If I Could Go Back In Time And Revisit My Prom…

The summer school term has officially started, which means that it’s nearly time for prom! The school prom is the social event of the year – heck, it’s the social even of the entire secondary school experience. For Year 11 students (and Year 13 too!), the school prom is a big deal.

After sitting through a stressful summer of exams in stuffy classrooms, the prom also offers a pretty great motivation incentive to get through these last few tough months of school. It’s the perfect excuse to dress up in something extra special and feel a million dollars for the evening – for some teens, it’s also the first formal event they’ve ever attended!

I wish I could reminisce about my own school prom. I wish I could share photos of the gorgeous dress I bought; the beautiful accessories I carefully picked out; the outfit that I spent months agonising over. But alas, I cannot. I can’t because I never went to my prom.

Envy!

I remember seeing all of my friend’s photos on Facebook the day after our prom. I know that some of my friend’s parents (and grandparents) even have their prom photos hanging on their living room walls- even after all this time. Of course everyone looked amazing but I have never been able to shake the feeling of regret about not being able to attend my prom – I should be in those photos too!

If I could go back in time and stand in 16 year old me’s shoes, I would really try and attend it….somehow. At the time, I wasn’t too worried, but retrospectively, it’s something I really wish I could change. The feeling of missing out hits me hard. Around this time of year I start seeing my friend’s younger brother’s and sister’s posting photos and statuses about prom on Facebook and it has got me thinking about what type of dress I would have picked out.

What To Wear

Websites like Prom Dress Finder didn’t exist when I was 16. There was no go-to guide on dress styles, body shape comparability, matching the perfect shoes and accessories or hair and beauty tips. We were left to fend for ourselves. This didn’t always work out particularly well for me – a tubby, awkward, shy and style-less 16 year old. To say I had absolutely no style would be putting it politely. Not a lot has changed over the years either, I still stick to what I know and normally put comfort over fashion trends, unless I’m trying to impress!

Luckily for me though, I have had to attend enough formal events to work out what style of dress suits my body shape and skin tone, even if it has taken the best part of ten years. I wish I could have read an article or a blog post when I was younger that just explains all the need-to-know information; it would have saved me so much time, money and embarrassment.

If I Could Choose A Dress Now…

Personally, I love a skater dress! If I could go back in time and head to my prom, I’d definitely chose either a skater dress or some form of 1950’s vintage retro dress. I have always loved something a little quirky or punky, a trait that has stuck with me from my teenage to my adult years. These days, there’s so much variety to choose from that there really is the perfect dress out the for everyone. What’s better is that I’ve noticed prom dresses seem to be a lot more affordable now as well – I’ve even seen some under the £10 and £20 mark.

If you could go back in time and revisit your prom night, what type of dress would you choose? Do you have sons or daughters who are about to experience their first ever prom? Let me know what types of dresses and suits they’re lusting after!

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*This is a collaborative post*