Hermitage, Larene Amos from Sharon High School, and Lauren Sauer from Lakeview High School.