Quest for a dress

by Gloria Cowdin

Prom season has arrived at STA.

Many girls are going to the extreme to ensure that they will have their “perfect” prom, with the right shoes, make-up, date, ride and, most importantly, the right dress.

While some seniors, such as Beth Mitchell, spend up to $400 on their dresses, others, such as Anja Browning, only spent $2.17.

Despite the gap in the two girls’ dress prices, both agreed that a dress should be classic and versatile.

“[I want] something that, when I look back on it, I’m not going to say, ‘God, I hate this dress and I wish I had never put it on,’” Mitchell said.

Senior Paige Lankford said the “perfect” dress is different for every girl.

“I think it’s whatever the girl who’s wearing it likes and feels beautiful in, because I don’t think there’s really a perfect prom dress,” Lankford said.

Browning found her dress in an unlikely spot– Maj-R Thrift, a thrift store in Fairway, Kan., where Browning worked over the summer.

“When I first tried it on, it was kinda just for fun, but when I saw how it fit and everything, and how classy it was, I knew it was the one,” Browning said.

It was only July, but Browning knew that the dress was perfect for prom, which is next Friday.

“It was great, because then I knew I didn’t have to look for one during the crazed times,” Browning said, referring to the rush many girls are in now to find a dress.

Mitchell, on the other hand, sought out her dress at multiple stores before she found it. She knew she wanted a Sherri Hill designer dress, which meant she had to find certain stores that sold these dresses. She ended up finding one at Sassy Chic Boutique in Mission Farms, Kan.

“I really liked it,” Mitchell said. “I don’t know how else to describe it. It was a nice balance between elegant but still fun.”

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According to Mitchell, she had been searching for a single dress to wear to both St. Teresa’s and Rockhurst High School’s proms since January. Fortunately, Mitchell said she enjoys dress shopping. Along with a dress, seniors must purchase tickets for senior prom. The expenses can easily pile up, according to Mitchell.

“It’s…expensive,” Mitchell said. “I have a date, so the ticket is $80; it’s expensive. Then you have to think of jewelry, and depending on if you’re going to another prom or not, you have to think, ‘Oh, now I have to buy another prom dress’ or other sets of jewelry or more makeup. Stuff like that, it just starts to get really, really stressful.”

Browning agreed that prom can be stressful, but she also expressed her excitement for the dance.

“I’ve been looking forward to [prom] for a while, just because, you know, it’s the big dance of senior year,” Browning said.

Dresses play an integral part of prom and can play a role in how girls feel, according to Mitchell.

“Depending on what you wear, it can make you feel good or not,” Mitchell said. “I think [my dress will] make me feel good.”

According to Browning, the act of dressing up signifies the importance of prom.

“For us who wear uniforms all day long, [prom is] one of the really big times to show off,” Browning said.

However, both Browning and Mitchell agreed that although the dress plays a large role in prom, spending time with their friends will be the best part of the dance.

According to a survey filled out by fifty seniors, the overall dream prom dress would look something like this:

Length: Floor