One of the best things about being able to look at people's old prom photos is that we get a chance to see the fashions of the time! Admittedly, very few people would go to their prom night dressed like Ellen DeGeneres is in this picture. The fashion is very much 1970s, and it's never come back into style since. At the time, though, we can assure you that DeGeneres and her handsome date would have been the envy of everybody else at the ball. She's an LGBT style icon now, and she's achieved style icon status by tracking what's 'in' carefully throughout the years.
What's striking about this picture is how completely different DeGeneres looks from the way we recognize her now. If we hadn't told you who you were looking at, do you think you'd have been able to identify her? Perhaps the tartan dress would have convinced you that you were looking at a famous Scottish lady instead? Or does something about her expression give her away?