Since going to the 80s Prom last weekend, I have been thinking about my high school dances. I went to high school in the 90s, not the 80s. But the 90s did us no favors. Think high rise jeans, huge rugby shirts and don't get me started on the shoes and perms.
I finally dug out my old scrapbook to see what I was wearing to my school dances. Oh my goodness. Someone should have stopped me. Here is just a random sampling of my favorites or "the best of the worst":
Sophomore year theme dance (we were cowboys):
Straight denim, baby, with a freakin' BOLERO tie! My date told me I was "churchy." I will never forget it!
Sophomore year Prom:
I borrowed this dress from my MOM! It doesn't scream "mom dress" at all does it? Notice my black flats with those little clip on shoe accessories!
Junior year Christmas Dance:
I really liked this guy (notice he is wearing uber cool Girbaud jeans!) So what better to wear than an oversize denim shirt with Christmas button covers!! I borrowed the plaid skirt from my friend Jaime. Love the perm!
Junior Year Valentines Dance:
Valentines= pink jeans. I wore those all the time. Don't forget the button covers again! I also wore those ankle cowboy boots everywhere. They were shoes that looked like boots...anyone else wear those?
Senior Year Morp Dance:
We were bikers. What is funny to me is that we actually thought it would be cool to pretend to ride another guy.
Senior Year Women's Association Dance:
The dress ain't bad--classic velvet Jessica McClintock number (I think this was the one I bought in San Diego to wear to Homecoming the year before.) It might have been a bit immodest but this was back in the day before they pushed "For the Strength of Youth"...
The funny thing about this dance is the group picture. I had "photo shopped" it myself. I thought my arms looked fat (I know...if only my high school self could see me now!) so I took a black Sharpie and tried to thin my arms out. I butchered the job but still had to deliver the photos to my date. His wife reads my blog...Jessica, ask him if he noticed!
Christmas dance Senior year:
Same date again. Lovin' on the Christmas sweater. I wore that same Christmas sweater to the Christmas dance my sophomore year too so I must have thought it was a winner. Once again...wearing the awesome low boots.
Skyline Prom:
Going for the bridal look (what the?) My date was really cute..we were both red heads but I should have saved the white lace dress for my wedding.
Brighton Prom:
This is the best dress yet...the sleeves could be worn up on the shoulders at home when my parents were taking the pre-dance photos
and then down off the shoulder at the Prom!!
It is a miracle I was even asked to these dances. Now you can see why I'm excited to go to my 20 year reunion. I have no where to go but up!
35 comments:
I love everything about this post. Cam and I were reading it simultaneously on separate computers and laughing hysterically.
We both thought it looked like you were riding Rex in the biker photo.
I am laughing so hard! The good thing about not dating in high school is I don't have quite so many of these embarrassing photos. I am also looking forward to my 20 to hopefully erase a lot of my geekiness.
HI-FREAKIN-LARIOUS.
I can't figure out what you're holding in the first picture. Is it a shoe? Why are you doing that?
Seriously, I was in high school in the early 90s, too. It wasn't any kinder than the 80s. YIKES.
90's clothing was so much worse than 80's. I, too, had the low boots and thought they were so amazing. Is it bad that my favorite is the Jessica McClintock. I'm always telling my young women that "For the Strength of Youth" wasn't pushed at all when I was young. We liked to show those shoulders.
Why is it that you seem to be taller than all of your dates who are wearing tuxes? Good thing that you apparently didn't own any heels back in the day!
Christie, It is a shoe and I have no idea why I was doing that.
Greg, I was probably exactly the same height as most of my dates. I was about 6 inches taller than my homecoming date junior year and they had me sit on a stool in that picture..I should have included it...high school is so painful on so many levels...the height thing can be so awkward...hence all the frumpy flat pumps with my dresses. Now I would wear heels no matter how tall my date is...I am woman hear me roar!
And Katie,
The "hog" is Rex's friend John Curtis. We all took Pagans to that dance but Rex was so mean to me and my friends..no one asked him. Chet was my date. pretty funny.
you're killing me!!!
So fun to see those pictures! Bringsback so many memories of the 90s and how we dressed.
I had some of those low ankle boots. I loved them at the time!!
I would say that I think the 90s were better than the 80s. :)
I've been reading your blog for close to a year now, and this is my favorite post so far. I feel like these photos could be on greeting cards or something. Hilarious! My personal favorite is the button covers. It's so funny to see how much the trends have changed. Makes ya wonder what we are going to look back and cringe at 10 years from now. Thanks for making me laugh!
Jen
www.thegoodlife-jb.blogspot.com
Brookie,
Hilarious. I know all of those pictures and outfits like they were my own. At least you weren't wearing full-length coolots to a formal dance like I did in that group shot! I also never knew about the scandalous shoulder slip...must have been too enthralled with Danny that night, but if I had noticed I would have tried to save you from your evil ways!
Too funny!
OH MY FREAKING HELL. Those are, by far, the worst poses I have ever seen. And I have seen some craptastic poses in my days!
I was watching My So Called Life the other day, and we would just start laughing at the same thing--an over-sized flannel shirt, Doc Martens, a short dress with knee socks...the 90's weren't kind. But they were my HS years, too, so I feel your pain!
I don't understand the outfit in picture #1. Graffiti elf???
Denim on denim is only okay if you're Snoop. Ask Sam.
That dress looks like a mom dress. Oh, wait....
I'm crushing on his Girbaud jeans, and natural pose with Santa.
The dual rose in the mouth may be the worst offender.
Oh, wait. Your male date riding another male. It just got worse.
The Jessica McClintock is cute, and very 90's. Immodest, immshmodest.
The hay bale and bridal wear are not good. I have never seen those mini shoe/boots in my life, and I hope to never see it again. Must be a Utah thing!
Brighton prom was super hot. You look very cute, and kind of hookery in that last picture with your sleeves down. Score!
You are a million time hotter now. You will win at the reunion!
You lived this, but I looked up to and aspired to be this. I don't know which is worse.
The purchase of that Jessica McClintock dress at Horton plaza is forever etched into my memory (along with the fact that you left your (awesome) denim jacket in the dressing room.)
Josh Madsen was really cute! You two should have dated. I love seeing cute red-headed boys.
P.S. Hard to believe you (we?!?) went to high school before boot cut jeans.
This is the BEST post you have ever written.
I may have been laughing so hard a tear fell from my eye.
It's funny because it's true.
High School is NOT kind at all!
Okay, Brooke, I guess I have to come out of the closet now (figuratviely speaking, obviously). Amy (Bagley) Madsen introduced me to your blog a while ago and we both think it's too funny (we actually talk about what's on your blog all the time, as in, "Did you read Brooke's blog?") But I always spied from afar, since I was merely a blog stalker. But I think now that you've posted a pic of my hubby on your blog, I can safely claim I read it. That picture makes me laugh. To this day, Josh's sisters still tease him about you (he may have had a little crush on you and he may now kill me for telling you that, but bygones). This post made me laugh, for the 90s were an eyesore. Thanks for all the laughs and for giving Amy and me something to talk about (I'm sure we'll be talking about this post tomorrow).--Jessy Madsen
I did notice in the picture of you and my brother you may have been showing a little skin with the top of your shirt unbuttoned. I'm guess he didn't think you were "too churchy". And, what is this mention of a 20 year??
Looking at this post a second time I happened to notice the boys in the pictures...it seems as if you were the choice of the boys in our ward ;p
Mostess, The first photo was my very first school dance my sophomore year. The theme was "El Cheapo" and we got the clothes at the DI.
Jessy, Thanks for delurking. Josh is a great guy (one of my favorite guys from high school!) I'm excited to read your blog. Ask him how he like my wedding dress at prom.
Erica, The twenty year is still 4 years away...I'm just sayin that when it comes, I'll be ready..no more awful bangs, high wasted jeans and button covers on this gal. I'm takin it by storm...are you with me??!
And now that you mention it, I did date my fair share of ward members and Rex's friends, much to his dismay. If only the adult men in our home ward could have asked me out...I've got stories that would really light up the blog!
Hilarious! You really had a crush on David Taylor? He was in my ward growing up. YUCK! I'm sure he's really cute, but he was younger and in my ward.
We wore some pretty crazy clothes back in the day. I'm sure we'll look back on what we wear now and laugh. Give it a few years. I saw someone wearing Girbaud jeans at the U game last week. And, my neighbor still has a pair he wears every once in a while. We always give him a real hard time about it.
Thank you for this wonderful post. I enjoyed it so very very much. I was awful in high school ('95!), as in, I had no sense of style at all and generally looked so bad that I take it as a huge compliment when I am unrecognizable to those who knew me then, but I actually think that was an ok time to have no sense of style because even the most stylish looked pretty bad. I am always wondering which current trends will be mocked in a few years. I am going iwth skinny jeans.
How did I miss this til now?
You were adorable in HS & especially cute in the mom dress. Hey, I was only 37 or 38 at the time.
It is fun to see those pictures and all your friends. BTW - I never even noticed the "off the shoulder" dress in the photo. I still think it was a cute dress.
AND. . .I had totally forgotten about the black marker photoshopping. You were a genius. You need to do another post about all the gutsy, sneaky things you did at Brighton HS - from breaking into the office to mess w/class schedules to humoring teachers w/ notes & flowers. You were the female Ferris Buehler.
Look, you don't even have a giveaway, and you have 24 comments.
This post is worth all the comments. Fun to look at all the
90's fashions. I'm with the Mostess, the poses that you all came up with are hilarious.
Here's to the 20th reunion. You will steal the show.
I'm laughing so hard! Especially the one with you Chet and John. Woah! Thanks for a great start to my day!
Brooke, this is so funny. Love live BHS dances! Where was I in high school to miss the existence of button covers? And I don't even recognize any of your dates save Josh and Scott. Who are those guys? Love the Jessica McClintock, you can't graduate from BHS in the 90s without owning some of her velvet. Thanks for the laughs. And yes, Jessy and I will discuss this post at length!
Hey, isn't that your dad's Magnum PI Hawaiian shirt on that guy in the first picture?? Did he know you "borrowed it?"
Probably not Mom. Just like the time I went to school wearing his military "G"s and didn't realize they had the marks in them.
I cant stop looking at these pics -they are all fantastic!!! I cant believe how many dances you had. I think I went to 3 my entire time at High School.
The 90's was shocking for fashion but the shoe/boot and the pink jeans seem to be making a comeback.
The "hog" pic is just dying to be sent to the awkward photo blog.
Thank you for making me thankful for living through my high school years in the 80's! I love looking back at the stupid styles we wore. I don't think we ever took couple pictures at dances like you did--only proms. We typically didn't go to the regular dances through the year with a date--everyone went stag. Thankful for that! I did the whole off-the-shoulder scandal as a Freshman to the Homecoming Dance, but my mom made my dress, so I'm not sure how scandalous that could be. ;) It was a big thing when I went to high school to have your dresses custom-made...that was the first time I can remember being thankful that my mom could sew. Not sure how "fashion" they were but it was fun to get what I thought I wanted. :) Of course, when the dresses were finished, I was a bit anxious to actually wear them outside but it was too late by then!
Unbelievable! I had to find out from my friend clear across the country in Pennsylvania that you have a blog and you're posting pics of my hubby!
Speaking of my hubby - after reviewing the post himself, he said, and I quote, "Don't take this the wrong way, but she looks good in some of those pictures!"
There you have it! Wish I had a blog to share with you. For now I'll just keep myself entertained by reading yours.
GOOD STUFF!
Leslie Sorenson (your prom date's wife)
Oh this was a painfully fun flashback! What no hilarious comment from Sam? Surely he has something to say about these lovely photos.
As one who also wore mom-type prom dresses, you are the bravest woman I know posting these pictures. Truly. The 90s were just unkind, especially in the footwear department. My problem was not only my clothes, but my hair and face, too, which is why I will never post any h.s. photos. I looked like Frida Kahlo.
I am so laughing at Ashley's comment. I love sisters!
...Also...I am sooo nervous asking this! Damita and I will be in SLC for a few days starting tomorrow and we're taking a trip down to Utah County to do a few things there. Would you wanna meet up for breakfast/brunch on Tuesday morning on our way down? It could be our first step in arranging Mita's and Buster's wedding. If you want to, shoot me an email emilytulip7 at yahoo.
How did I miss this post?!? I LOVE that you edited the photo, totally something that I would do.You kill me!
P.S. The pics around the house/deck make me miss the old house!
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