Gracey and Friends Go to Prom

Last night I went to 80s prom at the McMennamin’s Kennedy School.  It was epic.  The band, RadicalRevolution, was fantastic.  They played everything from Bon Jovi to Journey to Def Leopard to Joan Jett.  I danced until I was sweaty and then just kept on dancing.

We’ll get to my oh-so-very-pretty prom pictures in a minute.  But, first, I want to share some pictures from the amazing and awesome bloggers that responded to my call for prom pictures of their own.

Are you ready?  Okay then, here we go.

Vivienne of Thrifted Shift

We’re going to start with the fabulous Vivienne of Thrifted Shift who was awesome enough to give me the idea for this post.  This photo is of the lovely Vivienne and her lovely date who, 10 years later, became her lovely husband.  Here they are at pre-prom dinner which is the same restaurant where they had their wedding reception:

Yes, that is the sweetest thing you’ve ever heard.

Taylor of It’s My Cardi

The year was 1998.  The date was then-boyfriend Andy.  The dress was a “lovely iridescent shimmery spaghetti strap sheath purchased from the Leggett Outlet Center.”  No, you can’t get your own; they are, sadly, no longer in the business of selling such gems.  The unseen shoes are glittery (!) pewter sandals from Nine West.  And the hairstyle was a neck-ache-inducing up-do that Marie Antoinette would have approved of. 

Please to enjoy:

Mia of Reading in Skirts

The year was 2006.  The date was her brother’s best friend, Andrew.  The dress is a simple affair from City Triangle’s via Macy’s because for whatever reason, Mia didn’t want to look like a parade float.  (Don’t worry, there is plenty of parade float coming later on).  Mia was kind enough to grace us with not one, but two prom photos:

"...me and Andrew smiling awkwardly for the camera before we all left in the limo."

"...getting home at 2am, taking a picture in our horribly be-butterflied bathroom for my online friends."

Grace from What If No One’s Watching

The year was 1996 and Grace set out to prove that the 90s were just as sartorially awesome as the 80s.  To wit?  A “Blossom” hat and butterfly cleavage stickers.  Yes, it’s all kinds of good:

Ally from Shybiker

Ally didn’t go to prom in high school because she couldn’t go as she wanted.  However, now she can wear what she wants and she wanted to wear a flirty little strapless number.  The dress, which has glittery (!) blue flowers and a blue satin sash, is paired perfectly with a complimentary blue scarf, patent heels and major bling.  Me-ow:

Lynn W. of Frivolity of 40

Lynn was fabulous enough to also send two prom pictures.  For the first, the year was 1988 and Lynn rocked a bee-yoo-ti-ful blue floor length number with a velvet bodice, that she actually modeled in a prom fashion show:

In her 1989 look, Lynn takes dedication to 80s style to a whole other level.  The dress, handmade by her mother, is pink satin.  And the hair.  The hair was not permed; no, Lynn spent hours hand-curling her coif with a teeny, tiny curling iron.  Again, that’s dedication, folks:

Terri of Rags Against the Machine

The year was 1971 and we have another lovely handmade dress.  Terri’s was lavender Swiss dot and was complimented quite nicely by her date’s snazzy white blazer:

Molly of More Charming in Person

The year was 1995 and we have Molly and Dan attending prom in “Cache” and “Rented” respectively.  I personally have taken a magpie-level liking to Molly’s sequined dress and covet her satin shoes:

Last, but hopefully not least, are my photos from last night’s prom.

The year (in our heads) was 1985.  My date was Alex.  I wore a black and blue velvet and taffeta number.  Alex wore what is quite possibly the ugliest hand-painted, acid-washed jean jacket/dress ever.  We both wore a LOT of make-up and giant hair bows.  We were sooooo pretty last night, y'all:

Alex and I

 

We were joined at prom by some friends and family:

My little brother, J, and his wife.

My little sister and her boyfriend.

My little sister and brother and my brother's dead-squirrel mullet wig.

Seriously, I can't tell you all how much fun 80s Prom is.  If you ever get a chance to go, either here in Portland, or in your city, I suggest you do it.  It's brilliant and you can wear giant hair bows without anybody looking at you funny.

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend!  And a special thanks to everyone who shared there prom pictures with me!


Gracey