Belly Showing in Prom Dress

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I wore a gothic-style dress that I got at a Renaissance Faire to my prom, with black leather combat boots, a choker necklace with spikes on it, and enough eyeliner for 10 people.

Some of the dresses posted here look a heck of a lot classier than I did.

 

[sk!mom]

I never said too casual. But regardless, I'm still not a fan and don't think that style is appropriate for formal occasions.

Inappropriate? why? And I'm being genuine, The dress I posted and the one below are beautiful and classy. It's very common for prom dresses to show some cleavage and it's fine. How is this strip of midsection flesh inappropriate?

DD is a Sophomore and going to the prom with a good friend who is a Senior. We had this conversation. The 2 piece look is very much in style with the girls and I can't blame her for not wanting to look like Little Bo Peep ( like I did at Prom). She's paying for half the dress and I think she made a great choice. Yes, there is some skin showing, but it's still very age appropriate. This is the dress she decided on.

 

[piccolopat]

I think prom season is an opportunity for parents to teach their soon-to-be adult women that there is a difference between dressing classy-sexy and dressing trashy-sexy.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I guess I'm a pearl clutching, prudish, fuddy duddy. I prefer more modest clothing and I will be encouraging my daughters to value dressing on the more modest side. (They are babies, so that's a long ways away!)

My niece went to prom this past weekend and posted a group shot of her and 10 other girls. Each dress was stunning and one thing that stood out to me was that none of the dresses were two pieces or "provocative" by anyone's definition. Some were fitted, some were full skirt, some were sleeveless, some had straps...but bellies and chests were covered. I thought to myself, "I hope these type of gowns are in style when my daughters go to prom."

 

[jrmasm]

Inappropriate? why? And I'm being genuine, The dress I posted and the one below are beautiful and classy. It's very common for prom dresses to show some cleavage and it's fine. How is this strip of midsection flesh inappropriate?

IMO a bare stomach belongs at the beach or in a club for example. Not a formal setting. Putting that type of top with a long skirt doesn't change it for me.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I wore a gothic-style dress that I got at a Renaissance Faire to my prom, with black leather combat boots, a choker necklace with spikes on it, and enough eyeliner for 10 people.

Some of the dresses posted here look a heck of a lot classier than I did.

Right!
This thread is cracking me up!
People who think that all of a sudden prom dresses aren't classy haven't been paying attention for the last 60+ years. A quick google search will reveal that prom dresses have been tacky since the beginning of proms. That's the whole fun of prom! You're supposed to love the dress for the fashion statement it makes now; who cares what you think of it years from now.
I LOVED my garish fushia and black monstrosity with the big black rose and the skirt that was long in back but short in front, circa 1989. I look at pictures of that dress now and man is it ever ugly. But, the important thing is, I LOVED that dress!

 

[anneboleyn]

I was in Jr. High when Britney Spears was in her heyday, so I am no stranger to the midriff baring fashion lol. These dresses actually look pretty tame to me.

 

[luvsJack]

I think prom season is an opportunity for parents to teach their soon-to-be adult women that there is a difference between dressing classy-sexy and dressing trashy-sexy.

Hopefully they have taught that particular lesson long before prom. Are you implying that a two piece dress is trashy? Because that could not be further from the truth.

Most of these dresses show a grand total of two inches of skin. I can assure you that most teen girls show more skin than that on a daily basis and they are dressing modestly.


The two piece dress is a fashion that happens to be popular right now. I would venture to guess that most of you wore something that someone in the older generation shuddered at. These dresses are no worse or better than the strapless dresses that have been around forever or the mermaid dresses that have been around for some time or the short prom dresses that can be just a hair from too short. Or the short or long slinky numbers. Or the ones that are almost all net except for the solid material in strategic areas. Or the lace dresses with the lining that gives the impression of being see through.

Its kind of funny that this is being dicussed here. When dd picked her dress, the sales lady tried to talk her into having her hair styled to look like Jasmine. Oh the outrage! Jasmine showed her belly button!!

A friend of dd's is dating a boy that attends a private school nearby. They don't have a prom but do have a formal Senior banquet. She wore a two piece dress to prom but the private school doesn't allow them. The one piece "appropriate" dress she wore to the banquet was much more revealing! Thigh high slit and rather low cut. She was beautiful in both dresses.

 

[Aliceacc]

DD is a Sophomore and going to the prom with a good friend who is a Senior. We had this conversation. The 2 piece look is very much in style with the girls and I can't blame her for not wanting to look like Little Bo Peep ( like I did at Prom). She's paying for half the dress and I think she made a great choice. Yes, there is some skin showing, but it's still very age appropriate. This is the dress she decided on.

That is simply lovely!! I hope she enjoys herself.

 

[kamik86]

Maybe too informal was he wrong word but I'll be honest I really just don't like the style. Then again I don't like most fashion trends. I think most runway clothes look hideous.

As I said I would have no problem from a standpoint of the girl showing too much skin. They really aren't.

However given many of the dress code threads I see here regarding shorts, tank tops, etc. I'm honestly pretty surprised most schools seem to allow these dresses. I haven't seen one post here saying they aren't allowed.

 

[mom2rtk]

I guess I'm a pearl clutching, prudish, fuddy duddy. I prefer more modest clothing and I will be encouraging my daughters to value dressing on the more modest side. (They are babies, so that's a long ways away!)

I sort of felt the same way. Until my daughter got old enough to be out of girls size clothing. It's exhausting to try and find shorts that are long enough and tops that cover enough. Their school dress code (in middle school) said shorts had to be fingertip length. Outside of Bermuda shorts, that just wasn't happening.

I finally had to ease up a little and pick my battles. We're both adjusting and I consider it a personal victory every time she looks at something and rejects it as too trashy.

 

[sk!mom]

However given many of the dress code threads I see here regarding shorts, tank tops, etc. I'm honestly pretty surprised most schools seem to allow these dresses. I haven't seen one post here saying they aren't allowed.

DD19's high school did have a dress code for school. They do not have any dress code for Prom.

Dress codes in general are taking a bit of a hit as many realize that they typically single girls out.

 

[piccolopat]

Hopefully they have taught that particular lesson long before prom. Are you implying that a two piece dress is trashy? Because that could not be further from the truth.

I was intentionally not judging or implying anything. It all depends on the dress, the girl's shape and how well the dress fits.

 

[kamik86]

DD19's high school did have a dress code for school. They do not have any dress code for Prom.

Dress codes in general are taking a bit of a hit as many realize that they typically single girls out.

That is true most dress codes are either very restrictive for girls or so broad to not be helpful. Like when we have a work meeting scheduled with our customer and it is asked if this is a "Jacket and tie", "shirt and tie", or "just collared shirts" type meeting. For guys both of those are pretty easy guidelines. Also those are really the only three options most would pick for a customer meeting and worst case if they have no idea showing up in full jacket and tie can easily scale down to any of the others and fit right in.

For women they really don't help we just have to know what level to dress up to somewhat match. Our clothes come in a much larger spectrum of formality.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

IMO a bare stomach belongs at the beach or in a club for example. Not a formal setting. Putting that type of top with a long skirt doesn't change it for me.

Have you been to a prom recently? Not that big of a difference

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

I was intentionally not judging or implying anything. It all depends on the dress, the girl's shape and how well the dress fits.

So if the dress doesn't fit well it's trashy?

 

[jrmasm]

Have you been to a prom recently? Not that big of a difference

Not me but I have a 20 year old daughter. She absolutely was not dressed like she was going to the club.

Different strokes people.

 

[robinb]

I was intentionally not judging or implying anything. It all depends on the dress, the girl's shape and how well the dress fits.

Then your last post ...

I think prom season is an opportunity for parents to teach their soon-to-be adult women that there is a difference between dressing classy-sexy and dressing trashy-sexy.

... was an epic fail. You judged both parents and girls if a girl doesn't dress as modest as you think she should and implied that the parents are at fault. Worse, you called a teen girl going to a formal in that dress dance "trashy".

 

[Poohforyou]

People have to remember that not every prom is an uber formal occasion. At my dd's junior prom the vast majority of girls were in short party dresses not gowns. My dd was probably was on the overdressed side since she went with a long dress but she loved it and it got my approval.

She's also probably showed just as much skin as a girl in a 2 piece dress since it had spaghetti straps.

 

[fly girl]

I love myself and I also love my new bathing suit. I look very good in it. I am going to go to the grocery store and shop in it.

Couldn't help but quote this. First thing that came to my mind after reading it was yep, you can wear it! Seen it, sadly. Wal-Mart never fails to boggle the eyes!


The midriff dresses really don't bother me. Some I like more than others, but that's true of any fashion.


Now, this dress I find totally unacceptable for prom. And just unacceptable period!




This apparently is a 16 year old girl on her way to the prom. A Detroit radio station posted this on their FB page and people went nuts. I saw the photo again yesterday on The Talk when they were talking about prom. How her parents allowed this is beyond me.