American Invasion
Britain, land of uniforms and rigorous exams, is embracing the high-school prom.

Sixteen-year-old Michael Clarke stands in front of the yellow Lamborghini his parents rented for him, along with a driver, for prom night. His school, Cornelius Vermuyden, held its prom May 16 at a country club in Chelmsford, Essex.

British teenagers say they've seen the events in movies like "American Pie" and television shows such as "The O.C.," and they want the chance to dress up and rent limousines, too.

Lisa Pickin, ducking her head as she emerges from her limo, spent about £550 on her lilac ball gown, accessories and the stretch limo that drove her and her friends to the Furtherwick Park prom.

Furtherwick Park prom attendees were celebrating the end of the 11th grade, called Year 11 in Britain. Tickets cost £26.

"Our teenagers decided they wanted to do what Americans do. They saw it in the films and got caught up in it," says Furtherwick Park teacher Kate Sawyer, who helped organize and chaperone the prom. At left, a group of Furtherwick Park teachers arrive at the prom in their own limo, complete with champagne.

Proms began crossing over to the U.K. several years ago and keep growing in popularity. Ricky Turrell, a photographer in Southeast England, has 54 proms booked this year. At left, a group of girls from the Furtherwick Park prom.

These young men were part of a group of 16 friends who arrived at their prom for the Howard of Effingham School in a stretch Hummer that cost £750.

Also pulling up at the Howard of Effingham prom: a vintage Triumph with a gloved chauffeur in full military uniform.

Michael Clarke, third from left, and other students from the Cornelius Vermuyden school pose for a photo. His mother, Sue Clarke, says the £600 she and her husband spent on their son's prom was worth every pound. "We didn't have proms or things like that when we were younger."