Seeing all of the winter formal dresses means that prom will be here before you know it. I know a number of you are already looking or have already found dresses for this rite of passage. If you are a mom/grandma(whatever cool name you want to be called)/aunt/dad/sister/whoever is buying this dress and you don’t know where to begin, let me help:
- Don’t be fooled. Don’t let the dress wearer make you think that all the girls are wearing low-cut dresses/so tight you can see what they’re thinking/so short that they have to continually pull their dress down, etc. Even if they are, that doesn’t mean that you have to buy it for them.
- Take an honest assessment. This is an opportunity for her to look her very best, so let’s figure out the best fit for her body type. If you need help, please ask someone you trust who has some fashion sense. Sheesh, I could write a year’s worth of thoughts about this.
- The dress wearer is NOT an adult, and you should not allow her to look as such. I realize that a lot of young ladies have very adult-looking bodies, but they are still adolescents. They are seeing grown up images wherever they look, and it’s left up to you to stand firm.
- Sometimes dresses need to be altered for them to be perfect. Gifted people can add a piece of fabric to a low-cut dress, sew up that slit so it’s not up to her underwear, hem it up so she doesn’t have to hold it to keep from tripping, etc.
- As the purchaser of the dress, under no circumstances should you live vicariously through this experience! What do I mean? Because you couldn’t wear a risqué dress when you went to prom doesn’t mean that you should let the dress wearer live out your wildest dreams. I’ve seen this on my very own timeline, friends, so I know that it happens.
- Be open to receive the truth. A mother sent me some choices for her daughter to wear for homecoming. One was very age appropriate and the other was not. Wouldn’t ya know it? She chose to buy the tight adult-looking one. I was disappointed but not at all surprised.
- You’re not “the worst” if the dress wearer is being pouty if you buy the dress that doesn’t reveal all of her goodies. You didn’t always get your way when you were a kid so why should she?
- Turn this experience into a teachable moment.
- Enjoy the process.
- Still need help? You know where to find me.
Have tips of your own? Share them here!
#ksmithsays
ksmithsays 