Do girls still wear a garter to Prom?

[horseshowmom]

Like many others, I've never heard of that either. As a parent, I would be more than a little disapproving of it as well.

While I am familiar with the wedding custom of wearing one, I have never been to a wedding where the garter was thrown or anything else was done with it in public.

 

[FINFAN]

Still??? Girls NEVER wore garters to prom. How gross...and I am not a prude. Especially if this is something parents know about and encourage.

well, I knew about it when my DD went..and it wasn't an "invitation" for the guy...the girls went in the bathroom and removed the garters and then gave them to their dates. No public display of reaching up under dresses, throwing them..(now maybe that has gone on but the chaperones I knew at DD's Prom mentioned nothing of it going down crudely.)...nothing bawdy about it. They wore the garter just above the knee, so way lower than the cheer girls skirts are I didn't see it as gross~but then again it was tradition when I was in High School so it wasn't a new concept to me either. That and I know my kids...they look at the garter thing like just another piece of the whole Prom costume, lol....nothing more.

 

[indimom]

The proms around here do not include dinner. The kids eat out before the prom, go to the dance around 7 or 8, stay until 11 or 12??
And some of the schools provide an "after-prom" party at another location (in an attempt to curb underage drinking which generally occurs at all the after parties).

I went to three proms during my junior and senior years. One was held in a school cafeteria (cleared of tables and decorated by students), one in a school gymnasium (again decorated by students), and one was in a local hall. Only drinks and chips were served at all three.

 

[HM]

I've never heard of wearing a garter to prom. Must be regional.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

Never heard of this and glad too. DD will be a junior next year so proms will be in our future and this ain't happening.

 

[waffles77]

Garters don't really sound like they should be a prom tradition. A little risque, if you ask me.

I always thought the tradition of the garter being worn by a bride and removed by the groom was symbolic of 'deflowering' so to speak.....not quite what I would want my daughter practicing for at her prom!

 

[horseshowmom]

Garters don't really sound like they should be a prom tradition. A little risque, if you ask me.

Yeah, it's not exactly the ribbon from her hair...

 

[newbie2disney]

My DD wore a garter to prom last year as did the majority of the other girls. There was no meaning to it, they just wore ones that matched their dresses. I made them for several of the girls including my daughter. The prom dress stores also sell a variety of garters. I think I still have the garter I wore to prom and that was in 85. I never thought there was a negative meaning behind them?

 

[MrsDuck]

I never ever wore one.. and I've never heard of this!

I thought garters were just for weddings...?

 

[FINFAN]

Never heard of garters for proms. Thankfully, it doesn't seem to be a thing around here. Just seems kind of inappropriate.

I wore a garter on my wedding day, mostly for the "something blue", but didn't throw it, and no one but DH saw it. That whole little scene that can happen after throwing the bouquet and the garter, with some random guy crawling his fingers up some random girl's leg...ew. Actually, ditto for the bride and groom when taking it off at the reception.

As far as going out to dinner beforehand...what happens at the prom? Mine, 35 years ago, and my kids', were all at restaurants where dinner was served.

When I was in HS, our Prom was in the ballroom of a hotel in Chicago and kids hung out in the city for as long as they could, then hit the woods or the Indiana Dunes the next day. Dinner was a sit down meal, the dance was from I think 7-11 or midnight. My kids HS Prom is at a banquet hall on a golf course. No sit down meal per say (to save from taking up too much room at the table for place settings etc) but have alot of Hors'devours served allowing them to have more freedom up and away from their tables. The dance is from 7-11 and all sorts of situations for after- cruising in Limos, parties, some heading to family cabins, some to the Dells , some to the city, some to hotels...my kids group is heading to a friends house(already know the family, mom is on top of things) for the night and then to the City the next day to a museum or just to hang weather permitting. Our Homecoming and Turnabout dances are where the kids go to a restaurant first and then to the school gym for the dance. Tickets for the Prom are nuts too...$65 each not including pro pictures..those run anywhere from $30-$150
DS group isn't getting a limo so if that was added in, add another $6-700 total to the group cost. I noticed the corsages have stepped up a bit too...all sorts of bling and bracelet options are the in thing..maybe that is taking over the whole garter thing? It's way in to have the band of a wristlet corsage be an actual stretch bracelet (Either rhinestone or bead) and then have crystal sprays or pearl sprays mixed into the floral arrangement. The bracelets alone run $25- then the cost of the flowers- and then the cost of the bling...luckily DS is going low key and asked if they could please just match the color of the stretchy standard band to the color of his dates dress...he did add bling, because he knows she likes that, but as far as the bracelet..maybe if they were going steady or something, but wow does that add to the cost. He would much rather put that $25 toward a nicer piece for a girl anyway, not in a wristlet. Is this the norm by the rest of you?

 

[FINFAN]

My DD wore a garter to prom last year as did the majority of the other girls. There was no meaning to it, they just wore ones that matched their dresses. I made them for several of the girls including my daughter. The prom dress stores also sell a variety of garters. I think I still have the garter I wore to prom and that was in 85. I never thought there was a negative meaning behind them?

you know what? Now that you mention it, I DO remember some dresses having matching garters on the hanger..I didn't think much of it then as DD was going the inexpensive Hobby Lobby route..the only negative meaning tied in when I was in HS was if your date had your garter hanging from his rearview mirror the next day, it meant things went preeeeeeetty well....if nothing else it was a flag you were going steady. (and honestly, the guys hung them there even if they didn't *achieve* it..it was all in fun)Most guys wear them on their arms later on in the night of the prom, and like I said, the girls wore the guys ties (so many just buy their own ties and don't use the one from the Tux places)

 

[Lots-o-Huggin]

Is this the norm by the rest of you?

If there's one thing this thread proves, it's that there is no "norm". Just trust your own judgment.

 

[Mommy2Jameson]

alrighty then.....I think DS would pass out. Looking at locations you guys are posting from, maybe this is a midwest thing?

Maybe it is a midwest thing...I'm in Illinois, and we did the garters when we went 10 years ago. We'd match them to our dresses... My brother is a senior this year, I'll have to ask him if they still do it...

 

[SaraJayne]

All my girlfriends and I wore garters all four years to prom (20+ years ago). There was nothing "risque" about it ~ most of us had long dresses and wore them just below the knee and took them off in the bathroom to give to our boyfriend/date.

They are still very popular here.

 

[FINFAN]

If there's one thing this thread proves, it's that there is no "norm". Just trust your own judgment.

that's for sure...if DS date does wear one, he'll probably start a sling shot war with it, lol.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

I noticed the corsages have stepped up a bit too...all sorts of bling and bracelet options are the in thing..maybe that is taking over the whole garter thing? It's way in to have the band of a wristlet corsage be an actual stretch bracelet (Either rhinestone or bead) and then have crystal sprays or pearl sprays mixed into the floral arrangement. The bracelets alone run $25- then the cost of the flowers- and then the cost of the bling...luckily DS is going low key and asked if they could please just match the color of the stretchy standard band to the color of his dates dress...he did add bling, because he knows she likes that, but as far as the bracelet..maybe if they were going steady or something, but wow does that add to the cost. He would much rather put that $25 toward a nicer piece for a girl anyway, not in a wristlet. Is this the norm by the rest of you?

No corsages here. Long stem flowers to carry.

you know what? Now that you mention it, I DO remember some dresses having matching garters on the hanger..I didn't think much of it then as DD was going the inexpensive Hobby Lobby route..the only negative meaning tied in when I was in HS was if your date had your garter hanging from his rearview mirror the next day, it meant things went preeeeeeetty well....if nothing else it was a flag you were going steady. (and honestly, the guys hung them there even if they didn't *achieve* it..it was all in fun)Most guys wear them on their arms later on in the night of the prom, and like I said, the girls wore the guys ties (so many just buy their own ties and don't use the one from the Tux places)

Personally, I'd have an issue with a boy hanging my daughter's garter from his rearview mirror, IF IN FACT the significance is that "things went preeeeeeetty well", whether or not he actually had achieved* it. Maybe I'm just looking at this from an outsider who's hearing this for the first time, but I just think, as a mother, that it's kinda creepy for my DD's prom date to be announcing actual/imagined sexual escapades on his rearview mirror. Like I said...IF that's what the meaning of it is.

 

[Becky2005]

That's awesome! DS group is going to a Military museum/gardens for theirs...the main draw of course being the dozen or so Tanks on the grounds that you can climb on etc. I think their pics are going to be so cool...very different. It is a little further of a drive and their Prom is this Friday so I am hoping traffic is not too bad. It stinks when Prom is on a school day.

If it's where I think it is, the gardens there are beautiful -- although probably too early in the season for it to be in full bloom.

Ours take busses into Museum of Science & Industry and have theirs there. Dinner is served there, so no need for dinner beforehand, etc...

I hadn't really thought about the garter thing. We did it when I went to Prom but last year DD just went by herself and this year she has a date but hasn't said anything about it. Heck....I'm just attempting to hurry up & see if we can get her dress altered. YIKES...last minute for us, so I'll probably have to do it which should be interesting! She's going to freak out on me.

I have a feeling she would look at me like I'm insane if I asked her about the garter.

And I'm really old because as far as I know there was no meaning attached to the garters when I went to school -- or if there was I was oblivious to it (not surprising -- I tend to live under a rock!). It was just a thing to do & if I do recall they usually ended up on the arm of the guy & we were the ones that took it off and handed it to them. I couldn't even tell you because I don't remember. All I know is I forgot my keys on Prom night & had to call my parents from my boyfriend's house (pre cell phones) at some insane hour to unlock the door so I could come home.

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

When I was in HS, our Prom was in the ballroom of a hotel in Chicago and kids hung out in the city for as long as they could, then hit the woods or the Indiana Dunes the next day. Dinner was a sit down meal, the dance was from I think 7-11 or midnight. My kids HS Prom is at a banquet hall on a golf course. No sit down meal per say (to save from taking up too much room at the table for place settings etc) but have alot of Hors'devours served allowing them to have more freedom up and away from their tables. The dance is from 7-11 and all sorts of situations for after- cruising in Limos, parties, some heading to family cabins, some to the Dells , some to the city, some to hotels...my kids group is heading to a friends house(already know the family, mom is on top of things) for the night and then to the City the next day to a museum or just to hang weather permitting. Our Homecoming and Turnabout dances are where the kids go to a restaurant first and then to the school gym for the dance. Tickets for the Prom are nuts too...$65 each not including pro pictures..those run anywhere from $30-$150
DS group isn't getting a limo so if that was added in, add another $6-700 total to the group cost. I noticed the corsages have stepped up a bit too...all sorts of bling and bracelet options are the in thing..maybe that is taking over the whole garter thing? It's way in to have the band of a wristlet corsage be an actual stretch bracelet (Either rhinestone or bead) and then have crystal sprays or pearl sprays mixed into the floral arrangement. The bracelets alone run $25- then the cost of the flowers- and then the cost of the bling...luckily DS is going low key and asked if they could please just match the color of the stretchy standard band to the color of his dates dress...he did add bling, because he knows she likes that, but as far as the bracelet..maybe if they were going steady or something, but wow does that add to the cost. He would much rather put that $25 toward a nicer piece for a girl anyway, not in a wristlet. Is this the norm by the rest of you?

We did "blingly" wristlet corsages.

 

[Kellydelly]

We had garters for my prom in the late 80s (MI). It was a favor to give your date . It didn't mean he got lucky, either . A guy would normally only hang it from the rearview mirror if he was actually your boyfriend, not just a date. I don't think there is anything wrong with it, but I don't know if kids are still including them in the prom tradition 20+ yrs later.

 

[FINFAN]

No corsages here. Long stem flowers to carry.Personally, I'd have an issue with a boy hanging my daughter's garter from his rearview mirror, IF IN FACT the significance is that "things went preeeeeeetty well", whether or not he actually had achieved* it. Maybe I'm just looking at this from an outsider who's hearing this for the first time, but I just think, as a mother, that it's kinda creepy for my DD's prom date to be announcing actual/imagined sexual escapades on his rearview mirror. Like I said...IF that's what the meaning of it is.

In the teenage male world of exageration, yes...that is what a guy would like to imply...but as kellydelly stated, it carried more of the meaning that you were now going steady if you hung it on the rearview mirror. To be honest, any of the kids who book hotels (and I know many a parent who does it FOR them) for after the Prom are sending a far more advertised message than a garter. Anyways, looks like it is less common to wear a garter to Prom. Longstem flowers? Where is the girl supposed to have those all night?