Promtacular!

Scarlet O’Hair-a

Posted on January 25, 2011 by promtacular! in 1980s Prom, Aquanet!, Mullets, On The Plantation, perms, Prom or Costume?, Shared Hair, Where's Your Bra? | 2 Comments

Year: 1980s

Let’s go top-down, shall we?

First, we have my favorite category of all: “Shared Hair.” They both have their hair at least 3″ above their scalps. And I daresay her hair goes all the way to her shoulders (and beyond) in the back. She may very well be wearing a formal, reverse mullet (party up front, business in back). Which is all kinds of excellent. What’s even more excellent, though, is that neither of them have a discernible part. I’ll bet they didn’t even PLAN it that way.

Otherwise, this guy is perfectly attired. Plain black tux, red bow tie and cummerbund (to match her overwhelmingly teal dress?). And he looks happy, although completely oblivious to the fact that there’s a girl on his arm.

And let’s face it: she’s hard to miss. That is some amazing plantation/princess dress. Oh, I get the appeal. The tiered bell sleeves, the AT LEAST FIVE-tiered skirt. I will admit to being slightly disappointed that she’s wearing tear-drop earrings instead of some gaudy teal hoop things, but what can you do?

Do you think her tiered dress inspired her tiered hair, or the other way around?

Lastly, I’d like to point out that I thought this photo was taken outside, perhaps in front of a barn. Until I realized no, that’s wood paneling. Of course.

Manolo In The Middle

Posted on September 28, 2010 by promtacular! in 2000s Prom, Prom or Costume? | 2 Comments

Year: 2010

Aww. I love having photos from new proms. Obviously the fashions aren’t as outdated and laughable, and there’s nothing hideous or horrible about anything happening in this photo.

But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its precious Promtacular! moments.

As Lexi writes: “I was the only one in my group without a date and as such, I was required to stand in the middle… I love my friend Molly’s “Grecian Princess” look (on the right) and Alyssa’s mildly funereal look. And omg my shoes killed me all night. All in all, a magical evening. What was I thinking?!?”

While Molly does look lovely, I can’t help but think that in a decade or so, she might question her desire to look like Aphrodite. Just as Alyssa could, if she were so inclined, re-purpose her look for a Halloween evening.

But Lexi: why no prom date? Certainly there was some ridiculous drama that led to you, such a lovely girl, having to stand in the middle of the picture, wearing both white and black? It’s as though you’re some Important Near-Religious Prom Symbol: a friend-buffer between your friends’ long white and black dresses.

I’m not sure what role your crazy shoes play in this Prom Symbolism, but whatever it is, I’m sure it’s very deep and meaningful. As shoes always are.

p.s. While it’s not in the 1980s spirit of shared perms or feathering, Molly and her date DO qualify for the category of “shared hair.” Congrats!

State Fair O’Hara

Posted on July 21, 2010 by promtacular! in 1980s Prom, 1990s Prom, Aquanet!, Backdrop FAIL, Bizarre Backdrops, Lace Disgrace, Oh Bows, On The Plantation, Pairing With White, perms, Prom or Costume?, Shine On! | 1 Comment

Year: Totally Doesn’t Matter.

You know. Once you get past the onslaught of this photo’s amazing Promtacular! explosions, it offers you a secret gift. I almost missed it myself until I tilted my screen just so. Oh, it’s magnificent. But let’s address the obvious first, shall we?

Her dress. Her shiny, lacy, pink Scarlett-O’Hara-meets-State-Fair dress. I don’t even– what IS that material? It is reflecting the camera flash, and not even in a satin-shiny kind of way. More like in a cellophane-shiny kind of way. Which is just utterly amazing. It’s like she wanted to look like cotton candy that she brought back from the State Fair wrapped in cellophane.

And not just cotton candy wrapped in cellophane. Cotton candy covered in a fancy, fancy napkin, wrapped in cellophane. At the State Fair.

Complete with State Fair Hair!

Because, as a gift to me from the Prom Gods, her hair is higher than her face is long. No, no. This is not me being funny. This is actually true. Get out your ruler. Measure from the bottom of her chin to the top of her head. Now measure where her bangs start to the top of her head-cascade. IS THAT NOT IMPRESSIVE?

Oh, and while I’m all-caps-ing at you, may I also ask: WHERE IN GOD’S NAME IS THIS PHOTO TAKEN?

Was their prom in “the study” on the set of the board game Clue?

Was their prom in the office of the University President?

Perhaps their prom was in the Captain’s Quarters of the Titanic?

I just…what?

It makes me feel bad for them — happy as they are — because there isn’t a single tacky streamer or fake flower or floating flower vase or Mardi Gras mask anywhere in sight. You know what there is, though? I’m certain that just off to the side, there’s a globe. And a model ship in a glass case.

Prom in the Hall of Records.

THE SECRET GIFT

Did you guess it? Do you know what it is?

This girl’s date at first looks cute and sweet and a little dorky (entirely the fault of the era-acceptable glasses), until you look closer at his hair line. Not the one along his forehead. The one along the line of OHMYGOD HIS HAIR IS AS HIGH AS HERS!!!

How does that even happen? It’s a Promtacular! miracle!