Dresses? Where did they go?

     I am not old fashioned by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I think that I am a pretty "cool" mom when it comes to most things. However, dress shopping for a winter formal dance with my 11 year old put my coolness to the test.

     Amanda is my one remaining child in public school. She started junior high this year and is doing very well. She has straight A's, made the scholar bowl, is in two choirs, she is on the baton team, and is cast as "A Star to be" in Annie, the middle school musical. She is a neat kid.  With middle school however, comes more activities away from home and church.  Such as, dances.  I don't really like the idea of her going to dances at all. But, we came to the conclusion that now is the time to allow her to go because there is no dancing going on! They stand around in a gymnasium and stare at each other. Yep, sounds safe to me!  On top of that, she needs to learn proper behavior at dances before high school hits. So, I have had to relax a bit on what I allow her to do.

     Her first "formal" dance is coming up in two weeks. She is so very excited about getting all dressed up, getting her hair and make up done, etc.  This past week, her and her friend approached me about taking them dress shopping. Being the cool mom that I am, away we went for a Sunday afternoon dress shopping extravaganza!

 (These are the two that I liked on her. They didn't win. Which may be good because they were both $20.00 over my budget.)

      I walked in the store they both wanted to go in, and immediately wanted to walk out!  Where were the dresses?  Why did the dress area look covered in shirts!?  And how was I ever going to find an appropriate dress for two eleven year old girls?!  What do cool moms do? They don't freak out, they let the girls guide themselves.  A little.  We walked out of the store with two dresses that the girls love. They weren't the sleeziest things, but not what I would want to wear at age 11. Then again, I was playing Barbies at 11.

(This is the dress that she chose. It looks much better on her that this picture shows. We don't have it tied in the back, and she is standing rather oddly. lol)



     I won't get into the whole shopping experience, because that would just be too long.  But, what I would like to mention is that I hope, by the time she gets to high school, and the real dances begin, there had better be more material on her dress!  What happened to the beautiful and elegant gowns of the past? Why is showing skin so important now?  How do we go a bit backwards at this point? I am not saying 1860's dresses or anything...but, even in the 90's we were covered up! See....here is one of my junior prom pictures from 1997. I am sitting on the left in the black dress....

    Something to think about.