UK into USAuk

[Poglet]

Are we becoming American or what? I currently have my mummy staying with me which is a lovely treat. The main reason for this visit tho is to help me save money as my daughter has her school prom coming up. So this post is in 2 parts really.

1. UK into USAuk. We appear to be adopting all their traditions. e.g. my little girl was 16 this year and hey ho, its Mum, party, limo, special presents. Why I ask? Cos its my sweet sixteenth and its special (derr, did i miss something?) She got a cake, a little heart necklace from Tiffanys and I made her a cd of loads of songs with sixteen in the title or words! Now the whole prom thing which leads to my second point.

2. Prom dresses - price of, to hire or buy. ITS RIDICULOUS, extortion, thats what it is. This shop near us wanted 90 quid for my daughter to hire a dress for one night, 25 quid for slight alterations (and it still wouldnt have fitted her perfectly) and it was a bit grubby and sequins were coming off it.... oh but I could buy it for a mere 140. IT WAS USED!!!!! My mum is now making her dream dress and its cost me 30 quid for material, lining, boning stuff, thread etc.

How can these hire shop people sleep at night, they are young girls and how do you tell them they can't have what all their friends have got and will have on that special night (thanks to the good ol USA).

Very long post but i feel v strongly about both subjects..... Poglet :) x

[Dan Glebitts]

my gfriend goes to another school and is going to a school prom soon. she boght a dress( beautiful) but i dont know who she will dance with. My school has no prom strangely and i find this annoying. We seem to be strangely americanising (is there such a word). Oh well....

end of rant ( i dont know what the point of all that was, but,hey, let off some steam) ;o)

[Poglet]

yo dan, hope that was the same gorge young lady you were out with today.....

shouldn't worry about your girlfriend tho, its all about the build up, getting ready, arriving with all your mates and then the screaming adoring fans when you arrive that matters, the prom itself is usually just a dull eveing with your mates from school. Can't believe you aint getting one tho! Perhpas you and your mates could go get bladdered.......

[I-say]

Yup, the whole American thing gets on my wick too Poglet.

[Poglet]

p.s. i have nothing against the USA or its inhabitants before I have anti USA answers, I just don't like the way we are taking their traditions as our own....

[Dan Glebitts]

i would be lying if i said what you said was not true. did that make sense?

ive had alot to drink, please forgive me.

;op

[Poglet]

dan, if you are due for a prom, you are too young to be drinking young man!!!!!! no, it didnt make sense by the way...

[sense4all]

I send my Son to an American International School so I am still 'brasic' from buying his Tux. but as it was my choice for him to go there I cannot complain! I bought one 'cos he went to a footie formal dinner so it was cheaper to buy one outright than hire a scabby one on two different occasions. I have to say he looks ab.fab. in it!

I sympathise as I have a daughter who has had a Ball every year for the last three years, She takes her Daddy to the shops because he is NOT ' a tight wad' like my good self, but she is so good I don't mind at all really!!!!!Unable to tell her this as it would ofcourse shatter her illusions of teenage rebellion. Anychance of borrowing your Mother after she has finished round at yours ?lol.

You don't say where you live, I live to the West of London and with some judicious shopping at Bicester Village, ( after Xmas posh frocks are very affordable) also there are charity shops in areas of London, where you can get a dress that has been worn for a couple of hours by people who would seriously never wear something twice, for a song!

What did you think of some of the frocks avaliable for hire, I thought it was a vomit fest. at one local shop! My Lord, do they understand these are young girls not middle aged women?

[Poglet]

sense4all - understand completely re. teenage rebellion. I adore my daughter and am sooooo proud of the young lady she has grown into but god forbid if she ever knew that. she pretty much has me and her step dad wrapped round her little finger already being the baby!!!!

as you say, the choice of dress was dire, and all far too big.... some of us are fortunate enough to be just under 5 ft and of slight build! she's a size 6-8. the colours were all wishy washy too, black, pink, red, white and peach..... seriously thinking of going into this business myself (got 2 dresses now as she entered a pageant last year ((and won! proud mummy)) and refuses to wear that dress again). i live near Colchester Zoo by the by so not too far from chelmsford etc.

[Dan Glebitts]

;o) sorry!

[sense4all]

Monsoon in Bicester ( along the A 40 ) there is an outlet mall. Loads of size eights usually after Xmas. Here is a web site of that, and other outlets - might be worth a look during sale season. Click on link for info

http://www.outletvillages.com/

Does your Mum know she could be knocking up stock for your shop yet? LOL !

[Poglet]

thanx for link sense4all. have just noticed time! but me and mum watching my daughters dvd when she was in a fasion show earlier in year, she dances and catwalks. she is soooo good but have to act cool about it or the credit card would take a pasting.... mum might have to move nearer to me i think and we can go in business....

[funkymoped]

been there seen it done it got the tee shirt wrote the book watched the movie, paid for the lot !!!!

even the lads go in for this stuff these days.

last may, my son left school. he and 15 others put �50 each to hire a HUMMER limo. for that price they could have the car all day and NOT drive around too much, or make the most of it and go into brum. their allowance was ONE HOUR OF DRIVING TIME for �800 !!!!

[Poglet]

omg funkymoped, dont start me on that one too. yep, shes having the hummer too! 14 of them, all live within 5 mile radius of each other and at most 8 miles from school and prom but only 4 pick up points allowed (so huge row, whose house etc) and 49 quid each for hour tops... can i borrow your t-shirt bud?

[funkymoped]

tee shirts on its way POGLET.

my daughter left school 3 year ago and cost us a SMALL fortune. my son last year.

even though it is expensive, i dont regreat a penny to be honest. (sorry ! :-)

they are only young once, live it to the max....

[Lore]

I'm going to have to start saving now!

My daughter has her prom next year, we popped into Monsoon a few weeks ago to have a browse - so far �400 was the best dress there!!

Hang on, I need to check that again...... Yep, FOUR HUNDRED POUND!

I think I'm going to have to dig out the sewing machine!!

[scoobydooby]

Stop blaming the Americans for our prices! If our shops charged the same price as Americans did for dresses, accessories etc. the Prom wouldn't be such an expensive event. I've just purchased my daughter's Prom dress from America (went over there on holiday) for �150. That may sound a huge amount of money for a dress but it's out of this world, loads of material, beading, netting etc. and I'd only be able to get something like that over here in a Bridal shop (for at least double).

It's the greed of the British who make this event so expensive and I'm sure there's loads of thirty something women out there who watched American films, when they were at school, wishing they could have a Prom!

Americans bring it on - that's what I say.

[metagirl]

'are we becoming American or what?'

hilarious, you sure do sound like one! lol

[jamesy boy]

What are you on about, I wasn't aware we had proms over here.

[SarCaustic]

My High School didn't have a prom, we had a Valedictory Dinner (so much more sophisticated). All the guys were dressed in suits, all the girls in evening gowns and we had a wonderful three course meal, followed by speeches, then a disco. It was the best night ever!

[frankief]

We have imported so much USA culture without thinking of it, some good movies and music, some bad food and drink and greedy values. The worst by far is the gangster rap culture which is being sold to our kids.