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.

Sole Companion

The verge of flipping my calendar to the last sheet was a national holiday. I grabbed the chance to go somewhere without needing to use another leave credit; I commuted to SM City Pampanga. Surprisingly, that was my first time to go to a mall with a set purpose other than roaming about for hours and honing my skills in impulsive buying. I’m getting myself a new pair of brown shoes. My old pair, although still looks good when you glance down on it, is already worn out even if its surface haven’t flaked despite the few scratches and the typical creases.

I bought my old pair from the same store the last time I was there more than a year ago. I loved its elongated toe cap although it still is square-toed. Its top vamp that runs from the tongue to the toe is slightly slimmer than the actual width of the shoe and is emphasized by bold stitches therefore created an illusion of being pointed. A tiny stud is fastened on a narrow strap that runs across near the tongue. Sleek – that’s how dress shoes must be. Many were mistaken by thinking it costs at least a thousand pesos.

Several months since I first used it, I lost a stud; a couple more after, I lost the other. Nevertheless it still looked good. When I’ve been using it long enough, the spacious and rocky parking lots I always pass by going to my school punctured the top lift of its heel. Sometimes, stones get stuck in the compartments of the heel which, fortunately don’t hurt me through the insole but nonetheless causes quite a noise when I walk on smooth surfaces.

One particular rainy day on my way to work, I was surprised to feel rainwater soaking my socks. I discovered that the outsoles of both shoes had thinned hence a cut runs across it and each have holes the size of my little finger. Then I knew it – my sole companion has to retire.

A similar pair of black lace-up bought with those brown shoes depreciated first but the browns are dearer to me. Foremost, they were my first brown dress shoes. My desire to acquire brown shoes started after imaginary fashion police sirens blared in my consciousness: black shoes never go with brown pants. Since two of our office uniforms prescribe brown pants, I decided to invest on a nice pair.

My brown shoes were with me during several memorable moments. I wore them for the pictorials and during the finals night of a pageant in 2006 where I finished as a runner-up. They were with me when I first gauged my skills in extemporaneous speech first in the city level and later in the regional. They complemented my all-brown ensemble when I was invited to judge a contest. More frequently, as I’ve mentioned previously, I used to wear them twice a week to work and since Monday is brown pants-day, they’re what I’m wearing when I was asked impromptu to lead the national anthem in our company flag ceremony. Once I also lent them to a friend who was in a pageant and I was amused to learn that another friend who’s in the same event preferred to wear it too than the one he brought along hence in one segment of the show they took turns wearing it depending who needs to be onstage.

My first brown shoes served me more than how much I paid for them. They may have been worn out but the fond memories associated with them remain intact.

Stylish Statement "Shearths"

I’m not a pure-blooded environmentalist especially if it means participating in clean-up up drives under the scorching sun. But hey, let me advocate the “save the Earth” cry the fashionista way. I’m impressed how the brilliant minds behind the Design Fusion Collection presented during this year’s Philippine Fashion Week, despite their prominent urban lifestyle had thought of streaking the event with environmentalism. Contrary to the intricate creations anticipated to be on the runway, models did the catwalk wearing simple round neck shirts with printed statements stirring environmental awareness. The colorful skirts/pants drew attention to the candid messages; accessories I guess are intentionally withdrawn from the look to convey that saving Mother Earth needs serious attention yet could be fun. Kudos to the designer/s for a significant campaign and impressive show; Filipino designers are truly creative individuals who’ll go places.

Now, who says that modern fashion is all craziness and that the runway could not be a venue for a worthwhile movement?


To view more of the Design Fusion Collection from the Philippine Fashion Week 2007 , click here