Gone With the Wind – PROM 2010

Sitting on the patio at Bricktops, enjoying cocktails with Nashville’s Girl Friday, Ashley Kemp, I spy a group of teenaged girls dressed for the Prom sashaying down West End.  What struck me was the sashay, they were literally wearing hoop skirts!

Having only heard lore of that long lost fashion trend, I jumped up and accosted them on the sidewalk.  They modeled and showed me the complex construction of their gowns.  I insisted on taking their picture.  I couldn’t believe it, Gone With the Wind was finally back!!

As a girl growing up who would act out scenes of Scarlet O’Hara in her living room – insisting on the immediate audience of anyone who walked in the door – I felt pangs of blatant jealousy that hoop skirts hadn’t come back into fashion 15 years ago at my prom…or that I hadn’t thought of it myself and done it anyway.

But one of these girls, Abby Kimble, not only seized her Scarlet O’Hara moment, she made darn sure that even if all the girls were wearing hoop skirts, no one else would be wearing one exactly like hers.

How did she do it?  Times have changed since my day on the gymnasium dance floor…

Olivia Sarratt McCarthy

PROM 2010

By Abby Kimble

This is it!  The Prom I’ve been waiting for since the beginning of freshman year!

There’s so much to plan: the perfect hairstyle, the perfect date, and of course, the perfect dress.

I’ve had this idea in my head for years of my ideal prom dress and I was going to settle for nothing less.  I wanted a light purple strapless dress with a dropped waist and was big and poofy at the bottom.  The only problem with being this picky was that I couldn’t find it in any of the stores I went to.  So, out of desperation, to find this dream dress, I turned to eBay.

After typing in every key word I could think of, and eliminating all the rejects, I finally came across THE dress.  It had everything I wanted…for a reasonable price.  Another plus: it was from a city in China, so I knew no one else would be wearing it!!

The dress arrived a few weeks later, alterations were made, and I was ready for Prom!

The night arrived faster than expected, and before I knew it, I was walking through the doors of the Renaissance Hotel.  Everything and everyone were so extravagant!

There were dresses in every style you could think of: short dresses with sequins at the top and big flowers, long dresses with trains that dragged the floor like movie stars, huge ball gown dresses that made the girls wearing them look like princesses, animal print dresses, and dresses with ruffles down the skirt and an elegant slit up to the lower thigh.

But of course, you can’t forget the guys!  There were assortments of different tuxes that made every guy there look like a million bucks.  There were some with bow ties, some with patterned ties and vests, some with long tail flaps like piano players, some with shiny shoes, some with white jackets, and some that made their outfits their own by adding a pocket square or their favorite pair of shades.

You only get a couple of Proms in your life, so wear what makes you feel like the most amazing person that walked in the door.  And if you don’t have a date, go with a group of friends and strut around like you were the catch that couldn’t be caught!  Most importantly, have a blast at your prom!

Abby Kimble

Station Camp High School

Class of 2011