The Way Back Machine

The Time: 1965
The Place: Our home on 3rd Avenue, Maywood, Illinois

Earlier in the week I told you about JoAnn Fabrics Prom Dress Contest. It seemed like a good idea to drag out my own prom picture.



This photo is funny on so many levels, you simply cannot imagine.

Here I am, posing my best sophisticated look in my hand sewn dress. That's not the funny part. The dress is was really beautiful and just the thought of it brings back wonderful memories.

In order to have something different my mom and I decided that she would make my dress. We took the train from Oak Park down to Chicago where we shopped for fabric at Marshall Field's. After deciding on a pattern we choose a lovely pink peau de soie with matching pink lace. The lace was added as a bottom ruffle and there was a matching lace jacket. She did all the work since this was a few years before I begged her to teach me how to sew.

I'm sitting on our hi-fi stereo and I can remember that wallpaper as if it was yesterday. The lamp was an absolutely horrible plastic affair, a pole lamp that went from floor to ceiling, held in place with some type of spring tension. Yuck. The house was a wonderful farmhouse meets Victorian, with pocket doors and a fireplace surround covered with beautiful tiles imported from England.

The hair...the HAIR!!! Let me just say that nothing in this photo reflects me. I was probably the least sophisticated person at school and my hair was never worn in this fashion. I wore a long bob forever and my style was more beatnik than "Grease" but I remember wanting to really turn up the volume for prom. I took the bus to the hair salon and described to the stylist what I was looking for. She must have been a magician because although I had very thick hair it was unbelievable, even to me, that she could whip it up into such stunning heights.

My decision was to leave my glasses in my handbag. I hardly thought I'd look glamourous wearing dark rimmed glasses.

My date was a sophomore in college, and although he'd graduated from our high school he wasn't very well known to my friends. Put together all these elements and here's what you get - a very funny train wreck waiting to happen.

So, my date arrives and he's pretty surprised. Keep in mind that he's a very conservative guy and suddenly he finds himself going to prom with Pinkie Tuscadero. Without my glasses I trip going down the stairs and almost break the heel on my shoe. Close call. We arrive at the prom which was held in the high school gym. Think West Side Story....mods and rockers, greasers and madras jackets. I let Dean guide me into the room because I can't see a thing. I'm very excited to make a grand entrance.

The crowd parted as I entered. I walked forward. WOW, I thought "this is awesome!" The reality was hardly as fabulous as I thought. The truth was that no one recognized me, or my date! They all looked at me dumfounded and their collective opinion was - what a dumb bunny. This girl has showed up at the wrong prom! My best friend Dennis didn't even know who I was. Later he told me he gave me an extra 100 points for dreaming up such a strange scheme.

The evening was fun. After prom Dean and I went to Henrici's to eat and although I felt so grown up, in hindsight I realize that we were overdressed and our appearance screamed "prom kids". I remembered the feeling fondly several years ago when we were dining with friends at an upscale Italian restaurant. In streamed a large group of prom kids, the guys discussing the proper etiquette and what they should be tipping.

Someday they'll be looking back and having a good laugh.

Tomorrow I'll share some of my "picks" with you and I'm not talking football teams.