Prom season is upon us! Prom dresses, hair and makeup, heels and the limo are on the agenda. I attended two proms and didn’t learn my lesson from one year to the next that I should have foregone the strapless. I didn’t have the boobs or the right bra to hold up the dresses. Thankfully, no camera phones to capture my nip slip on the dance floor. Back then you wore Jessica McClintock, but now while wearing a poufy dress may be the dream for some girls a little black dress, faux Herve Leger sheath or even a sequin top and pencil skirt work just as well.
For my first prom, I lay on my bedroom floor under a sun lamp trying to get a tan and for the second I visited a tanning bed. I know, I know, tanning beds and sun lamps are evil, but I was a teen desperate for a sunny glow. Neither worked. I used too much Sun-In on my hair and was left with an orangey tint rather than the bottle’s promise of golden blonde tresses and I used hair spray like an addict. And as I look back I must admit, my parents had to have been cool or foolish since I took the SAT’s the morning after attending my first prom as a junior. Perhaps they felt safe knowing I could always re-take them. After nodding off during the first test, that’s exactly what I did a few months later for a higher score.
If I were to time travel back to my high school prom, I would make different dress and hairstyle choices, but most importantly, I’d have the confidence I possess now which ultimately makes all the difference.
Dresses featured: Speechless, City Triangles, and B. Smart from JC Penney and Kohl’s, and LittleBorrowedDress.com. The hair and makeup were provided by the amazing talent at The Private Room in Beverly Hills.
As a Luminary Circle member of Step Up, each year I help some of the teens we mentor get ready for their prom. This year, I helped Maria and Lesley from Gertz-Ressler High School and gave them a chance to show off their looks on Fox’s Good Day LA. Step Up is a nonprofit organization that mentors high school girls from under-resourced communities to empower them to become confident, college-bound and career-focused. For four straight years, 100% of Step Up seniors have graduated high school & been accepted to college. Yeah, it’s awesome! Visit Step Up and meet other cool women in the organization and join our awesomeness.
Here Are Choices I’d Make Today For Prom
It’s sweet and I could guarantee it would stay in place.
A-Line Princess Sweetheart Floor-Length Floral Gown, $245 Lightinthebox
Jacqueline Dress by Coren Moore, $80 BHLDN
Unique Vintage Garden State Dress, $102 Zappos
Aidan Mattox Dress – Double V Neck Sequin, $365 Bloomingdale’s
Adrianna Papell Beaded Chiffon Blouson Dress, $355 Nordstrom
Dalia MacPhee yellow lace dress, Neiman Marcus