In my suburban town, the unwritten dress code for girls attending prom is straightforward: juniors wear long gowns and seniors wear cocktail dresses. Over the years, as four sons attended, and I went to various houses to take photos, I never witnessed anyone who got creative with this rule. Except for Clare.

Clare wore a vintage sari to prom. 

Look at her. Was she not most fair and lovely? And so open to the world. 

Clare is now a junior at the University of Minnesota. She is majoring in education, and this semester, she is student teaching at a high school for pregnant and parenting students. She called me yesterday to ask if I would help her finance a prom dress for one of her students.

"Bien-sûr!" I said. "Can I blog about you? It'll give me an excuse to post a photo of you in that sari."

Clare laughed. "I loved wearing that sari!"

Clare said that her young students inspire her so much, she decided that the lack of a dress should not stop them from attending their prom. "They don't think they want to go. Until we talk specifics about dresses. And then they tell me exactly what kind of prom dress they want." 

For those who still hold out, Clare told me she has a strong argument that goes like this: 

First, I say, "Tickets are $17. So even if it's the worst night of your life, it's worth it for that kind of money. You could spend $17 at Culver's and it would be less fun."

Plus, what about when your son or daughter ask you about your prom experience and you have nothing to tell them?

I know what Clare can tell her kids someday. That back in 2013, she wore a sari to Prom and it made her feel beautiful.  

What do you tell your kids about prom? I tell mine that our tradition was to wear white, which according to this photo, I was grumpy about. 

If you would like to participate in Clare's project, you can enter to win a chance at the vintage 1950s lucite evening clutch below. $10 gets your name in the hat. The winning name will be drawn on Thursday, May 4. All proceeds will go towards purchasing a dress for an expectant or parenting student at Agape High School in St. Paul, Minneapolis. Click here or on the image to enter. Thank you so much!

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