As a high school junior or senior, the last few months of the year mean spring break, preparing for final exams, and prom!  I’m sure anyone that has experienced this right of passage has memories of their prom night. The whole event is certainly different today than when I attended Canfield High School from 1983-86. I was fortunate to have been invited to prom all 4 years and my choice of dresses was a total reflection of the 80s.

 I remember exactly what all my dresses looked like. None of them had bling. They weren’t the least bit sexy and didn’t go to a bridal store or a boutique to find one. They were either borrowed or easily under $100. We didn’t go to a salon to get our hair styled, a professional makeup application, a manicure, or a pedicure. We did the whole body makeover ourselves or maybe with help from a friend. We didn’t wear stilettos and take them off when we got to the dance and didn’t have to register our dress so someone else didn’t buy the same one. In the 80s we were very practical.

Freshman year I wore my older sister Barb’s dress. It was pretty in 1983. She wore it 3 years before and she looked beautiful! It was a full-length, straight, and flowy light blue dress. There was cream lace at the neckline. Today it reminds me of a swanky pair of comfy pajamas. I wore baby’s breath in my hair. I thought I looked amazing! Lol.

In my sophomore year, my mom agreed to buy me a new dress!  We purchased it at Strouss, an upscale department store in our local mall. It had a reasonable price tag. That’s why she agreed to buy it. That light pink, knee-length dress had an exaggerated hem which made it poofy at the bottom. I thought I looked like a million bucks with my matching pink 1-inch heels. I was Pretty In Pink, just like Molly Ringwald in the film.

Junior year I borrowed a dress from my sister’s sister–n-law. If I remember correctly, it was a bridesmaid dress from her wedding. Am I right, Nancy? Bright blue. Knee length. Silk. If you were ever in a wedding, sometimes the bride would justify the price of the dress thinking you would be able to wear it on another special occasion. Yup. This was my Junior Prom dress. It was a borrowed bridesmaid dress. I wore lovely white shoes, pantyhose, and lace gloves to complete the nifty ensemble. 

My favorite prom dress is the one I wore senior year. Since it was my last dance, it was purchased fresh from the rack. It was a knee-length, sleeveless, cream lace dress with a big satin bow on the back. When I returned from spring break that year I had a great (and certainly unhealthy) tan so I thought I looked really good! Haha. My hair was pulled back in the front and I wore cream heels. It was a simple, yet elegant-looking choice. It was also cheaply made but didn’t break the bank. 

 There was nothing quite like the unique style, attitude, and language of the 80s. We had MTV, acid-wash jeans, and shoulder pads. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to attend prom during that time period. It was a fashionable decade like no other. Many thanks to Rick, Jim, Dave, and Jimmy for being the best dates ever! I have so many sweet memories of prom because of you guys.