Promtacular!

Satin Camouflage

Posted on July 29, 2010 by promtacular! in 1980s Prom, Backdrop FAIL, Lace Disgrace, Oh Bows, Shine On!, Tacky Backdrops | 3 Comments

Year: 1989

In the world of lame prom backdrops, this has got to be a top contender. God only knows what that cheap blue curtain is hiding, but I kind of feel like it would have been just as unattractive without the cheap blue curtain.

I also kind of want to hug the sweetly misguided person who thought that taping construction-paper hearts with glitter borders to the curtain would make it better.

It’s not this poor girl’s fault that her dress is practically the same color AND material. I mean, obviously her dress is fancier (what with a stunning assortment of lace, brocade, bows, flowers AND ruffles). But it suffers by the inevitable curtain comparison.

For the record, I’m sorely disappointed she opted for minimal jewelry instead of gigantic teal earrings. She also perfectly dyed her shoes instead of going with eyesore white. Sigh.

Anyway.

Her date has an air of bemusement, which I admire. Like someday he’s going to look back on this photo and say, “Heeeeey.”

It does also look like possibly he had his hair cut 13 seconds before prom began. And, let’s face it: there aren’t a lot of high school boys who can (or want to) pull off a mustache. I think this may actually wins him points.

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, Prom or Costume?, Shine On!, perms | No Comments

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!

All That Shimmers

Posted on June 29, 2010 by promtacular! in 1980s Prom, Pairing With White, Say No To Canes, Shine On! | 2 Comments

Year: 1988

We’ve actually seen Anita on Promtacular! before, when she was pictured with a dog in pink satin. And I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.

But here is Anita in all her prom-going glory, unhindered by a dog in formalwear.

Her dress is soooooo shiny. And green. And dark. And paired with black (velvet?) gloves. As though going to a Christmas Ball. Except she’s not going to a Christmas Ball, she’s going to prom. Which we can verify by the iridescent silver and pink balloon trellis. That’s the sort of thing only found at proms, made even prom-ier by the silver curtain behind the trellis.

So. Definitely prom. Anita is perhaps simply partial to winter colors. And fabrics. And accessories.

You know, though? If this WERE a Christmas Ball, I think Anita’s date would’ve fit right in. I mean, all that white! It’s so…white! Like um, snow! Yes. Very Jack Frost-esque. (Jack Frost would use a cane, right? For all his holiday tap-dancing routines?) (I don’t know, work with me here.)

I’m not sure where the pink in his boutonniere comes from. It matches the balloons, at least.

Not the most cohesive-looking couple. And yet they both do a heckuva job at reflecting light.

Emily & The “OH NOES, BOWS!” Series: Part 2 of 5

Posted on June 24, 2010 by promtacular! in 1990s Prom, Hybrid Bangs, Oh Bows, Shine On!, perms | 2 Comments

Year: 1990

Emily writes: “Winter formal, sophomore year. I *am* perky, aren’t I? Yet another bow…This time, one that matches my dress. Or, should I say, matches the OTHER BOWS on my sleeves that are BIGGER THAN MY HEAD. I should note that I loved this dress so much, I wore it to at least THREE different dances.

The gentleman between Jill and me is wearing – maybe – his father’s pants? Because they’re at LEAST 4 inches too long. Which is probably a better choice than the fellow at the far left of the frame… with his “formal” pants rolled ABOVE HIS ANKLES and… docksiders? Loafers? Awesome, no matter what you call them.”

I’m disappointed Emily didn’t have anything to say about her perm. Although maybe that’s what she was referring to with “perky.” The bangs especially.

Bow tally: 3 here plus 1 in previous post = 4. And counting.

Prom In The Charmin Forest

Posted on June 21, 2010 by promtacular! in 1960s Prom, Backdrop FAIL, Pairing With White, Shine On! | 3 Comments

Year: 1962

We’ve had far too few images from the 50s and early 60s here, which is why I’m pleased to be kicking off this week with Sue’s prom photo.

There’s nothing especially “!” about the attire featured here. Nothing about Sue’s dress or accouterments makes you wonder what she was thinking (see: any and every dress from the 80s). She looks impeccably put together, and her handsome date looks proper (if ever so slightly formal). But then, formals really were formal once, and I’m certain his militant stance — he could break into a salute at any moment — was merely his version of looking polite.

I am still a little unsure about when and wherefore bouquets were used in place of corsages. I find that very confusing because it makes Sue look more like a bridesmaid than a prom-goer.

Mostly, though, this is a lovely snapshot of a lovely couple, who doesn’t have to explain away any magenta and black lace or glitter or perms.

I’m not sure why there’s crumpled-up toilet paper stuck into the (indoor) tree(?) in the background, but I’m sure it has some sort of cultural relevance I’m just not understanding. Handy for blotting one’s lipstick, though!