This morning I heard the most outrageous call-in conversation on a radio show. A mother called in to say that 'her daughter was going to her prom and was destined to be prom queen'. The trouble was that her daughter posted a picture of her prom dress on Facebook and later discovered that another student 'who wasn't in her inner circle of friends' planned to wear the same dress. OMG ... seriously? This mother was somehow under the impression that the prom was all about her daughter and that somehow having someone else in the same dress was going to ruin her chances of shining for the evening. This mother talked about having spent a lot of money on the perfect dress. She was actually considering either A) calling the girl and suggesting that she get a different dress or B) bribing the girl not to wear the dress. Again ... seriously?
What has society come to when dress shops 'register' dresses for teenage girls (so no one else from the same school can wear the same dress)? I'm sure they're just attempting to give their customers the assurances that their daughter will stand out (for the low, low profit of hundreds of dollars). It's a prom. Yes ... a prom is definitely a highlight in a senior year of high school. Hopefully something that is a first for those attending. But guess what? It's about getting dressed up in something other than blue jeans, having fun with friends, and creating a night of memories. It shouldn't be about spending $500+ on a dress you'll only wear once (that should be saved for your wedding day). It shouldn't be about who will be seen with whom. I can appreciate the the romance and the fun in guys making the 'grand gesture' by being creative with their prom invite. Trust me, I have a teenage daughter. The girls want the 'creative gesture'. They don't want to get their prom invite via text while their proposed date takes a 5 minute break from their video game.
I've known girls who've spent mega bucks on their prom dresses (or rather their parents did), but in the end I don't think they had any more fun at the prom because of it. A table with 10 students can still only fit so much dress material. Instead why don't we encourage our daughters to wear dresses that make them feel pretty? Of course, if the ball gown is what your daughter feels special in, then by all means that's the dress for her. It's not solely a money issue - to me it's more about encouraging your daughter to see the beauty she has when she wears a Red Wings shirt and a faded pair of jeans. And then encouraging her to enjoy the process of dressing up for a special night. Let's not send our daughters the wrong message ... the message that says they won't be pretty enough if they don't have 5# of glitz on their gown. Granted I loved Cinderella's dress - I'm a romantic at heart. One of my favorite shows is 'Say Yes To The Dress', but when I hear conversations like I did on the radio this morning I wonder where some people's motives are. The mother on the radio this morning when asked by the DJ why she was so concerned about it (that it was her daughter's night, not hers) simply stated, 'well, yes, it is about my daughter being the queen, but clearly that'll make me the queen's mom and I'm sure I'll be part of the festivities.'
So I apologize for feeling riled up, but that's the beauty of a blog. It's my opinion and I get to encourage constructive dialogue (hopefully). So what made your prom special? If you're female ... did you wear the dress of your dreams or a hand-me-down? If you're a guy ... did the dress your date wore make or break your prom night? What kind of dress are you hoping your daughter(s) will wear?
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