As prom night is nearing, teenage girls are in for an unpleasant surprise as high schools across the U.S. are now enforcing a prom dress code for their students.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, several American schools are adopting pre-emptive measures to ensure that their students will dress appropriately for the social event from this year onwards. School authorities hope that the new measures will prevent girls from showing up in provocative gowns, after which they are turned away at the door.

Some of these measures include posters and power presentations that illustrate the kind of attire that will be acceptable at the dance. As per the rules, the girls will not be allowed to wear dresses that are see through, have plunging necklines, dress cutouts and have hemlines more than three inches above the knee. The girls are advised to opt for full length gowns without any thigh-high slits instead.

According to the report, some schools even require their students to give in their consent for the dress code by signing a contract before the big night, or else risk being turned away. Authorities at the West Laurens High School in Dexter, Georgia, have created an elaborate 14-page booklet describing all the dos and don'ts of a promgoers' gown.

It seems kind of petty, Cindi Lee, a teacher at Southmore High School outside Oklahoma City, explained to the Journal, but we really do want them to understand we are holding them to a high standard.

Though the dress code mainly focuses on girl students, there are several restrictions for the boys as well. Boys are expected to show up in true prom style, and not in jeans, sneakers and hats.

These new measures might not go down well for students who have spent most of their high school year planning for the annual event. Catherine Moellering, the executive vice president of Tobe, apparently told the Journal that students take their inspiration from Hollywood in selecting their gowns.

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