What I’d Wear to Prom

I didn’t get to go to prom.

This isn’t a ‘Woe is me, I missed out on my teenage rite of passage, wah!’ type post though. I had a school leaving party, it just wasn’t quite the same as what ‘kids today’ get up to. I went to a girls school, for one, so there were no dates to worry about or corsages to be given. It was just a disco in the school gym, and of course, being teenage and without the company of boys to distract us, the aim back then was not to look pretty, but to look as cool as possible.

I panicked about my ‘last day of school’ outfit for months on end. It was back in the days before the likes of Primark and Matalan got trendy, and you simply weren’t anyone if you didn’t own a Kookai bag and the right kind of Kickers shoes. We didn’t have a huge amount of cash growing up, and non uniform days were always a little stressful because everything had to come with the right branding or from the right store. But one day while out with my Mum we stumbled across an outlet store which had some off season Miss Selfridge dresses and my life was saved! I found myself the most hideous floral frock, a gypsy style, off the shoulder affair with a ditsy blue and green print. It was made of that stretchy mesh fabric that was all the rage in the 90s and I felt like a total rock star in it, especially paired with the chunky patent sandals I borrowed from my bestie. Note to self – as soon as I get all my stuff out of storage I think I might need to see if I can dig out a photo for a post about it! Either way, as much as I loved that dress at the time, I can’t help but feel like I missed out on the opportunity to get dressed up to the nines – after all, how many chances do you get to do that once you’re older?

So this time of year, when I start to see girls out and about shopping for their outfits, and (shock horror, because I don’t feel old enough for this to be true) my friends daughters are now starting to be old enough to be going to their own proms, I wonder about what I would wear now if I had the chance. I don’t think I could resist regressing a little and going all out princess! Something frothy and girly, the kind of thing a 50’s debutante might wear! And I think I’ve found it:

Cynthia Dress, Chi Chi London, £63.99

Without a doubt, Chi Chi London would be the first place I would go if I was in the market for a special occasion dress, thanks to it’s huge selection of beautifully crafted dresses. It helps of course that a very large number of them have that vintage style aesthetic I love so much. This particular dress though has got just what I pictured when I conjured up my ideal prom dress. Tulle immediately sprung to mind, and I adore those sweet buttons up the back of the bodice. I’ve never been a fan of strapless dresses on me, but the mesh overlay on this is just perfect. There is something so sweet and joyful about this dress that I can’t imagine not having an amazing time in it!

Oh to turn back the hands of time and have my chance again! Though, it does kind of look bridal appropriate, so you never know….!

How bout you guys, did you get a prom? What would you wear if you got to go again?

Love,