Melissa Fletcher
Prom may be more than three months away, but there’s already a buzz in the hallways at Fort High over finding the perfect dress.
With prom being the most important pivotal event of the school year, the stress of selecting the ideal attire for the night of all nights has led to some interesting forms of dress approval.
Thanks to social networking websites, girls have created groups where someone attending prom can post a dress in order to display their new prized addition to the closet.
But what one won’t find posted are the “unwritten rules of prom dress postings on Facebook,” noted a local prom-goer.
“The only real unwritten rules are if someone posts a dress, they have called dibs and no one should get the same one,” said the student, who asked to remain anonymous.
“[And] if a student in Grade 11 is attending a Grade 12 prom, they shouldn’t pick a dress that might out-do a senior’s dress.
“They should pick something simple.
“And if you post a dress, but get a different one, delete your old picture,” the person added.
These “rules,” however, have been causing drama of the highest calamity online.
“There have been cases where girls are getting dresses that look very similar to dresses that have been posted for a long time,” said another anonymous prom-goer.
“And some girls in Grade 11 have been getting really fancy dresses.
“A lot of girls think they should wait until it’s their own prom,” the student stressed.
“Some girls are getting really upset and buying new dresses.”
“People have been spending a lot of money on the dresses,” conceded FFHS student and prom-goer Jen McDowall.
“Probably $300 on average.”
But some students have contrasting opinions.
“I don’t think it’s something worth getting so upset over. They are just dresses,” reasoned FFHS student and prom-goer Cameo Harrison.
“Everyone is going to look good,” she remarked. “It doesn’t matter if dresses are similar or whatever.”
“I think it’s dumb. Who cares if dresses are similar?” echoed Heather French.
Some may be wondering where the boys stand on this serious issue given, as the other half of the prom date, it involves them, too.
“I don’t really think it matters,” said Chris Legg.
“I wouldn’t notice if there were two of the same dress.”
Meanwhile, a second group has been created for the fashion-conscious guy to post his ever-important prom tie.
“It’s a joke,” noted Legg. “Making fun of how serious girls are taking the prom dress ‘rules.’
“If you are in Grade 11, you have to wear a bow tie, nothing too fancy.”
Is this the real deal for high school students? Is a $300 gown worn for a few hours for pictures and dancing going to be the make or break of the school year?
Is the Internet drama worth it?
At the end of the day, not really.
If someone having a similar dress, or a younger student having an extravagant gown, or even having prom tie trouble, is going to be the most tragic and dramatic event to happen to you in the next three months, you’ve had a pretty amazing next three months.
The prom dress doesn’t make the prom queen; the prom queen makes the prom dress.
