Story of a Prom Dress

Clarissa Rogers-Hamilton shares this story about her prom dress (see above), which turns out to be one of those "feel-good" stories that seem to surround our high school reunion.

She writes: My mother worked and she didn't have time to come shopping with me for the dress. She suggested I go around with some friends and look at dresses. When I saw one I liked she would meet me there and we would decide on buying it or not. Well, I looked and looked and couldn't find any I liked. At the time the net was popular and it was itchy.

I found one that would be OK, then I went to the upscale store and found the dress we finally got. I knew it was too much for my mother to buy; it was $85 and that was a lot then. I don't know what that would translate to in today's dollars, but it was a lot then. We went to the story with the itchy net dress and I tried it on. Then I said I had found one I wanted her to see on me, but I knew it would be too much. I just wanted her to see it.

Well, I put it on and she loved it as much as I did and put it on lay-away. I know she really sacrificed for that dress. A year or two later, my mother was working with a young woman who was raising her younger sister. The co-worker was having a problem in getting money for her younger sister's prom dress. My mother suggested my dress to her.

I don't know if she gave it to her or if she paid a little for it. My mother was the kind to give it away if she knew somebody needed it. Sandy got it for her sister, and she was so happy with it...wore it to the prom and felt like a princess, just like I did that night.