“This isn’t ‘the one.’ There’s something about it,’” Mikaela says. “I’ve been wanting to go to prom since I was five. It’s every girl’s dream to look and feel like a princess.”
However, from plunging necklines and low backs to bare midriffs and barely-there hemlines, it can be tough to find a dress that gets both mom’s and school approval.
“It’s hard to find something I really love that also fits in the dress code,” Mikaela says.
Alie Hicks and Elyse Weber — both juniors at Sabino High School — have the same problem.
“It’s hard enough to find something you like, and then you have to worry about things hanging out,” Hicks said.
Long dresses are in style this year, but, with plunging backs and cutouts, they can also pose a challenge.
Mikaela immediately fell in love with the navy blue dress when she saw it on the mannequin in the window of Laura’s Bridal. It was long and elegant, but, plunged low in the back with sheer nude-colored fabric over it.
Salpointe has a strict dress code, and they didn’t think the dress would pass — students can’t wear dresses that go lower than the bra line. Specifics are outlined, with photo examples, in a downloadable pdf on the school’s website.
“Salpointe Catholic High School administration and staff believe that extremes are discouraged and class is encouraged,” it reads.
Staff at Laura’s Bridal said they could sew in a panel of matching fabric or sew in a second layer of mesh fabric to fix the problem, if Mikaela chose that dress.
“We’ve tried on so many that she looks stunning in with the low back,” Butler said. “But, she can’t wear them at Salpointe.”
School officials will send students home for dress code violations, Butler said. And students can’t fake it by covering with a shawl or shrug.
“They check us when we come in and will ask us to take the shawl off,” Mikaela said. “And if anything is wrong with the dress, they’ll send us home.”
Jane and Mikaela mainly agree on styles and don’t fight too much about what’s appropriate, but Jane does prefer a longer dress for her daughter.
“I’d rather her wear a longer dress than a short one. The short dresses get too short,” Jane says. “She looks elegant in longer dresses.”
Mikaela agrees.
“Long dress is prom,” Mikaela says. “Prom is more fancy, I think.”
Finding a dress that makes a girl feel beautiful while staying true to her style is the key to dressing for prom, said Yekatherina Bruner, fashion show producer and stylist.
“Not all dresses are made for every body type, so looking for the perfect fit will make them feel confident,” Bruner said.
After trying on a handful of dresses, Mikaela finds what she wanted. A long strapless red, taffeta gown. “This is the one,” she says.
Jane looks at the printout of Salpointe’s dress code and checks the dress against the examples. It turns out, the dress works with the dress code without having to be altered. And, mom approves, too.
“It’s been so difficult. I feel confident,” she says. “Mission complete.”
Tucson Unified School District students have a dress code to follow, as well, though not as strict.
Dresses have to go past the thumb while the student has her arms straight down, which is about upper-mid-thigh, Elyse Weber said during a recent shopping trip to Park Place mall. “And, you can’t show cleavage.”
However, Sabino school officials are pretty lenient at school dances, Elyse said.
“They won’t make you go home unless you’re wearing a bathing suit,” joked Kerry Weber, Elyse’s mother.
Elyse is tall, so finding a dress that’s long enough to pass her mother’s standards is a challenge.
“A lot are either too short or really low cut, so you’re either pulling it up or pulling it down,” Kerry said.
Elyse doesn’t have as much of a problem with the length as her mom does.
“I see them not as short as she does,” Elyse said.
“It’s hard in this society because they don’t make them (dresses) to be modest,” Kerry said. “It is a fight. You have to do a lot of shopping or be crafty.”
Elyse and Alie have found ways to appease their mothers when the dresses they love are too short or too low cut. For example, Elyse wears her volleyball shorts underneath short dresses, and Alie wears a shrug or shawl over strapless dresses that might fall a little low in the front.
Keeping the look balanced is a great approach, if dresses are short or have revealing tops, Bruner said.
“When a dress is too revealing on top, it’s always a safe idea to offset it with a longer style, and the other way around,” Bruner said.
Elyse tries on a black dress with an open back, and comes out of the dressing room stall to show her mom.
“This is a nice compromise,” Kerry says. “It’s a little open in the back, but, covers the front.”
Finding the perfect dress can be a challenge, Kerry says.
“But try and enjoy the experience and remember how it was to be a teen.”
No comments:
Post a Comment