Okay so last month my sister texts me saying her kid needs this “1980 prom queen” costume for some school thing. And I’m like, right, how hard could that be? Famous last words, huh?
The Thrift Store Disaster
First stop: hitting up thrift stores. Thought I could find some cheesy old bridesmaid dress or something sparkly. Hah! Nothing looked right. Everything was either way too modern or just plain ugly grandma. Wasted a whole Saturday morning digging through dusty racks. Came home empty-handed.
Pink Glitter Nightmares
Decided I had to make it. Big mistake. Found this pattern online calling for “satin with metallic sheen” and “yards of tulle.” Sounded easy enough. Grabbed this bright pink satin and the poofiest white tulle I could find. And glitter. So much glitter. That stuff gets everywhere. I was finding pink specks on the cat for days.
The pattern said “intermediate” and I definitely ain’t that. Steps I struggled with:
- Those stupid puffed sleeves: Had to gather the satin top part and attach it to the tulle underneath. Felt like wrestling a greased piglet. Ended up kinda lopsided.
- Elastic waistband battle: Tried to make a casing. Elastic twisted, got sewn in wrong, ripped it out twice. Nearly threw the whole thing out the window.
- Glitter Bomb: Thought spraying glitter glue on the bodice top would look festive. Looked more like fuzzy mold under bad lighting.
Late Night Frankenstein Session
Two nights before it was needed, it looked like a craft project gone wrong. Flat, limp, sad. Desperate measures. Found this old, thick wire in the garage. Basically wired it around the hem of the tulle underskirt to make it stand out like a giant cupcake liner. Stuck a cheap plastic rhinestone tiara on top. Added big, ridiculous cheap pearl earrings clipped onto the shoulder straps. Looked totally over-the-top and ridiculous. Perfect.
The Final Result (aka Miracle)
Put that thing on my niece. Between the wired tulle sticking out sideways, the lopsided glittery puffy sleeves, and that tiara? Instant 1980s prom queen horror. Kid loved it. Teachers thought it was hilarious. It was lumpy, messy, and sparkled like a disco ball threw up.
Honestly? Doing this made me realize prom dresses back then must have been torture to wear. And make. And look at. Never doing wired tulle skirts again, ever. Next project better involve sweatpants.
