Since I attended prom last year, I am officially qualified to give advice. Many things I’ve seen at prom were potentially humiliating or uncomfortable and could have been avoided.
Prom only happens twice in an SHS career, so relax. There’s too much fun to be had to be a wallflower.
Lets talk attire. The dress is a big deal. I’m not saying it needs to cost $400, but that’s what makes prom, prom. All the different styles of dresses were not made to fit every body type. Some ladies were not meant to wear strapless dresses; thank God for the ones who know that. Cleavage is not something I want to see. Even though I am a girl, it makes me extremely uncomfortable, plus who wants to spend the entire evening adjusting and tugging to keep it on?
When I tried on dresses, I asked myself, “How comfortable am I?” If I felt uncomfortable mentally or physically, there was no amount of encouragement from my family that could make me get that dress. I have the ultimate say, if I couldn’t decide on a dress I was comfortable with, I just wouldn’t go. I knew my goal was to look beautiful, not seductive. The only guys a female with a lot of skin showing will attract are high school boys, and where’s the plus in that?
I know that long dresses look amazing, and if I’m wearing heels I don’t want it to be too short, but please, ladies, be considerate. There is just no extra room on the dance floor and when there are Cumbias on, everyone is packed in the rotating circle. I stepped on so many dresses last year, and I felt awful for it. But then I didn’t feel bad any more because after I stepped on one girl’s dress more than once, it tore, and she didn’t even bother to pick up her train. Prom dresses cost too much to be one-wear, disposables.Paying that much for something you don’t protect is pathetic. You may get an opportunity to wear that gown again.
I completely understand why women want to wear the really high heels; they are so gorgeous. It might just be my 8 1/2-9 sized foot, but the higher the heels, the better they look. If the heels are two inches or under, my feet look long and ugly, but if they’re at least three inches, I achieve the perfect arch that looks great. Platform heels and wedges are just suicide. I know I have to pay the price when the balls of my feet start to hurt. I feel good about it up to a certain point. Dancing in heels is definitely something to work on because it sure isn’t an inherited trait. There’s a quick solution to that: sandals and flats. No one expects those heels to stay on all night–if they do–their wearers are obviously crazy and/or crippled by the end of the night.
When it comes to dancing, it doesn’t matter if I know how or not. It’s a blast, and no one should miss out on it. I had never danced to a country song EVER (I don’t even listen to country), but when I was asked to dance last year, I went for it. Man, it was fun. The best part was that the first guy who asked me had no clue what he was doing. It was a great memory, and I didn’t feel bad that I didn’t know what I was doing either. I’m sure he didn’t notice, since he was concentrating so much on the “forward, back, back” (he wasn’t saying it, that was just the look on his face). The four hours of prom are too short because if you are participating and having fun, they literally feels like only a couple of hours.
Last year, I didn’t eat any food. I wasn’t hungry, and I was either dancing talking or watching other people dance. All I heard the week after was how good the cupcakes were and cookies and everything else. I was bummed that I didn’t eat anything, but I learned my lesson and I will definitely take part in the goodies at the food tables this year. I’m sure my belly will thank me.
Prom always seems to be something people stress about. It’s like they think I’m a movie star who is going to be appear an episode of “What Not To Wear” in a magazine. They obsess about nails and hair. My nails are not super important and neither is stiff hairsprayed curls. The goal should be to have fun. Obsessing about having a “date” is silly too. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal. After all, it’s most likely just friends going together because very few relationships are strictly junior/senior anyway. Also, leave the jealously at home. It’s a dance, so guys and girls can ask anyone to dance–even the one you like. I quote a previous column, “It’s high school, not marriage”…chill out.
Getting ready for prom is exciting and scary. “Am I going to finish in time?”, “I hope I don’t trip while walking down the red carpet”, “Is my crush going to notice me?” The goal is for everything to be perfect and it is until we start caking on the makeup. There’s something about prom that makes girls think that they’re runway models. Runway models are in front of real cameras and we are not. Keep it natural-looking. Too much makes you look like a two-year-old with a steady hand did it. Prom makeup isn’t that extreme, but it’s not normal. The dark sparkly eye makeup, fake lashes with an entire tube of mascara on them and the gel eye liner is just too much. If you come out the shower after prom and you look like a raccoon, it’s not evolution, it’s too much makeup. You don’t want to have a slow dance with a guy and leave him paying extra to the rental company to get the sludge off the shoulder that your clown makeup left. Each girl should look beautiful not intimidating. I’m not saying go completely natural, just know that those bright blues, pinks and blacks are for costume parties not prom.
Prom is so fun, but many people don’t experience the full fun when they stress over every little thing. Yes, it’s a formal event, but it is also supposed to be fun. Don’t take yourself to seriously. It’s an event that only happens twice, unless you are invited to one in another town. It is supposed to be memorable, but in a good way, so give yourself every chance to enjoy yourself with no regrets.