Do girls still wear a garter to Prom?

[momto2inKC]

No, it's definitely not a midwest thing. I have never heard of it. No one I know wore one to prom. None of my nieces wore them, non of my friends daughters have worn them. I have never heard of them being worn except for a wedding.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

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?

If it's understood that the meaning is that they're going steady, then I guess that's another story. It's more about the message. If the message that was understood was that it meant they had had sex, then no, personally I wouldn't be happy about advertising it.

I'm sure kids/parents do book hotel rooms...not something my kids did, and not sure how I would have felt about it had it come up. My kids are all out of high school now.

They put the flowers on the table, I assume, and in a vase when they got home.

 

[Becky2005]

I'm wondering if I need a boutinerre (sp????).

OH...and since we are on Prom traditions has anyone heard you aren't supposed to let your Prom date see your dress before Prom? I have never heard of that & apparently my DD was told she wasn't supposed to. Her answer was "too late"...she had taken a picture of herself trying it on & sent it to several of her friends. One is her Prom date (that we weren't sure was her Prom date when we bought the dress). I had never heard of that. Poor kid. We break so many traditions on things that we have no clue we are supposed to be doing/not doing. You should see the look I give to her every time I hear something new -- it's usually me doing one of these .

The kids here buy their own Prom ticktes (ours are over $100!) -- so basically she bought her own & her date bought his own.

 

[Schmeck]

There is definitely a 'meaning' behind the garter, why else give it to the date afterwards? Why would one have to go into the bathroom to remove it?

If it's being used to hold up a stocking, then it has function, but if it's just there to give away, then it means something I wouldn't want my daughters to participate in. Some may see it as harmless, but think of where it is, what it stands for, and why it's being give to a date.

I keep thinking of the panty scene in 16 Candles.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I had never heard of this where I grew up ( SE Massachusetts ) but it's a tradition here. My nephew graduated in 2009 and all of his dates wore one. My niece is a senior and has always had one for prom. My sister doesn't seem to think it's a bad thing.

My dd is only in 6th grade and I don't know whether she'll get one, when the time comes. Dsis says it's just harmless fun but it just feels wrong to me.

 

[Gisele]

If you want to keep your nickers up, then yes. If it is not needed, then no.

~~ I love you Phil and you will forever be with me! Forever my very best and most special friend! I love you to no end. ~~​

 

[luvmy3]

I remember when I was younger seeing garters on rear view mirrors, I just thought they were from a Wedding. I couldn't tell you if our class had that tradition, I went to the prom with a friend and there was no way I would give him my garter (if I wore one).

 

[NHdisneylover]

Every girl I was friends with (and myself) wore garters to prom in the early 90s in Colorado. I didn't really think anything of it. Funny how the reaction is so different from place to place.

 

[BeenHereB4]

1990, 1991 and 1992 proms here. In Orange County, New York and most of the girls wore garters. I never thought of it as a sex thing back then. We got them to match the dress and it was just another fun thing to spend money on.

 

[vicki_c]

WNY - everyone wore garters (BTW - 29 years ago). And it didn't signify anything at all - it was just a prom souvenir you gave your date - with a little charm with the date normally and maybe your initials and your date's initials. And all the guys hung them on the mirrors of their cars. It meant absolutely nothing. For those getting their own knickers all in a twist about it, you're really giving it a lot more weight than it has.

So apparently it is regional but living in an area that participates does not mean it's the end of civilization as we know it.

 

[Pirate Me]

I have never heard of this..seems inappropriate to me.

 

[Kathi OD]

ever heard of garters being worn at a prom, so I'll go with the others that it must be a regional kind of thing

When I was in HS, our Prom was in the ballroom of a hotel in Chicago and kids Tickets for the Prom are nuts too...$65 each not including pro pictures..those run anywhere from $30-$150

This just caught my eye! Tickets are ONLY $65??? Tickets for my daughter's prom (in 1996) were $75pp and didn't include the pictures either.

 

[Shutterbug]

obviously it happens enough for there to be several websites selling them or mentioning them.

Just google prom garter or prom garter tradition

 

[mebbradley]

I grew up in Maryland and went to prom in 07 and 08. Big Tradition here!
Every one of my roommates in college had a garter.

I didn't....

 

[marcyinPA]

Not a tradition here in PA (thankfully!)

 

[marcyinPA]

ever heard of garters being worn at a prom, so I'll go with the others that it must be a regional kind of thing



This just caught my eye! Tickets are ONLY $65??? Tickets for my daughter's prom (in 1996) were $75pp and didn't include the pictures either.

My DS isn't going to the prom this year- he's a junior and really has no interest- but anyway, the tickets are $125 PER PERSON!!! It includes dinner and transportation to the location, which is about 1/2 hour from the school. Most kids he is friends with are not going, and those who are, are going "Dutch" with their tickets, even if they are taking a date.

 

[Swan4Me]

Around here some boys have their Boutonierre attached to a garter that they wear on their arm-very tacky IMO

 

[Fire14]

DS just had his prom this past Saturday and, judging by the Facebook pix, yes, the girls still wear garters , at least up here in the "wilderness".

Here's our little prom chuckle:most everyone else went to someplace fancy and nice for dinner beforehand. DS, his five best friends and their dates went to....Buffalo Wild Wings.....and ate....150 wings. He said to me, "Mom, those girls are pretty wimpy, they only had four or five each, so we guys had to do the rest...." Then they went and had their pictures taken in front of Lambeau Stadium!

Ah, kids....

Terri

My kinda date BWW rocks, I can eat more than 5 wings though. I will say BWW is better than what I got predinner for my prom. And I didn't wear a garter to my prom.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

WNY - everyone wore garters (BTW - 29 years ago). And it didn't signify anything at all - it was just a prom souvenir you gave your date - with a little charm with the date normally and maybe your initials and your date's initials. And all the guys hung them on the mirrors of their cars. It meant absolutely nothing. For those getting their own knickers all in a twist about it, you're really giving it a lot more weight than it has.

So apparently it is regional but living in an area that participates does not mean it's the end of civilization as we know it.

Actually, I think this was the biggest "knickers in a twist" post in the whole thread.

 

[HelenePA]

Not a tradition here in PA (thankfully!)

WRONG!! I'm from PA and I went to the prom 4 years and I had one each year! Each one had a "year" charm on it... other than that they meant nothing.