"Prom Memories: The good, the bad, and the really big-haired" > - Beauty and Fashion >

Beautyflow.com Jessica_at_Lifestyle
"Alright, ladies -- cards on the table. If you're old enough to be on this board, you're old enough to have some really scary prom memories. (And no matter how deeply they were buried, Charlize's Oscar gown is right there to bring them rushing back...) So, let's have it -- the big hair, the poofed sleeves...and bonus points if your date wore a powder blue tux.

chouser200
"My last date to the prom - tall, blonde, buff, killer smile - did indeed wear a powder blue tux! :) And I still have the risque, black, non-mother-approved, halter-top dress I made in the back of my closet. :)

TMac
"I was a sophomore and got invited to the Junior Prom...my date informed me what he was wearing so that I could buy a dress that wouldn't clash. Hmm...wasn't I supposed to tell HIM what I was wearing so HE could factor that in? ;) I ended up with a red dress that I hated, and I experienced french-kissing for the first time...hated that too! Nice guy in most respects but for me, the idea of the prom was better than the prom itself! Went on to better ones (and better kisses) subsequently though...

Montresor
"In my junior year a senior asked me to the prom...but he was so nervous about asking, he waited until just two days before the date! I had a terrible cold and absolutely no time to find a dress. I ended up borrowing a simple outfit from my mother--and loading my jacket pockets with tissues. I spent most of the evening in a Dimetapp-induced fog, but it was fun anyway.

wannabmisty
"My senior prom was my first and only prom. A couple friends hooked up my date and I because we both wanted to go and neither of us had a date. Well it was a nightmare. He didn't get me a corsage until an hour before prom, complained about the price of dinner and then danced one dance with me and spent the rest of the night with another girl. I spent most of the night with my best friend and her date. I can laugh about it now, but I was very disappointed then. I felt very pretty though and at least I had fun at the after-party:P (without him)

hojo80
"My sophomore year I was dating a senior and I was all set to go to prom with him. (Sophomores couldn't go unless invited by a junior or senior). I had picked out my dress and booked my hair appointment and then two weeks before prom (and one week before my birthday!) he dumped me. I was crushed, but it actually turned out to be a great night anyway. My best friend took me out to dinner on prom night to cheer me up, and it ended up being one of the best times we've had together. We still joke about it!

Dana
"On my prom night three of the graduating class(including me) dressed at one of the classmates house. In those days it was a big deal dancing with a male, and we spent our time peering through the darkness of the hall trying to see who was dancing or not. Our graduation was paired with a male college, but they were not too visible. I think the darkness helped us.

heatherhedyjon
"Well, I went to a total of 3 proms and 4 semiformals in high school. They were all pretty forgettable except a few funny moments. @ one prom my friends and I didn't like the food so we had pizza delivered. At that same prom I unknowingly took the prom queen's balloons. Well, I knew I took the balloons (I still have a weakness for them.) but not that they were the prom queen'sAt another prom my friend Beth announced, very loudly, after our other friend Beth was voted into the prom queen court that "finally someone with a brain" was voted to the court.I grew up in South Jersey during the 80's do I need to go into hairstyles and dresses- my husband (from the mid-west) said that he would have been too scared to talk to me. His prom date looked like an extra from Gone With the Wind or Oklahoma. He swears that she went with him out of pity.

caflagirl
"My senior prom night was supposed to happen in Daytona Beach. I bucked all authority as a woman and wore a white satin jumpsuit to the event. All parties were meeting in the parking lot in our small town. Some guys pulled up and asked me my name, I told them and they said they were sent by my friend to pick me up. Well, my hair sure fell when they took me to a now closed Daytona gay club where my supposed "date" was with his boyfriend. They didn't know how to tell me any other way. Guess what, I still got my dance on and they showed me a BETTER time than any prom every could!

NCSistah
" Memories of the two proms I attended are great overall. Both dates were high school sweethearts. I remember my sister serving my date and I dinner, ordered in from Red Lobster in our dinning room, how my sweet date danced with my friend who had lost a ton of weight, but didn't have date, and dancing to Lady in Red with my sweetheart. The funniest parts were my corsage that kept falling off that I had pinned on (my dates hands had been shaking too much and I had actually pinned on other female friends corsages that stayed on) and bowling in a prom dress. I used to pull on the dresses when I was feeling sentimental now they just hang in my closet where I can look back in time on them and the dried corsage that continued to fall off.

LinIL
"My most memorable, worst prom happened when I was a freshman. I had been invited by my steady boyfriend a couple of months ahead of the event. Had the special dress, special shoes and had gone for a dry-run on the prom up-do! We did coordinate outfits, although he didn't wear a blue tux, his blue, ruffled shirt did match my dress. In the two weeks prior to prom he took a job, at least that's what he told me, so couldn't stop up to see me during the week. On the weekend, he would show up at my house, but he was always late (this from a guy who was always previously early). He even showed up late on the night of prom. We met friends of his to go out for dinner and he hardly talked to me all evening, it was very uncomfortable. At the prom dance, we only danced one dance and, again, the quiet treatment. After the dance, we went for a ride with friends and then got in to his car so he could take me home. We got to my house and instead of "making out" for awhile, he asked for his ring back. I gave it to him, got out of the car and on the way in remembered I had his class key on my neck. I took it off, walked back to the car and, when he rolled down the window, threw it in his face. That night totally sucked! He was my first ever steady boyfriend and I was "in love"! I found out from my best-friend the next day that he had been seeing her during the week for the two weeks prior to prom, trying to talk her in to going with him. She knew he was going to break up with me and I was the laughing stock of the entire senior class! I cried for a month!

real mammy
"May 1969 my Senior Prom: I was so gorgeous that night, my classmates were jaw-droppingly stunned - so that's kinda bittersweet, ya know? More points - my date was 5 yrs. older and rented a yellow VW bug, even though he already owned a "James Bond Blue" one. We both wore soft, chiffoney yellow, my dress was very tasteful, sleek and elegant, sleeveless with a choker-style neck and I had matching fabric flowers nailed into my scalp - well, that's what it felt like, even if I did look for that night like a cross between Colleen Corby and Audrey Hepburn - my heroines at the time. A couple of years ago, my kids had the official prom picture blown up sans date and beautifully framed so we can see every day how beautiful I was for that one night. . .

kittyprincess14
"I went to two proms one was my junior year and the other was my senior year. I think the one that was most memorable would be my senior prom. I got my hair done, nails, bought my dress. Everything was really perfect. Except when I went to take my pictures it was a bit windy that day and I didn't seem to mind but the pictures were outside and my dress was blowing it kind of reminded me of a Marilyn Monroe photo shoot but anyway. I saw my picture after I got them back and my stomach was a little bloated it felt that night. In my picture I looked pregnant how horrible is that to have my senior prom picture made me look pregnant.

Ekey
I cant wait till prom in april 2006 im so excited!

stamparoo
"My senior prom was a bust! The committee that planned it waited until the very last minute to rent a location, therefore we were in a tiny little banquet type room at a local college campus with a capacity of about 200, but there were over 300 in my class, along with their dates. The dress I got must have been a popular one becuase there was about 8 other girls wearing the same dress in varying shades, including the girl who was dating my ex! Top that!! : ) However, my husband senior prom a year later was much better, we had a great time in a beautiful location, my dress was one of a kind, although there were a couple girls there wearing the same dress I had worn a year before, boy that must have been a popular dress.

YayKelsey
"I went to prom with a gay guy friend. In South Texas and a high school half filled with very conservative rednecks. His boyfriend also went with one of my friends. Right before we left, the two guys danced together much to the disdain of the majority of the prom attendees.

sanfranchicken
"For my Senior Prom my boyfriend told me that he did not want to go. He went to a different high school and could only afford to go to one and he wanted to go to his own and he wanted to take a friend of his who didn't have a date. I got a few of my friends who also didnt have dates to go together with. We had dinner at my house, then drove to the photographers to get our pictures taken. I was having fun until I got to the dance, and my boyfriend was there. Suposedly he was there to "surprise" me. But I was **** because he wanted me to suddnely ditch my friends to be with him. And besides that I had the sinking feeling he was only there to socailze with his friends, a lot of whom were his ex girl friends. Needless to say the evening wasnt spectacular. But I still had fun dancing with my friends who never let me down.

wiseguys4
"Well, it was HIS Jr. prom, not yours.He should have been able to wear what HE wanted. Girls are so self-absorbed!!!!!!

trinity418
"Well were do I begin!!! I was actually setup on a blind date for my prom.... I didn't know him and actually he lived in another state and his school wasn't having a prom, so my good friend set us up.... Needless to say we hit it off that night and had a good time..... It was like we knew each other all our lives, and we ended up getting into a relationship....... My prom couldn't have been better, in a way I floating b/c I hadn't had such a good time in years!!!!! (My teenage live was VERY BORING, long story don't have the time) Even though we're not together now and the relationship turned out to be toxic..... I still live by the fact that blind dates do work..... No matter how things ends.......

R.F
"well... i'm only having my first prom in april this year, and i DONT wanna go, but it's compulsory. the thing is, i am kinda.. tomboyish.. and i will never wear a skirt that isnt my school uniform. and every teacher's gonna keep an extra sharp eye for ppl like me... how sad. yeah, my story's boring, i'll tell you my sister's instead. she had this guy who was crazy over her, he did everything and anything for her, but there's a limit that apparently he didnt know about. instead of nice cars or whatever, he rented a pony and a carriage, and she STEPPED on the poo. can u imagine that? she was so distraught, tears were streaming down her face and Adam was behaving like a headless chicken, going "oh im sorry i shudnt have done that im so sorry im so sorry please dont leave im so sorry please please im so sorry" then he tried to help her, but somehow, he made her fall, causing an ugly wound. i felt so sorry for her.. she was so ravishing... and then.. ow.. what a waste of effort, time, and make-up. but i suppose in the end she had a good time, cuz she came back with his jacket around her and they were chatting like nothing happened. o.O

AliG
"My prom was a disaster. I didn't have any fun. My best friends and i had been planning it for a while and gone tanning....everything was set up for a good time. BUT...5 days before the prom my oldest brother got in a terrible 4 wheeler accident. He had to be rushed to a hospital and have brain surgery because he had a blood clot pushing on his brain stem...to make a long story short he was very very lucky and very close to dying....i spent most of the week including nights in the hospital with my parents. It was also the week of finals and i had just sat down to finish my projects when we got the phone call about his accident. So, i had tests that i wasn't prepared for, no time to finish my projects and i have never been so stressed out or tired in my life. By prom day my brother was awake and stable...but it was just in time for me to freak out. I hadn't let any emotions out before that because i had been so scared.....and i just couldn't hold it in anymore....so i FREAKED OUT on the day of my prom. I ended up changing all my plans....skipping dinner with my friends to go and see him before i went to prom....i had a sandwich from the cafeteria and just had time to meet my friends in the limo before they left. I dont remember much about the night...except that we were late....i was tired to the point of sleep walking....and i had to drive everyone an hour back to our home town after the prom....when we got there my best friend had a huge fight with her bf and came to me for support....It was a total disaster...but there was on friend who made it possible....and i'll never forget how she was there for me. the best of luck to anyone looking forward to their prom...and remember dont freak out over the little things...it's supposed to be a fun night! not a stressful one!

PS139
"Prom memories? Hmmmm. Well, probably my best was senior year. There was a group of us senior girls that decided we'd go solo together. The friend I ended up carpooling with was later named prom queen so I like to say I went to my senior prom with the prom queen!! :)

Ponytail Blonde
"When I was in high school, you weren't allowed to attend the prom unless you had a date. I was a geekette of the most hideous order so that was not an option. I made a big stink about it in my guidance counselor's office. Remember this was back in the days prior to political correctness so she made no bones about telling me if I got with the program, i.e. lost 40 lbs, straightened my hair & got plastic surgery, I might get a date! Needless to say, I had an issue with that & ended up almost getting suspended & of course, not being permitted to attend my prom. As an adult, looking back in retrospect, I'd have gone anyway & had he Powers That Be attempted to oust me, I'd have called the police & filed discrimination! As an adult (take hope, socially & appearance-challenged teenage ladies!) my life has definately taken a turn for the happier & better!

turtleluv73
"My senior prom date was a friend from a neighboring school. He found out the week before that he was flunking and needed to pass a big test to graduate so his family wouldn't let him go to my prom. Of course he told a friend to tell me, the rat. I ended up getting a friend of my sister's boyfriend (now her husband) to take me. We had a great time at the party and then we all crashed a party cruise after with beautiful views of the Manhattan skyline! It wasn't a romantic evening since we were just friends but it sure was a special night. The only downside was when one idiot jock decided to jump off of a balcony to "see what would happen". He landed on one girls date and EMS had to be called. I remember one of the chaperones announcing that we all needed to keep the noise down while they worked on him. How can they ask us to be quite at prom?? I think that was the last year our school held the prom in the balcony room at the Waldorf Astoria.

jcr34
"I sooooo wanted to go to prom, because all of my girlfriends were going. So, about a week before, I was "set-up" to go with another guy who was also date-less. Since is was last minute, all he could get was a white tux. I had a peach dress, so we looked like a creamsicle! I had the happenin' Dorothy Hamill haircut (complete with "sun-in" orange streaks) and those cute Candies wooden sandals. He had longer hair than I did (when I saw him at our 10th reunion, he was totally BALD!) and His name was Fran (Francis) and mine Jean, so everyone was laughing about "which is the girl, which is the guy? We got a ride with another couple, who happened to have a room for the night, therefore we had no way home (which I did not know at the time) After arriving, I didn't see him again until the end of the evening. later I found out he was out smoking weed all night with all of the other guys; there were many unhappy girls that evening. About 4:00 a.m. we were still wondering the halls of the hotel where prom was held, while most were in the throes of passion in their rooms. We ended up in the room of a guy whose date had to go home early (she was sick, supposedly) so we were invited to spend the nite in his room. Now, since he (guy 2) had paid for the room, HE was going to sleep on the bed. And since my date and him were not about to sleep together on the bed, I was the lucky one. My date slept on the couch. When guy 2 told me that I should take off my dress "because it would get wrinkled" I just said "no thanks, it's POLYESTER! (ick), and I didn't sleep a wink! Around 8:00 a.m. I woke them up and asked to go home, where my mother PROMISED to keep unlocked for me. Well, I get home (after a quick peck on the cheek that he felt he owed me), and the place is locked tighter than fort knox. So, here I am in my peach-polyester-pleated prom dress with the kicky little shoes, up on a planterbox knocking on window...all while the neighbors were getting their papers, the mail man was driving by, etc. Needless to say, it was a great experience only because I learned that prom was not nearly as dreamy as everyone tried to make it out to be (not unlike so many things in life). Anyway, if I hadn't gone, I'm sure I would have felt like I missed out on the biggest night of my life, no matter how miserable other girls were!

Bethie
"Our school only had 1 prom just for the Seniors, but a winter formal in December for everyone. My senior year I had found out 2 weeks earlier I was 3 and a half months pregnant with my on again off again boyfriend. We were off and he was 2 years older so I asked a good friend in my group (before I found out I was preggers) to go.Even at 4 months pregnant and just turned 18 I could still wear the cute late 80's prom style in a size 7.( My best memory!)My date that night however was not enthused about my state. In fact when we were leaving the restaurant after dinner he slammed the door in my face. I actually laughed about it and told all my girlfriends. I had a great time because it was my last school function and I was sober to enjoy it all!My baby is now graduating from the same High School and getting ready for her Senior Prom and college at a great University. It was all worth it!

DINGdongDING97
I got loaded!

Talja
"My rememberance of prom was good. I had moved my junior year to a new school but this time I was going to school with my cousins and their friends. It was much easier to become part of the group I would graduate with this way. We had a Junior/Senior prom. The junior class planned the banquet and dance from Menu to the music. We had a blast. I did not go with a date and my mom had made my dress. I got to be with my friends and I danced with a lot of the senior guys who had dates. My senior year, my cousin who graduated a year later was on the committee to set up our prom for 1986. I again had a homemade dress which to this day looks rather good in the pictures. I did not have a date but I did get to dance with most of the guys in my class and some in the junior class. I really had fun. It is some of the best memories ever.

Bassplayer
"Well my boyfriend (who is not my boyfriend anymore) had his senior prom and I went w/ him in my sophmore year. I wanted to pick out a dress that was very original and was the style that no other girl has and I did. My mom and I went to China town to pick out a chinese dress because it was different. We walked around China town and finally found a beautiful chinese dress. The dress had visible drape pants underneath it that looked like a dress but I didnt care it looked pretty, looked like a dress and I didnt care what people might say about it. I told him about the dress the night I got it. He started to freak out and shout "They're pants?!" and im like yea but it looks like a dress and I argued saying that it was pretty and everyone likes it including my mom. He asked if I can not wear it with the cover and im like no! ill look naked! I lied a day later and said I changed it into a skirt so he will shut up about it.Next day My mom took pictures of me at my g pas house with me and 2 relatives. He finally arrived in his new car and when he arrived ,instead of walking to the door like a gentleman, HE HONKED THE HORN like im his dog or something. I walked to the car and he said hello to my mom and he seen my dress and as soon as I came in the car he was ticked off and said "You lied to me" and looked like he was going to stab himself. OH MY LORD! as if I lied about something serious! I only lied about my $40 dress! A great driver he turned out to be he started driving fast because of his anger and at the gas station he was thinking so much about my lie that he had so much lack of concentration on the road that he cut off a cop! yes a cop! luckily he didnt get a ticket. He made me feel like im worthless and I can never do anything right even though I spent all my time and effort into this event to make him and I happy. As we arrived at prom I told him to lighten up because this is prom and its supposed to be a fun night. He calmed down and we had fun. It seems like he was trying to show me off like im a sculpture he has made. He tells me I should grow up. I know HE should! girls dont go with a guy that dictates on what you should wear. He should care about YOU not what you are wearing.

jjhgi
"My senior prom (1996) started with a guy friend asking me to go with hime and a group of our friends. I found the perfect, sexy backed dress with my mom. Got my hair done in a french twist and my nails manicured. My date arrived and we took pictures at several places. The food stunk, the music was great! We danced and had a blast. We stayed out all night. THe next day he asked me to a movie. We dated for 5 months, and he was my first, but not on prom night!

A typical guy
"Prom. A triple date to prom. I had a track meet to attend in the early morning/ afternoon. Afterwards we took our dates to see Bill Cosby live. That was fun. After the show I spent a lot of cash on dinner at a fancy french restraunt. Then came the prom. Well, I should have taken my girlfriend, not the pre-engaged date. Prom itself was downright disappointing. I ended up sitting around watching my date dance with her (unknown at the time) future husband who by the way was not a Senior, and only there to "assist" the dj. Should I care about that? Nah. But it does disappoint me for the fact my one time memory was a flop. I should have cancelled prom with her and taken my understanding girlfriend. Oh well, things happen for a reason. Perhaps in my case at that time it was Karma. ; ) BUT not because of a glitch in the undying loyalty I had for my girlfriend. Hmm.. there's my story. A guy's point of view too. Have a great one ladies.

cjfquilts
"My best friend and I decided to go to the prom at the last minute. I asked one of my childhood friends and his friends to take us. We had a ball. I bought a stunning, slinky red dress for $10.00 at one of the local stores on clearance. We did not spend much time at the prom itself, opting for dinner and the after parties. I am so glad that I went as a last hurrah to high school.

promgirl
"Even though I've always felt kindof like a nerd on the inside, I managed to have a steady boyfriend all through high school. He was a good looking athlete, and the class clown. We were a well-known couple. Since we were together for 4 years, I went to every dance there was. He was a year older than me, so I went to prom with him as a sophomore, junior and senior (he came back from college). At his senior prom though, I didn't dance the last dance with him. The DJ announced that it was going to be the last slow dance, and I looked around at everyone having a good time. But there was one girl, a senior, who sitting all alone. She didn't seem to have a date and wasn't what most guys at the time would consider physically attractive. I hadn't seen her dance with anybody all night. We weren't really friends, but I knew she was nice from class, and had inner beauty. I told my boyfriend to ask her to dance the last dance instead of me. They danced most of the song together, and then towards the end a big group of us all got together and danced in a big circle with our arms around each other. By the end, this lonely, unpopular girl was smiling and surrounded by friends. It was, out of all the dances and all the memories, my happiest prom moment. I hope it was hers too. I was always rooting for the underdog I guess, because I knew hard high school could be. My own popularity suffered somewhat because I was a bookworm who refused to compromise my principles. But I had my niche with a great group of friends who always looked out for each other. Another time a guy friend of mine went to the dance without a date. So all the other guys' dates, including me, took pictures with him, kissing his cheek and stuff like that. So at least in the pictures, he looks like a big stud. To us, he was-even if other people didn't agree. I'm happy to say that he and I are still friends 7 years later. Since then he has made too many friends to count and had plenty of ladies. So for all you fellow dorks out there-there's always hope, never be afraid to be who you are. Some things are more important than high school popularity, and I'm glad I made the decisions I did back then. For all you cool kids, I encourage you to reach out to someone new, someone looking for a friend. You never know what you might find.

jandka07
My worst thing that happened at my senior prom was that I had this light pink dress and I had it altered but it kept falling down and then someone noticed there was somehting on my dress and someone and bumped into me with melted chocolate and got it all down the front of my dress and tore the bottom! It as horrible and my dress was of course ruined but i had a blast anyways.

new_mommy
even though in may i had just found out i was pregnant.. i still had fun (c/o 05) this was my husband's(now) and my second prom because i went to his last year... we never went to either after parties...hee hee. what bothered me was the fact that my parents always wanted to check up on me... i was busy having fun and hanging out with my fiance and all of our friends!! and now i have a lil boy he is three months old now and we are happily married.... but what i wouldnt give to relive those moments over again...

likeomigawd
"So, I was never one of the popular girls in high school...I tried, but mostly in vein. I had a bit of a weight problem for my entire 4 year stint, not huge, but not rail thin. I didn't date, and I was stressing my prom. I pretty much resigned myself to not going. BUT, I did have a hot childhood bud, and when I presented him my problem, he said "no probs. I'll go with ya"...I thought this is waaaay cool..(its 1986 so I could say waaaaay cool, and think I was being way cool!) The height of Miami Vice, Prince, Sheila E. and lace, copious amounts of lace. My dad sprung rent for a 1938 Cadillac 4 door...too sweet, jet black, and driven by this psycho old guy.(more on that later) both my date and I went in all white, his cummerbund and tie, a refreshing PASTEL pink...as were my accesories,,,naturally. But here is the kicker....because no one, absolutely no one, expected me to go to my prom, I went, partially disguised. My hat had this thick lace partial cover over one eye, and obscured my features beautifully. I didn't take it off the whole night until the very end of the event! Here I was, "miss unpopular" with this hot guy that had 5'o'clock shadow, and taller than me, at my prom that no one thought I would go to. I heard comments all night from girls within earshot "who is that guy, he's cute, do we know him, who is he with????" It was awesome. When the unveiling came....everyone at my table just sat there, all the snobby chicks, with their mullet haired boys, staring open jawed! At this point I simply said..."I am so glad I will never have to see any of you again for the rest of my life." My 'date' planted one on me and we laughed all the way out the door to our retro movie star limo!!!! (oh, and that driver, crazy guy, drove erratically and had me convinced I wouldn't make it to graduation....LOL) The senior prom pic was me, grinning ear to ear mid laugh, and my date smiling with this cocky "dig THIS" grin...perfection!So here it is 20 years later, 5'9 size 12, and oh so happily married to a wonderful guy...my best friend, my "date", he came to our wedding 10 years ago May....we were still laughing!