September 4, 2006 01:23 PM
Homecoming Dress Stress
Dear daughter (a.k.a. DD) and I spent several days last week looking for a homecoming dance dress. Well, not just a homecoming dress. No, that simply won't do. We had to find the homecoming dress.
DD wanted to stick to some rules, if possible, in our quest for formal gown perfection. They were:
1. It must be short (not super short, but no longer than at the knee).
2. It should be red. If not red, then it definitely must not be black, because too many people wear black dresses to the dance, and she wore black two years ago.
3. It should be different (so no one else is in the same dress) but not too different (so she would not feel awkward).
So of course, we did not end up finding a short, red dress. We did however purchase a long, strapless, black gown with a slight pattern (gray swirls), made from a glittery, stretchy fabric. A long, strapless, purple sequined gown was a close second.
Lessons learned this week:
1. You must take along a friend (your daughter's best friend, preferrably) because mom's opinion means absolutely nothing when it comes to dress shopping.
2. Very few dresses will fit perfectly. When figuring your budget, make sure to budget for alterations as well (unless you can do those yourself).
3. Salewomen will tell your daugher everything looks great. Especially the more expensive gowns.
4. Once you find your gown, check the Internet before you buy. I found the purple gown (a.k.a., our second runner-up) online for $100 less than it was at the formal dress shop. But be careful--some online stores, especially those selling with formalwear, do not take returns.
5. All the arguments, exhaustion, and disappointment will melt away, when your darling daughter steps out of the fitting room looking like a beautiful, elegant woman, and you both realize and say in unison: "Oh my gosh. This is it. This it the one."
Comments
Oh my stars! You shopped for a dress with your daughter and you're still here to tell the story. You are my hero. Last year (8th grade) was the first year my daughter went to dances and each time shopping for the perfect dress took on epic proportions. She started sr. high last week. I can hardly wait till the first dance comes up.
Posted by: Stacy at September 5, 2006 10:54 AM
there's really something to be said for just having to buy a new shirt & tie!!!
Posted by: Karen at September 5, 2006 02:04 PM
Heh. Love how you stuck to the "rules". Teenaged girls are quite an experience. Even though I was one, I had no idea.
Posted by: Tammy at September 6, 2006 04:59 PM
