Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Ye Olde Prom Dress

Yesterday, I took my prom dress from the closet to show a friend, sure it was a size zero or some other appalling number. Not so. In fact, it was only one size smaller than I am now. I’m totally going to have panels made in the sides so that I can wear the dress again someday. And just so you don’t hate me for being a twig – I lost the pounds this summer the hard way -- Lean Cuisines and Kleenex tissues. (But I'm soooo much better now!)

Anyway, it was a rocking dress. Strapless, black shiny material all gathered in up and down the sides. A cute little peplum skirt. I wore it with a retro faux-fur jacket with a one-button closure. Super cute.

My prom date was my best guy friend – which means there was no making out involved. So sad. But, I do remember going to a friend’s after party and arguing with some student government kids until the wee hours of the morning. Why and what we argued about ... I have no clue.

But, back to the dress. Get this – a few years ago when I visited my sister’s house, she was having a garage sale and there on the rack – was MY dress! And priced at like, five dollars! How she got the dress, I don’t remember, but we exchanged some choice words. Mostly comprised of me yelling about her being a total closet thief for all of her life. When that line of discussion didn’t work, I grabbed the dress and drove off.

The feeling of dancing in that gown – even with a boy who I knew was not going to kiss me goodnight (though I was secretly hoping) was magic. Magic I wasn’t ready to part with. And magic I still need today.

So, what special things have you kept from high school?

6 comments:

Dona Sarkar-Mishra said...

I have my old Prom and Homecoming dresses too! One was a sparkly black clingy thing that I need to lose 20 lbs to get back into and the other is an off-the-shoulder maroon ensemble I loved at the time. Now I think it's plain, boring, and "WOW, I was a boring teenager :)"

I also keep the corsages from Prom and Homecoming (my date was also my best guy friend). I think it's better that way, no hard feelings, no "I don't ever want to think about that night again!". Prom and HOmecoming, for me anyway, were nights I remember as having a great time with my friends and making memories that last a lifetime.

TinaFerraro said...

Heather, I'm in the unusual position of never having owned a prom dress. I didn't go to my prom--none of my friends did. My high school had lots of cliques (see my Sunday post-lol) and mine didn't DO proms. But my oldest is a senior this year and I tell him he has to go. Otherwise, he'll be all grown up and still hung up on the prom theme, end up selling his first book about some magical and imaginary prom dress. Okay, maybe not so bad after all. But I still want him to go.

Marley Gibson said...

I have one of my varsity cheerleading uniforms. (Don't even ask me if it still fits.) I also have my band trophies (who'd a thunk I'd have been given BEST BRASS? LOL!) and I have allllll of my stuffed animals.

(See my post this Saturday on stuffed animals! There's a teaser!)

I wish I had my prom dress. It was THE coolest thing ever. Navy blue, tea length, off the shoulders and fitted in the boobage area. My date was a freshman who my best guy friend had hooked me up with. He was nice, but literally an hour into the prom, he said "I'm gonna split." I found out he'd only gone with me to get to go and dance with other girls. I was pissssssssssed as you can imagine. Ran out into the parking lot, threw his stuff on the ground outside of my car (I had driven) and urked off out of the lot with him screaming behind me not to go. Talk about juvenile!!! I ended up at Burger King, changed into my senior breakfast outfit, bought something to eat and sat in my car. My classmate's brother drove up (very shy guy) and hopped in the car with me, chatted for a couple hours...laughed until it hurt. We had sooooo much fun. Then, I took him to the senior b'fast with me. No kissing either, but he made the night better by being my friend.

Everyone depressed now? LOL!!!

stephhale said...

I think I saw some homeless lady walking down the street wearing my old prom dress the other day. Seriously. I totally didn't even feel bad for her. I mean I couldn't fit a leg into one of those dresses now. She was just showing off. :)
The only thing from HS that I've really kept are pictures. I've never destroyed a picture. I don't like sit around rehashing old memories all the time, but I like knowing that they are safe inside my rubbermaid box anytime I want to browse around a little.
And Tina, I got tears in my eyes. maybe we can all fly to ca for your signing and wear prom dresses and have our own prom. That is just so wrong you never got to go! :)
hugs,
Steph

TinaFerraro said...

Thanks, Steph, I'd love to have you all at my signing! And hey, first 10 who show up in a prom dress get a free book! (Date and place TBA).

Me said...

I'm sensing a trend... I went to prom with my best guy friend, too! (Who later came out of the closet, but I'm not taking responsibility for that.) My mom actually made my prom dress--and halfway through the night a piece of the boning poked through and I had to pull it out of the dress. Thankfully in the privacy of the ladies room.

Like Dona, I saved my corsage. I keep it in my "Memory Box"--which also has all my swimming ribbons/medals, the slippers my first grade teacher knit for me, a poem-inscribed coconut from summer camp (don't ask!), and the pair of Speedos my college crush wore in our production of Tartuffe. Yes, seriously. I don't go through it often, except to repack it, but I'm glad to know all those "memories" are there.