Monday, August 07, 2006

Prom Night



I'm reading a very amusing book by Adena Halpern, Target Underwear and a Vera Wang Gown. It's basically a chronicle of some of the most important clothes she's known in her life. Not exactly Tolstoy, but entertaining. :) One of the funniest chapters concerns her prom dress. She desperately wanted a strapless black dress with a tulle skirt, which somehow could not be found anywhere (and this was the '80s!) She even turned down an adorable blue and white polka dot Victor Costa her mother bought because she "Had a Dream." In the end, she made her own dress, which proved to be, er, less than a good idea.

It all made me start thinking about Clothes I Have Known in my own life, including my prom dresses. Junior year I had a knee-length pale pink satin dress with puffy pink sleeves (a size 4--why, oh why, did I not fully appreciate it when I had it???). Senior year, I had a harder time finding something I liked. Finally, I came across this black taffeta and velvet ballgown, though I can't remember where it was. The salesgirl told me she had seen it on a character on "Days of Our Lives." Wow--a soap opera prom dress! I sort of wish it still fit. Might be nice at a conference. I also had very narrow-toed, pinchy black satin shoes and a '40s style hairdo with red roses.

The other pic is my parents--junior prom 1967. I love my mom's Jane Austen-style dress and bouffant hair.

What was your prom dress like? And, if you were going to the prom now, what sort of gown would you choose?

6 comments:

Rinda Elliott said...

Oh, I should scan in my prom pic. Wonder if I can... We could all do prom pics. The hubby hates it though. He does look like a thug.

You haven't changed a bit. Very, beautiful dress!

Amanda McCabe/Amanda Carmack/Laurel McKee said...

I'd love to see your prom dress, Rinda! Thuggish husband and all. :)

AnimeJune said...

Here in Canada, my school didn't have proms - they had grads. But for my senior grad I wore a strapless gown that had a tight, beaded corset on top with a spreading floor-length skirt on the bottom - in bright purple.

I loved it, but I was horribly paranoid that the bodice (being strapless) would fall down and I'd end up exposing myself on the first night since I'd turned twelve where I wasn't wearing a bra.

I also had cool shoes that altered their fit with my mood. I'm not kidding - the entire time my parents and family were present, they pinched and hurt too much for me to dance, but once they left, they fit perfectly. :P

Betty S said...

Waaahhhhh!!

I didn't get to go to either my Jr. or Sr. Prom. My mom was concerned there might be drinking and wild behavior. I can't help but wonder how much tamer my later live would have been if she'd just let me go to the damn prom.

Betty S said...

You look great, by the way.

Amanda McCabe/Amanda Carmack/Laurel McKee said...

I think the purple beaded dress ounds fab! I love sparkle... :)