I would just like to point out a ridiculous societal flaw happening AT THIS VERY MOMENT: prom is just weeks away. For all of us high school students, this is a very important event in our young lives; prom can define relationships, create new ones, test popularity, and most importantly, provide a dramatic and magical place to enjoy one’s fleeting childhood.
As a senior, prom is especially a big deal to me. But, as a non-working senior, prom also involves a multitude of tough negotiations with my parents, let-downs, tears over dresses, etc. ‘Why’, you might ask? Because everything is so gosh-darned expensive!
Not only do I have to deal with the emotional taxation of trying on dresses (which, by the way, are not sized consistently – I think just to make me feel bad about myself), but also the literal taxation upon my wallet.
As if the ticket price itself were not bad enough ($50!!!), I went dress shopping this weekend. I found a perfectly average purple dress on major clearance at Macy’s and let me just tell you right now, it was way better than anything I ever suspected I could afford. But, it was missing that certain magical element. Every girl wants to feel like a princess at prom. Even if you wear jeans and sweatshirts and tennis shoes to school every day (guilty), you still want your life to be a fairytale for just one night.
After making my purchase, I put my dress in the car, and then I got to thinking. Thinking, in this case, was a bad, bad idea. I thought to myself, “what if they’re having a major sale at Nordstrom’s? I wouldn’t want to miss out.” So I pranced my stupid butt right on up that escalator back into the mall. I shyly crept into the Nordstrom’s special occasion section and was relieved; none of these dresses were much better than mine *silent cheer*! But then, it happened. I turned around and there, hanging amidst the only-slightly-above-average dresses, was the most beautiful gown to ever have been designed by any designer in the whole universe.
I won’t try to describe it here because there’s simply no way that I could do it justice, but it was just one of those things that makes your heart stop and melt a little bit. I drifted dreamily over to the rack on which it hung so inconspicuously. I felt the soft, beautiful material slide between my fingers and I was just in awe. Then, I flipped over the tag to see how much it cost. Then, I almost flipped myself over from sheer shock. The dress was almost $500!! AND IT WAS IN THE PROM SECTION! I mean, come on. What high schooler can afford a $500 dress??
Heartbroken, I’m sitting here now with my very nice purple dress, daydreaming about the expensive piece of wearable art that can never be mine. What happened to the days when people made their own dresses and prom was held in a gym? What tells us that expensive is better and thus more “magical?” I surely don’t know, but I certainly wish that whatever that thing is, it would leave me alone.
GIRL. Put that on Craigslist and get some donations! I am not a clotheshorse nor do I care much about purses and shoes BUT there was a dress when I was going to my prom and ohmigod it was perfect. I didn’t get it and I swear to you I still regret it to this day and I’m 32. Everybody deserves some frivolous magic. I’ll donate towards it!