If Only I Was Sixteen Again!

I just saw over at the Loehmann’s blog that “Prom Dress Season” is here again. 

I remember being a young girl and dreaming about the prom and beautiful prom dresses. It was always portrayed in the movies as the most magical of nights when every ugly duckling or even just awkward uncomfortable teen would be transformed in to the beautiful knockout swan with the addition of her secret crush on her arm and the most perfect prom dress.

I knew even then that prom was all about the dress.

Prom Dresses in the 80’s
Unfortunately, the 80’s were a really bad time frame in the history of the prom dress. Shoulder pads, already out of control on even a business suit, reached new heights when bestowed by ruffles and bows. The preferred and often only resource for prom dress shopping was the local bridal store where you could expect to shell out over a hundred dollars and certain things, such as lycra stretch lace, were only seen on MTV stars like Madonna. The typical prom dress in the 80’s resembled huge brightly colored human satin ruffles, milling about, and dancing to synthetic drums and synthesizers.

My Vintage Prom Dress
Thankfully, I only had to bring myself to wear a bridesmaid dress as my prom dress once: a dusky purple creation that I can’t recall what rock it grew under. For my own junior prom, the lure of the prom dress shops were vetoed and instead I battled man critics for going full on vintage way before it was vogue. A vintage prom dress wasn’t unique or one of a kind back then, it was just gross to wear someone else’s old clothes. Still, that’s what my best friend, Lauralei (in white) and I did. I still have the classic 1950’s rhinestone and tulle getup hanging in my attic.

Remember, it was the 80’s, so it was all about consumerism. We didn’t have to worry about being green or recycling then. Waste was cool and the more expensive a prom dress, the better it was.