Cringe Factor

All it takes is a glance back over old prom photos to feel the cringe of having succumbed to the trends of the era. Having attended my own prom on the cusp of the millennium, I regret the late nineties minimalism and the parade of simple columns that my friends and I donned.

I wish I had opted for something a bit more interesting. Those who went to their proms in the 1980s have their own set of horrific memories. Bridal fashion is much the same. It has its trends and its classics. Many a bride has looked back on her wedding pictures with “What was I thinking?” eyes.

And yet, trends persist. While high fashion pushes forward, abandoning leggings and off-the-shoulder tops in favor of early ’90s nostalgia, bridal fashion remains firmly in the ’80s–albeit, a few seasons too late. Sheer puffed sleeves, tiered skirts and huge, deeply hued shoulder and waist corsages stride down runways for Fall 2008. While I am entertained by the shows, and the dresses truly are beautiful, I wonder what these designers were thinking. Did they learn nothing from their old photo albums? A wedding is a much bigger deal than a prom. What bride wants to look back on her wedding with disgust, thinking, “Oh, my dress was SO 2008!

“But as I took in the whimsy of these creative gowns, I began to see the appeal. While most women would like their wedding photos to be timeless–as beautiful to their children and grandchildren as they were the day they were taken–there is something else at stake. There is a reason we chuckle at our ridiculous old prom dresses, rather than purely wince. They were a sign of our times, a sign of a period in our lives. While timeless wedding photos are indeed archetypal, timely wedding photos are without a doubt telling. I think it’s rather charming to look back on my prom dress as “So 2000,” because it WAS the spring of 2000.

My style was, undeniably, that of the late ’90s–just the era that signifies my high school experience. More and more, when I think about my future wedding gown, I feel I would like to embrace current trends (in a modest way, of course). After all, the stage of my life when I get married will be special, and there’s nothing wrong with remembering it for what it was.

Carla Gonzalez-Hart

(photo credit: foundphotoslj)

April 8th, 2009 by admin | Posted in Wedding Planning | (0)