Democrat invites readers to share prom styles of the past

The year was 1987 and our class couldn’t wait to get out of high school. One way we celebrated was having a prom. Our theme was “As one dream ends, another begins.”

I attended Parkview High School in Springfield. Our class was like the cast of the 1985 movie “The Breakfast Club.” We had our share of jocks and cheerleaders, but we also had brains, rebels and comedians. Some of this was due to the culture.

The hit shows on television promoted the importance of family values like “The Cosby Show,” “Family Ties” and “Growing Pains.” Meanwhile, radio was exploding with conflicting sounds of heavy metal, pop and punk rock.

I was excited to attend prom. Searching for the dress was an adventure in itself. In the 80s, color was in and the bolder, the better. I finally settled on a strapless blue gown that went all the way to the floor.

To really give it some volume, I wore a hoop skirt underneath the dress. I complimented it with a pair of long white gloves. I don’t remember my shoes, because I’m not a big shoe fan to begin with. I was amazed to discover that prom dresses from the 80s are retro now and are popular with younger generations. That makes me laugh a bit, because they were so heavy.

My boyfriend at that time attended a different high school. Lucky for me, his brother was a cosmetologist, so I had someone to help me with my hair. Back then, women teased their hair to make it as big as possible. This was a challenge for people, like myself, who were born with fine, straight hair. I remember as I was walking out to the car, my date’s brother was running after me with more hair spray. I don’t think my hair moved the entire evening.

My date wore a black tuxedo and had a cummerbund that matched my dress. He picked me up in his bright red Trans Am and took me to the dance that was at a hotel on the east side of town.

The room smelled like Polo cologne and well — hair spray. I wore a wrist corsage, which was huge and he sported a boutonniere to match.

The music varied from ballads like “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” by Starship to hit songs like “Walk Like an Egyptian,” by The Bangles and “Mony, Mony” by Billy Idol. However, if Bon Jovi or Prince came over the loud speaker, you’d better watch out for trampling.

While some classmates preferred the pop sounds of Madonna, Duran Duran and Janet Jackson, others rebelled with mullets to match and supported the metal bands like Poison, Whitesnake and Ratt.

As proms go, mine was OK. My date was mad at me within the first five minutes because a male classmate said hello. That’s par for the course though. I had a blast anyway, because I was with my fellow classmates of four years.

As Smith-Cotton prepares for its prom on April 17, The Sedalia Democrat invites readers to submit photos and stories about their prom. Stories may include what was fashionable, the mode of transportation that was taken to get to prom, top songs, popular dances and the preparation it took to get ready for the big event.

Whether the prom was in the 1930s to the 1960s, the 1970s to the 1990s and even the classes of 2000 and beyond, everyone is invited to show the senior class of 2010 what styles used to be hot and what styles were not.

Submissions are due by 5 p.m. April 2. They may be mailed to Latisha Koetting, in care of The Sedalia Democrat, P.O. Box 848, Sedalia, MO 65302 or e-mailed to latisha@sedalia democrat.com.

For more information, call 826-1000, ext. 222.