Get a Date, Get a Dress

It’s almost May, and for many young girls that means the all important May Dance is fast approaching. As I help my 13 year old niece search for the perfect dress, I am reminded of my adolescence and the excitement I had at the prospect of transforming myself from an ugly duckling into a swan with the May Dance acting as the catalyst for this life altering moment. Of course, that excitement was quickly squashed by mother.

The May dance is every seventh grader’s introduction to the world of formals. Although not actually a formal, any seventh grader who has been dreaming of this moment would beg to differ. These poor acne prone, brace face girls spending countless hours imagining how their crush is going to ask them to this dance. I too was one of those girls, quite scrawny with acne and of course had a mouth stuffed full of metal not to mention a bazillion freckles and a washboard for a chest. No, my dream guy was definitely not going to ask me to the May dance but hopefully someone would. And according to my mother, that someone would be my ticket to getting the dress of my dreams.

I can remember coming home and telling my mom about the May dance and how it was imperative that I start looking for my dress. Her response? “Get a date, get a dress.” Seriously?  I mean what mother actually declares that edict to a scrawny little 13 year old with the self-esteem of a turtle? Well I was so determined to get a dress that I managed to manipulate someone into asking me to that dance ASAP. Since I knew my dream guy would not be asking me and I certainly did not have time to spare hoping for some B-grade guy to ask me, I went straight to C-grade status and found a sucker who would escort me to the dance. After all, it was the seventh grade and my mission was to have the best dress there! And I’m pretty sure I did.

Through the years the “Get a date, get a dress” story has been told and re-told countless times and while I should probably be in therapy over what my mother said, I have actually spent years dressing not to get date but rather to make myself feel good. Nothing makes me happier than to put on a great outfit and walk out the door. Perhaps that edict from my mother is what led me down this path of wardrobe editing and assisting clients with proper wardrobe choices. Thanks mom!

On a sidenote – my 13 year old niece should thank her lucky stars that we have stopped my mother from dispensing that edict to her.