Promtacular!

Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes!

Posted on March 28, 2011 by promtacular! in 1990s Prom, Aquanet!, Backdrop FAIL, Blame the Photographer, Group Prom Pictures, Lace Disgrace, Oh Bows, perms, Shared Hair | No Comments

Year: 1992

Christy writes: Junior prom. My boyfriend broke up with me the day before. I bought my own corsage and convinced my girlfriends to take this picture with me. I’m the one on the right. Showing you my shoe.

This is one of those photos that I love more and more with each passing glance. It’s just — “just” — four girls at prom. And yet?

Why is no one smiling? I mean, the second from the left is thinking about smiling, but doesn’t quite get there. I have the distinct feeling this was established to be a “serious” sort of photo shoot for some reason I can’t fathom but that would have made sense when I was 17.

Apparently 1992 had something against straight hemlines. And straight hair, for that matter. I mean, no, none of these adorable girls have official perms (that would be too 80s), but they are all certainly flirting with the perm. They are PERM FLIRTS.

The girl in black looks like she wants to smack the photographer just a little bit.

There’s just a deceptively copious amount of satin and tulle and sequin and lace and bows and ruffles and Promtacular glory. If I do say so.

Mostly I wonder if the girls — or the photographer — decided to go the “show us your toe” route in the hopes of distracting us from the carpet that defies explanation. I have nothing against the pattern for a QUILT. In a log cabin. In Maine. In February. Or even for a nice golf pant? Maybe?

But for a magical prom night? There aren’t enough mylar star balloons or satin shoes in the world to make it right.

Satin Accident

Posted on March 14, 2011 by promtacular! in 1980s Prom, Blame the Photographer, Mullets, Oh Bows, perms, Shine On!, Uninvited Guests | 1 Comment

Year: unknown, timeless

Suzette didn’t offer much in the way of commentary (although she did make a helpful suggestion about how to improve the speed of this site), and I can’t help but wonder if that’s because so little need be said?

They’re so happy and smiley and…shiny. And slippery. Can you imagine if these two tried to hug? They’d slip right off each other and onto the ground and then everyone would be talking about that one graduation with the unfortunate satin accident.

I don’t know which I prefer more: Suzette’s bow or Suzette’s smile. Together, they are magic. MAGIC.

You can tell that the young man by her side is very relieved to be out of this school. His entire expression says: This? Is dumb.

Probably the best part of the photo, though, is that it captured those two women on the right. They BOTH have frosted, permed hair fashioned into high-headed mullet do’s. Which is AMAZING on its own, but that matching denim outfit with pegged jeans and giant white socks takes us into a new dimension of awesome. Add the woman trying to get something unstuck from her teeth and you have one downright Promtacular photo right there.

Shiny, Happy People

Posted on March 10, 2011 by promtacular! in 2000s Prom, Group Prom Pictures, SEQUINS!, Shine On! | 2 Comments

They can’t all be complete trainwrecks, you know.

Year: 2007

Tali writes: There were ten of us in our big Prom group that year. Seven of us were female and somehow, four of us managed to be wearing blue. I’m not exactly sure how, but we did. I’m the one in the middle and was rather proud of the fact that there was not a single square inch of that dress that did not have half a dozen beads and/or sequins on it.

Fresh-faced, smiling, pretty, and sparkly. I DON’T HAVE A LOT TO WORK WITH HERE. Okay. Yes. The sparkles are…everywhere. And it’s amusing that these three accidentally chose to wear pretty much the exact same shade of blue. But what else? Maybe their footwear was horrible? Maybe their dates all had laughable, Bieberesque hair? It’s kind of funny that this photo op was in front of a hallway door, sort of?

I would like to see the “after” shot, when everyone’s makeup is droopy and Tali has left a trail of sequin dust everywhere. Otherwise? I got nothin’. Which is nice for a change.