Prom Shopping
Things never go how you imagine while sitting on the sofa at home. I assumed that prom shopping would be a heinous experience, moving from store to store and ending up with disappointing clothing for too much money worn once and then moved to the back of the closet to be forgotten for the next ten years.
Until we sell it in a garage sale.
But what happened was that we looked at some dresses online to make a game plan and then went to the mall. We walked through a department store to go to our game plan store and noticed that they had a lovely formal dress section that we did see online. We went to our game plan store, tried on a few dresses that were too large and casual, and then doubled back to the department store.
ChickieNob tried on three or four dresses, fell in love with two, and settled on one. It was slightly too long, but instead of hem it, we bought a new pair of shoes on sale because the dress was under budget. She loves the dress and shoes; they are both re-wearable because they’re more classic formal dress and shoes than straight prom-y fare. She could wear both well into adulthood because they’re timeless.
The Wolvog went directly to the department store, tried on a single suit, and purchased said suit, which fit perfectly and needed no altering. He already had a shirt, tie, and shoes. We paid for everything with bonus money from last year, and his clothes also came in under budget.
Why did I spend multiple nights worrying about this? Because things usually don’t go this way. My fears were based on what people posted online, and it sounded like this would be a frustrating, expensive exercise. That wasn’t our experience, though I’m not sure why. I know I won’t remember this next time we have a task to do. I will assume that it will be difficult, expensive, and frustrating and worry about it ahead of time because that’s just how my brain works.
5 comments
At DC1’s school apparently after prom (with games and $$ prizes) is better than prom, which is held in a gym and boring. DC1 didn’t go to either because the after prom required people to stay until 3am and zie wanted to sleep instead. It was a quiet weekend for us!
Re expecting the worst and experiencing the best: you’re never disappointed.
I’m laughing at Wolvog. Men! Do they know how easy they have it in the clothing department? So glad ChickieNob easily found dresses. Shopping is the best when you end up with a choice of two that you love! And shoes too. Perfect!
You know, you could choose not to assume that everything will be problematic! It will save lots of stress. Preparation doesn’t have to be filled with angst. In fact, preparation can allow you to put the angst away. (This is from someone who used to worry about everything, and still has the tendency to do so, until I consciously decide not to!)
I had a long day at the mall shopping for dresses, but my girl ended up buying (well, I ordered it online while we were still shopping) the 3rd dress she tried on. She probably tried on 20, though. It was an inexpensive dress (relatively speaking – I hear there are crazy people who pay hundreds of dollars for dresses). Then I had to pay almost as much to get it altered – there may have been platform heels high enough to avoid alterations, but the fall injuries would be much more expensive. It’s not even her prom – she’s going with her friend to the junior prom. I’m soooo looking forward to another 2 years of this nonsense. Then there’s hair and nails…
I’m glad your experience was better than you expected! I hope the kids have a great time…
Glad she found something she liked without too much angst! I don’t remember how many grad dresses I tried on, but I knew right away when I found The One. It was aqua blue with a long pleated skirt and a lace-trimmed overbodice (popular during the 70s) and aqua blue ribbon ties at the shoulders instead of spaghetti straps. It cost $65 and was (by far) the most expensive dress I’d ever bought to that point. I wore it once, and it’s still hanging in a closet at my parents’ house. 😉
Glad the experience went well in the end! I find shopping can be so hit and miss. Sometimes you can spend all day and end up frustrated with nothing and other times you might get lucky and find the perfect item!