Okay Ladies!! We need your help!!

[AndyRosse]

Okay, now this is really isn't in regards to a wedding, but it is similar...so I decided this was probably the best forum. Let me know if you disagree. But I figured between all of us here, we should be able to more than help one of our newer members here to PS, Mechminx.

Molly is looking for help, advice, info, etc. on PROMS. Anything and everything you guys could tell her would be very much appreciated!

Unfortunately, her mother passed away, and she is hoping that if we all put our heads together, maybe we could kind of be like her PS Moms

in regards to advice.

She is shy, so I started this thread for her. So hopefully everyone can giver her a quick hello and welcome

, and then maybe we could start giving advice that everyone learned from going to their proms.

Hopefully then Molly will have some more specific questions. I know dresses were an area she was concerned about... But anything and everything is very much appreciated!

Thanks everyone!!

 

[mechminx]

thanx Rascal

basically want help with everything on prom

feel pretty sad and alone a lot of the time since my mom died - dad doesnt help - hes never really liked me to be honest

 

[E B]

Hi Molly!

I'm so sorry about your Mom. It must be so hard to lose a parent during this important time in your life. Pricescope has a pretty supportive bunch of ladies (and men) so never be afraid to open up if you've got things you want to talk about!

Now, on to the fun stuff: I went to prom not too long ago (okay, so it's been 5 years)...what do you want to know? We need some specifics!

 

[Lorelei]

Welcome Mechminx

I can''t help you much with the prom unfortunately as I am English, but I can help you with hair queries as that used to be my profession! I am sure you will find lots of great support here and we are glad to have you with us! Don''t worry about being shy, we are a friendly bunch, so post away and you will be very glad you did! Rascal you are a sweet gal and I am glad to help if I can.

 

[MINE!!]

Hello me,

I wish I had this thread when I was going to my first prom. I am sorry that you lost your mother. My mom did not pass, but she got lost at the bottom of a beer can when I was an infant and never found her way out. I used to wonder how I was ever going to learn to be a woman if I never had anyone to teach me how to be one. My father always refused to beieve that I was any more than 2.. so I kinda had to figure somethings out for myself. And.. I think I did pretty durn good.

I spent a lot of my childhood lonely and self concious. I was liked by everyone, just not loved by anyone. So socail situations like the prom were difficult. I always thought I was ugly and uninteresting. So going to the prom or trying on dresses... it sometimes seemed a little silly. I thought trying on dresses was like pouring perfume on a pig... just didn''t think it was worth it.

So here is my advice on Prom. Try on some dresses and LOVE the way they look on you. Find something that makes you want to dance and to bring out that part of you that is deep inside that just wants to laugh and feel comfortable. Pick a color that you like, not what you think someone else will like. Walk into the room like you own it girl. Walk in to the prom like you were meant to be there.. like this party was thrown for you. Be confident and strong, even if deep inside you are quaking in your boots. Smile... a lot.. even when you are uncomfortable, smile and think, I am supposed to be here, this is my time, my praty, MY prom. But don''t take this too seriously. Prom is only Prom... six years from now you are going to giggle about how silly the whole thing was anyway.

Respect yourself!!! You have gotten this far because somewhere deep inside is a strong woman that knows how to take care of herself and what to do. Someone who knows that they are a survivor and someone who knows the ins and outs of life, because in some ways, you may never had the luxury of being young. So when it comes to making decision about things to do during and after Prom.. IE.... drinking and etc. Make a decision as a strong confident young woman.

I wish you all the luck and please let us know how everything turns out for you.

BTW... everything turned out well, I figured out how to be a woman and I figured out how to be a mother and I did it because I had to.. period, and your wisdom is going to help you through all your obstacles.. just remember .. be confident and remember who you are and what you beleive and EVERYThing you believe you stand for!

 

[mechminx]

hair outfit accessories shoes/heels - like i said "everything

already met more angels on this tthread then i ever dared dream about when stuff is really horrible

 

[Lorelei]

So glad you are feeling at home Molly! Let me know what you want to do with your hair when you are ready and I will do what I can to help! Do you want an up or a down ''do?

 

[mechminx]

not sure yet sdorry

 

[Scintillating]

I can't imagine how hard life is for you now Molly.
My heart goes out to you.
If I could make one suggestion to you - find someone you trust to confide in and talk to.
This person might be a trusted childhood friend, a new female friend, or even a therapist (excellent people to just talk to when you need someone to listen.) Go out and find this person, or several, it's important.
You might not feel much like socializing these days, but it will help.

Molly,
It's a little early to start stressing about prom. You've got plently of time.
Tell us a little bit about you.
What part of the country do you live in?
Have you seen any photographs of dresses/hair/etc that you like?
I suggest you look at Jessica McClintock, David's Bridal for Prom dresses, and sites like Nordstrom to brain storm and get ideas. Post pics and whatever you like - we're more than Happy to help in anyway we can.

Hugs,
Scintillating...

Edit* I see you're all the way in Melbourne. Eeek! I don't know the stores in Au.
I think looking at photographs from these sites might still help you narrow down what you like - to later try out.

Also - when are proms in Australia?
When is yours Molly?

 

[mechminx]

Second Saturday in December because of our school year (four terms - three two week breaks and one six week break at Xmas/New Year)

 

[cinnabar]

Hi Molly, I''m sending my condolences for your sad loss too.

I''m English like Lorelei so I haven''t been to a prom, but I love reading about them and I''ve learned quite a bit from other sites. I found the eBay message boards to be full of great info about proms.

Something the experts might be able to help you with is "who pays for what". I think that the girl only has to pay for her dress, and the boy is supposed to pay for the prom tickets, dinner and flowers/corsage for his date. Is that true, girls?

 

[BrightSpot]

Hi, mechminx & welcome to PS!

I''m so sorry to hear that you lost your mom. Feel free to reach out to all of the ladies on PS for thoughts & advice on all things female.

There''s a wonderful support system here. You''ve gotten a lot of wonderful advice so far!

Have you found any dresses you like online? Feel free to post pictures of things you like (even better if they''re pictures of you trying on the dresses) & we''d be happy to give you our opinions.

You still have plenty of time to find a great dress, shoes, etc., but I think you''re wise to start looking around now.

 

[FireGoddess]

Molly,

Well, it's been many years since I went to my high school proms but I'll try to give you some advice nonetheless!

What kind of hair do you have? Curly? Straight? Thin? Thick/lots of it? This will help us try to help you figure out what would look best on you. Also, regarding hair, do you like the way you look with your hair in a ponytail? I hate the way my hair looks that way and therefore never wear my hair up. Next time you go for a haircut you may want to ask the person to show you what your hair would look like in an updo. That way you could see what it looks like before the 'big day' and have a better idea of what you want.

As for dresses, the only way to decide what you like is to try some on! Is there a friend you can go with to the mall or somewhere you can try on some dresses to see what you like? I was lucky that my grandma was an awesome seamstress and she made both of my prom dresses from patterns I found in the store. My junior prom dress was made to look similar to a Jessica McClintock prom dress I liked.

As for shoes - I would tend to go for something with either a kitten heel (short heel) or a medium heel - it's hard enough to dance without wearing heels so high you're afraid to walk in them! I personally like strappy sandals but since it's December, you may want to go with something closed toe. However, the shoes come after you decide on your dress - you need to know the color first.

As for accessories, in the USA there is a store called "Claire's" (there are others too) and they basically are stocked only with accessories - earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets, hair accessories, scarves, etc and they are perfect for something like the prom. What you choose will also depend on your dress...if your dress is strapless a nice noticeable necklace would complement it nicely, but if you choose something like a halter top dress that ties behind your neck, then you'd want to go for more daring earrings and skip the necklace. So in addition to the shoes, the accessories will also depend on your dress.

This is the website for Claire's: http://www.claires.com/

Hope this helps!!

 

[Scintillating]

I don''t think that''s true anymore - at least not in the North East.
I paid for my ticket, which included dinner, and my seat in the limo.
I bought my "date''s" corsage. (I went with a friend.)
My "date" did buy the pictures taken at the prom for us, which was nice of him - but he didn''t have to.
I think I later split the cost with him, I don''t remember.

Scintillating...

 

[Scintillating]

Molly said she''s fairly substantial up top.
So I think Firegoddesses suggestion of a Halter top is a good idea.
Supportive, fun, and sexy - and functional for dancing at a prom.

Scintillating...

 

[E B]

Molly,

Here's Alfred Angelo's AU website with bridesmaid dresses (which can be worn as prom dresses, and vice versa):

http://www.alfredangeloanz.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/collections.displayCollection/categoryID/772f03c9-de43-4942-bfa0-da77e21ebd65

and the Prom section:

http://www.alfredangeloprom.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/collections.displayCollection/categoryID/c0322fdd-f6ea-4002-8c96-3ff25fba316a

and here are a few "prom hair" ideas:

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b4df35b3127cce86dcbd50730e0000001610

http://www.bellamakeupartistry.com/hair-new2.jpghttp://www.beautifulhairstyles.com/prom/teenprom2003p67xl.jpg

http://www.prohaircut.com/image/celebrity_haircut_0000.jpg

http://www.bellamakeupartistry.com/tracy1.jpg

 

[Scintillating]

Molly,
What do you think of something like this?
As long as it's not backless - you want to be able to wear a bra. (at least I want to wear a bra)
They make special bras that you can set the straps so they go around your neck for a halter.

Looking back on it, the one thing I would change if I could - would be to go for something less fussy/formal.
You're in HS and young, and you want to look that way - effortless and chic - and not costumey or overdone.
Look at the girls on the Laguna Beach. They all wore hip/stylish light floatly dresses to their prom, not heavy ball gowns.

That's my motto when dressing up. You want to look effortless, chic, and elegant - and not overdone, or over thought or like I tried too hard.

Scintillating...

 

[Faerievert]

I love that black dress. It''s only been 5 years since mine too. Proms vary considerably place to place in the states, let alone in Australia. So I have to wonder how things are usually done at your school. Does everyone usually go with a date (about a quarter of my prom was singles, and most of the couples were chosen by the girls, not the guys)? Do the girls usually wear full-length dresses (at mine-yes)? Do they usually wear poofy skirts (at mine no, but I did anyway Junior year) Is there a dinner involved (at mine-yes)? Do people usually arrive in limos (at mine- only about 50%)? Is it just for seniors (mine was juniors & seniors together)? Is there a photographer (at mine-yes)? Do you have to buy tickets (at mine-yes)? What included in the ticket price (at mine-dinner & dancing)? How do the guys usually dress? How many people are at it? How important is it to you? Do you have a special someone to go with already?

My prom wasn''t all that big, but I still got dressed up for it and rented a limo with 2 other couples. Junior year I wore a fancy poofy silver princess skirt & beaded/embroidered shell tank top, elbow length black gloves, strappy black platform sandals, silver purse, white silk wrap, had my hair blown dry straight at the hairdressers (a big deal for me), and very simple make-up because I did it myself. The outfit was very expensive, but my dad was doing very well in business at the time.

Senior year I got my dress off a sale rack at TJMaxx- a designer discount store and just had my boyfriend drive us in my family car (it was nicer than his hunk of rust). The dress was full-length stretch velvet with silver glitter. Not poofy at all, but not real tight. It had a high neckline and one inch straps that just tucked around my shoulders leaving the dress backless to below my waist. I had my make-up done professionally and hair done very fancy- pulled back in the front in cornrows ending in twisted wrapped knots, the back of my hair in a bunch of cascading curls. I had rhinestones in the knots, along my eyebrows, in a bindi-type line between my eyes, and in a star on the small of my back. I got a black purse, a silver wrap, wore black velvet platform sandals, and a thick rhinestone choker.

So really, there''s a lot of ways you can go with this, it''s just a matter of what look you want to go for- traditional princess, sexy goddess, or anything in between!

 

[MelissaSue]

When is the prom? May or June? Or is it earlier? I''m 6 or 7 years past my proms.. but I can try to help.. Usually the true "prom dresses" won''t start coming out until after christmas or even later.. But one thing my best friend did was buy her dresses in the "off season" and she would get really good sales and then just save them until the prom or the dance.. You probably missed the post prom sales from last year, but you could maybe catch some left-over homecoming gowns?
I"ve noticed that Prom dress styles have changed a LOT since I was in school. When I was in school most of the dresses were pretty straight, pretty simple.. maybe some a-line.. but now they have full out ballgowns! And lots of sparkle!
Here is a pic from my junior prom in ''98. (oy I''m OLD). I''m the second from the left in the lavendar, which used to be my favorite color until PINK stole my heart.

 

[Angel7]

Hi Molly,

I know exactly how you are feeling. My mom died when I was 16 so when it came time for Prom, I relied on the next bext thing, my girlfriends. It''s a tough time in life but PLEASE know it will get easier and you will come out stronger and more independent than you ever thought you could be.

Now, onto the fun stuff!!
Do you have any ideas so far? Type of dress you want? Color? I like to just go browsing stores and try a bunch on and see what works best with my figure and coloring. Once you''ve got the dress down, you can get all the accessories together. My prom wasn''t too long ago (less than 10, more than 5 years) so I''d like to think I''m still hip!

I love the black one that was posted above. What do you like? Can''t wait to hear what your looking for!

 

[MelissaSue]

Oh! Have you visited promspot.com? Its a sister site of theknot.com (which is for weddings).. they have TONS of dresses and hair styles and accessories on there.. There is also a chat board.. but I don''t know how active it will be as it is mostly a US site and there aren''t proms around this time of year.

 

[Angel7]

Maybe some ideas to get you
going?

 

[Scintillating]

Date: 10/26/2005 2:52:36 PM
Author: Faerievert
Proms vary considerably place to place in the states, let alone in Australia.
So I have to wonder how things are usually done at your school.
Does everyone usually go with a date (about a quarter of my prom was singles, and most of the couples were chosen by the girls, not the guys)?
Do the girls usually wear full-length dresses (at mine-yes)?
Do they usually wear poofy skirts (at mine no, but I did anyway Junior year)
Is there a dinner involved (at mine-yes)? Do people usually arrive in limos (at mine- only about 50%)?
Is it just for seniors (mine was juniors & seniors together)? I
s there a photographer (at mine-yes)?
Do you have to buy tickets (at mine-yes)?
What included in the ticket price (at mine-dinner & dancing)?
How do the guys usually dress?
How many people are at it?
How important is it to you?
Do you have a special someone to go with already?

So really, there''s a lot of ways you can go with this, it''s just a matter of what look you want to go for- traditional princess, sexy goddess, or anything in between!

Probably right - it probably is very different across the country and globe.
Anyone have experience with/been to a prom in Australia?

 

[gingerBcookie]

Hi mechminx!

Welcome to ps! Sorrry to hear about your mom...my hugs and thoughts. Glad you''re here, as you can already see, we will all have way more advice than you prob want! I think the first step in getting ready for prom is finding your "must -have." FOr lots of girls its the dress, but it could be an accessory, shoes, tiara, bag, whatever. Then you figure what to get based on that! Do you have any idea of what you like in style? Classic, elegant, fun, girly, punkish...etc? Best bet is to go out and browse...no pressure to buy cuz that can get frustrating real fast. Around here, this is not a bad time to buy because all the winter formals are coming up so there are TONS of dresses in all the department stores. There''s a store (weblink) that sells prom dresses year round....you can also "register your dress" so that other girls in the school will know and hopefully won''t buy it

. Not sure if they ship to Austrailia though. Anyway...keep us updated with your prom plans!

 

[flopkins]

mechminx-
welcome to PS! I hope you find support here! I''m sorry your mom isn''t around anymore, I would be incredibly sad too. My mom initially was extremely wary of my going to prom my jr. year, she didn''t grow up in the US so the only stuff she heard about proms/formals was how there''s alcohol, drugs, and sex!! She actually talked to a school administrator who reassured her that things would be fine!! The ironic part was the next year, she was asking me if I had a date or not!!

It''s been a while since my proms, maybe 8 yrs... at our school we had to have a date, and only juniors or seniors were allowed to go (or if you had a jnr/snr as a date, you could go) Now that I look back on it, I guess it was pretty discriminatory, but at the same time I suppose it made the event seem more ''special'') I had a great time at both, my jr yr I went w/a friend, my sr yr I went w/my bf at the time... I had a big group of girlfriends and we all got together before to get dressed and do our makeup/hair... I have such fond memories!! Find some girlfriends to go dress shopping with - I remember that was one of the most fun parts!!

 

[JulieN]

I went to prom a year and a half ago, and my little sister a few months ago. So I''m just going to share a few things. Both me and my sister wore dresses that we loved. I didn''t like my hair, though. So if your stylist does something you don''t like, speak up! I think having a big bunch of your friends together is really important for having fun. I was in a bit of a tiff with my friends, and I was so wrapped up in my new boyfriend that time that I thought I didn''t need my girls to have fun. But it would have been a lot better. My last bit of advice is to have self-respect and stand up for yourself; don''t do anything you don''t really want to do, or let anyone disrespect you.

 

[AndyRosse]

Wow!! Thanks ladies for the great response! I knew Molly would be in good hands with you guys!!

Also, since this is Australia, isn''t December going to be warm down there? Just so we can get an idea of types of dresses and shoes.

Finally, I wonder if maybe Garry (Cut Nut) knows any advice on proms in Australia? Doesn''t he have some grown-up children?

 

[JessesGrl]

Hey Molly,
I am 24...so proms were back in 98 and 99 respectively. Back then a-line and ball gowns were "it". For my senior prom I wore a ivory tulle ball gown w/a halter top than had gold details...I look back and it seems like a WEDDING gown, eww. So I would steer away from white and ivory, you will have time for that later

...
My sister in laws are both 15...and very "prom" obsessed. I hear from them that short, almost tu-tu like dresses are "hot". Short dresses, w/ tulle bottom, not very 1999 but 2005 perhaps?
Also I cut my hair RIGHT before the prom...bad idea unless a slicked back bun is the look you are going for

Remember to have fun and bring your self confidence!!! I had NO self confidence at that age, at my wedding I felt truely beautiful and wish I could have felt that way back then...
Have fun, dance hard...and enjoy the memories!!!

 

[FireGoddess]

hey angel - when you changed your avatar from rosario to jack all the dresses you posted disappeared...any way to put them back for molly?

never mind - they're back now!

 

[Kaleigh]

Hi Molly,
I am soooo sorry about your mom. I have a daughter about your age, and would love to help in any way I can. PM me if you like. Lisa