Backstage Pass to My Sister’s Prom

My sister is a junior and as expected, she looked forward to her first prom with much enthusiasm most likely more than the senior students did. Of course just like other girls her age, she equates prom night to being beautiful above the more significant meaning of the event. From the first time we talked about it last year, she had been so eager to wear a gown and constantly bugged me to rent one from the local designer from whom I borrowed several impressive formals I used in my own events. I’m acquainted to several designers and models hence I’m quite familiar with how much gowns and formals are priced and I know that renting a stunning gown would cost no less than PHP 2,000. I tried persuading my sister that it would be more practical to purchase an RTW cocktail dress with that amount for obvious reasons but she’s so into the flamboyant princess look hence I casually describe her ambitious. Fast forward mid-January this year, I was still insistent with the idea of a cocktail dress being confident that I have the right to be because I’ll be financing the expense although that was voluntary on my part. Until something fortunate happened…

The Dress

I was invited by my good friend and former mentor in Gen Psych to host a fashion show which served as a Personality Development activity for his students in Public Speaking. A segment of the show was formal wear and since some of the participants are my friends, I was able to borrow right after the event a black Chinese dress with dominant gold embroidery. I’ve learned that it was bought from Singapore hence the care instructions by the owner to hang it inside-out to prevent damage of the tinsel needlework. I also tried borrowing a heavily beaded red gown but since the lady who wore it just borrowed it from somebody else, she’s not able to commit lending it to me.

Although in another occasion I was able to borrow also a set of the Ad Congress usherettes’ uniform in her behalf, it was the Chinese gown that my sister opted to wear.

The Slippers

Having available dress options, we moved to the next item in the list: her slippers. Due to the limited selection of footwear in the stores in our city, we planned to go to SM Pampanga the Saturday before the week of her prom. Eventually our parents changed mind on the last minute to let her go with me so I traveled alone to the mall. It took me an hour before I was able to decide to pick the gold slippers thinking that it would look good with any of the 3 dresses she was still considering to wear then.

When I got home, I asked her to fit it immediately and we had good time laughing as she confidently strutted around the house and upstairs on 3-inch heels.

Accessories

Since the dress wants the spotlight, we kept the accessories simple. I purchased a gold-plated bangle along with the slippers and I asked my sister to get a faux pearl stud earring when she went with our parents to the same mall the following day.

The Big Day

Mom and I went home from work earlier. We had borrowed a curling rod and shopped for additional cosmetics. I was kuya (older brother)-cum-stylist in full support. Roughly 2 hours before she leaves for the prom, we started prepping her but I had to groom her eyebrows when mom was not in the room because she’s sure to protest. I think it’s ok as long as we do not deviate from its natural shape so it’s not overdone. First was ironing her hair straight then pulling the top back. Mom had to help me secure it because my sister’s hair is quite thick and difficult to hold in one grasp. Mom also did the curling but under my supervision as insisted by sister dear because she doesn’t want it curled too tight and high.

Makeup is my forte having learned to apply it on myself when the occasion demands the need for it. However, it’s my first time to do it on a female and female makeup is far different than males’. YouTube was a big help to learn the smoky eye. Mom was against the dark eyeshadow but then again my sister trusts me more as the style authority.

I accompanied her to the Convention Center. No I wasn’t an escort for that is not a custom in most schools here; I just dropped her off the venue. But I didn’t leave immediately to discreetly make a fashion review of the other students as they arrive. It’s undeniable that most of the dresses are expensive but the problem was it seemed that everybody was wearing the same thing in different colors although blue was dominant that night. I saw that bulky bubble skirt ball gowns are the trend now. Also, the once scene-stealer tiaras are now omnipresent thus became boring at all. Well, these things are so beautiful when they’re on display individually but would fashion police would flash its red lights if worn with the wrong shoe or accessories, wrong makeup/hairstyle and worst is flaunted with wrong attitude.

Our Cinderella might have worn something that is thousands cheaper; in fact it was loaned for free. No MAC or Revlon for her and didn’t spend P700 on salon services. No, she’s not prom queen yet she looks worthy for the red carpet and more importantly, she enjoyed the experience as we wished she would.