<p>In my high school the homecoming couple had about a foot difference between them.
I didn’t go to my prom because I gave get away from me looks every time a boy looked like he was going to ask me.</p>
<p>My youngest is tall as are several of her girl friends. They often don’t wear heels but that’s because they don’t like them, not because they need to be a certain height.
I would agree that different high schools have different personalities.
At Ds high school for example, kids often altered or made their own clothes, and Ds friends found their prom dresses at Goodwill probably more often than they got them at Nordstroms.
But they also were comfortable going to the senior prom as a group with other kids, and that just " wasn’t done" at my high school.
It’s refreshing to me when high school kids don’t have so many expectations for themselves or their friends cause it indicates they will have an open mind as adults.
However many kids who have a narrow idea of what is acceptable in high school also embrace a wider variety of friends and experiences as they get older as well.
My daughter had several friends who became models. I admired them because they always stood up tall and didn’t try to hide their height.
I understand that sticking out is hard when you are a kid, they just want to blend in.
I always stuck out, not only because I was short & awkward but my red hair made me very noticeable.
It took until I was about 40 yrs old to realize that people actually admired my hair.
My kids, especially my youngest are much better at recognizing what is special about themselves and embracing it.
You can’t change your height, so you might as well own it.
:)</p>
<p>@NewHavenCTmom I’m impressed your daughter is wearing heels! My daughter has never dared to wear anything approaching a heel because she’s afraid she’ll tower above everyone else. </p>
<p>Wasn’t bad for us. Daughter bought a dress for about $80, went to supercuts type place for trim and hair curling very economically, did her own makeup, didn’t have a date, wasn’t stressed about not having a date, went with a large group who went in a couple of economy cars, dinner included in the prom cost of $50, went to home of friend where they all changed into shorts and t shirts and played frisbee. Looked lovely, had a great time, didn’t miss the drama or the stress.</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t go to prom but she did her friend’s hair and make-up. I was worried a little about how that would turn out because D only wears make-up for dance performances and usually wears her hair in a messy bun (with the emphasis on “messy”). I’m happy to say that her friend looked lovely, though! </p>
<p>For hair and makeup - find a local cosmetology/hair salon teaching academy. We were lucky to discover Gene Juarez training school, and both ladies got their elaborate hair dos for $25 or so. Ditto professional makeup session. End of May is graduation time for the academy students, so they already have had plenty of training, and they are typically supervised by a pro. No complaints - hair looked great!</p>
<p>I get comments on my height and I’m only 5’-9"! I have discovered that the women runners I hang out with are almost always a lot shorter than I am. One time I went to an all-women’s event in a big civic center, and I towered over everyone - it was great! I could find people in the crowd easily. All in all, I like being tall. But I realize there’s a difference between 5’-9" and 6’-0"!</p>
<p>My first two serious boyfriends were taller than I was. Then I met DH, who is exactly my height. I have to admit I stopped wearing high heels once we started dating. And it IS nice to dance with someone taller! It can be a little awkward, otherwise.</p>
<p>If you want to imagine an awkward dance pairing…I’m 5’4" and my husband is 6’5". And we both have two left feet. Awkward does not even begin to describe it! </p>
<p>I’m seeing a lot of people stressed-out over dress shopping. As the mother of two sons, I’ve give my eyeteeth to be able to go prom dress shopping. My mom hated to shop and kvetched about how much everything cost and always tried to get me to go with the cheapest option possible (the Gunne Sax dress mentioned upthread was an anomoly.) I always swore I’d do things differently with my daughter, then ended up not having one. That’s probably a good thing …</p>
<p>Well, I’m a shopper and DD is not–she hates it. At prom time I had a great time–bought dresses I loved on super clearance and let her have her choice. We were both very happy and she looked beautiful. </p>
<p>@bestfriendsgirl I’m with you. I have three sons, who I adore of course, but I really would have liked to have a daughter and get frustrated by the countless times moms of daughters tell me how lucky I am that I don’t have to deal with their difficult girls. Boys come with their own set of issues which they all seem to ignore. I will say I would have had a tough time paying for some of the “fashions” I see on the girls around town.</p>
<p>I was not involved that much with my D’s 4 proms - her HS was very small, so everybody was invited. One thing did not like at all was shopping for the dress. But D. has finally figured out that after going thru stores, she would end up buying in the same store. So, eventually, we just start going to this one for her dresses. She needed one for graduation also since the class voted against cap and gown. They looked much better being dressed up, all 33 of them. D. went to free face (I call it painting, but whatever they apply to make them look like movie stars) and hair appointment (I remember going to only one). It definitely was not a major ordeal.</p>
<p>I have tremendous empathy for the OP. I am of average height, but I just had a lot of anxiety as a teen about being too tall or too “big” when going on a date of any type–let alone a prom. I also had reservations about dating anyone “younger” than I was. I have no idea where all these phobias originated, but I suspect I just absorbed what were the general conventions of the time about such matters and drew irrational conclusions based on my own parents, where my dad towered over my mom and was also four years her senior. </p>
<p>It’s easy to tell a young person she shouldn’t care, but it’s quite another to get her to abandon her insecurities on command, especially on an occasion of as much “significance” as the prom. I’m sure it’s also delightful for a very tall girl to be able to wear high heels once in a while and to also feel like she doesn’t literally stand out because she’s towering over her date.</p>
<p>We did the financial calculation and bought our kid a tuxedo, rather than rent it. He’s worn it twice to prom and donned the jacket with black jeans and a dress black shirt to other special, theater-related occasions. He saw some famous young actor do it and determined it was a cool thing to do. The salesperson at Jos. A. Bank (whe S was being fitted for a suit and where he bought the tuxedo) was horrified at the idea, but he acknowledged that “kids today” make their own rules. </p>
<p>We had to buy a new dark suit for his high school graduation since that is the traditional attire for young men to wear, but we’re sure he’ll get many years of wear out of it. The suit we bought for his middle school graduation (which we had altered throughout high school) has been passed down to little brother, who will don it for the first time at a prom he’s attending with a friend next week.</p>
<p>My personal tip: If your sons aren’t terribly tall (under 5’10"), you can get some great deals on good boys’ suits. A size 18 or 20 is the equivalent of a 34 or 36 men’s suit and most have enough length in the trousers that they’re not too short. Same with dress shirts!</p>
<p>My D is a part of the 6 ft club. She will only admit to 5’11½". My dad, a long time girls baskeball coach (so he knew how to eye ball a girls height and how to talk with girls about it) always said she was 5’12". My D went to her Sr. prom 3 years ago. We did not have much money, so she borrowed a cousins dress. </p>
<p>The Jr class parents sponsor a post prom at the high school every year and they put every one that paid their $25 dues on time into a drawing. D happened to win the drawing, so won free flowers, a free mani and pedi, a free tux rental for her date.</p>
<p>A local car dealership donates a used car to the post prom committee to give away. They give it away at 6 am to a senior who is still there. The kids that get there before 12:30 am and have paid their $25 are allowed in. Once they leave they can not reenter. So, the kids still there at 6 am have been up all night, in a safe place and not drinking and driving. They have a hypotist, lots of games, vegas stuff, lots of stuff to keep them interested. H happened to volunteer as a chaperone because there weren’t enough Jr. parents that volunteered. He got home at 6:15 and said that D had won the car!</p>
<p>She had a very good prom for very little money that year. </p>
<p>I have boys so not much drama. Kids here go in friend groups and seem to have a ball. It is expensive, though, and I miss the decorated high school gym for that reason. </p>
<p>Lol, my son is 5’7" on a (very) good day. His dates for junior and senior prom were both taller than him, especially with heels. Everyone survived ;)</p>
<p>Yes, I figured that out in college, when I met the love of my life who was both (gasp!) a few months younger than I and essentially the same height (although his hands were smaller!). He was the smartest, funniest boy I’d ever met and I was completely smitten. (I will confess that I never felt secure enough to wear high heels around him.)</p>
<p>@mom2and - In my experience, boys’ issused tend to be “bigger” - not so much day-to-day drama as things like daredevil behavior and pushing limits. Or, as I’ve heard it said, girls eat their vegetables and color inside the lines; boys eat their crayons and try to color with green beans. I know growing up, I could be hard to get along with, but overall, I tended to follow the rules, observe curfew, etc. My brother was as personable as they come, but he was the one who sneaked out at night, drank, shoplifted, etc. </p>
<p>I hear you, OP…we just went thru with the prom two weeks ago , with my junior daughter. I also have two older daughters that did the whole prom thing from 7-9 yrs ago. This one was just so stressful. The dress part was fine and the other things that went along with it but she went with a boy that she didn’t really want to go with….my husband was out of the country but oldest sister came to visit from Boston to help out ( thank goodness ! ) We had the limo pick up and pictures for her group here and I made food and wine for parents. I don’t care for the way the prom rituals have morphed in recent years. Everything doesn’t have to become a viral you tube video moment. I am glad it’s over !</p>
<p>I feel your pain. Hated prom and my 2 daughters attended 3 junior proms and 3 senior proms between them (each attended a prom as a guest.) First was the angst of who they would go with, next the dreaded dress hunts. Hair never came out just right despite trials and sample pictures. Then there was pre-prom, after prom and limo logistics. Those often resulted in meetings with hysterical parents. All in all very overrated. </p>
<p>The kids just left, all 12 of them (along with their parents). They came to our house (pre prom) to take pictures…lots of them and I was very impressed. There was nothing flashy about anyone. One girl even sewed her own dress (I am jealous by her talent) and it was stunning. Two of the guys wore suits. None are going to the prom in a limo either. I’m very proud of all of them! This is the way it should be…I guess my husband and I did something right! </p>
My daughter has never dared to wear anything approaching a heel because she’s afraid she’ll tower above everyone else. </p>
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