Graduation Dresses?

[Island_Oak]

We just returned from attending a relative’s graduation from a Catholic H.S. in the midwest. I have to admit I was somewhat shocked by the revealing dresses the young ladies were in after the commencement gowns came off. Many looked like they were ready for a night on the Vegas strip, not attending their Catholic high school graduation. Any thoughts? Are appropriate dresses that hard to find? I myself had no trouble finding a linen shealth for the occasion. Most of these “girls” fit into women’s clothes…what gives?

 

[Celia]

You should have seen what they wore to dances at my Catholic high school. Yikes. There was rules, but no one really followed them. Maybe that’s how it was at your nieces graduation. Plus, they wouldn’t have gotten in trouble anyway, they were graduating…and, a lot of juniors dresses they’re making now are pretty immodest.

 

[Fashina86]

They really are that hard to find. I make my own so that I don’t look like somebody in vegas… or I modify those that I buy. Mom would kill me before she would let me be immodest. It was these types of dresses that forced my grammer school, to require robes (grad gowns) for 8th grade graduation!

 

[mercygate]

They really are that hard to find. I make my own so that I don’t look like somebody in vegas… or I modify those that I buy. Mom would kill me before she would let me be immodest. It was these types of dresses that forced my grammer school, to require robes (grad gowns) for 8th grade graduation!

**I hear you Fash! **And good for YOU! Eight years ago we had the girls’ white graduation dresses custom made at my daughter’s grammar school because there was NOTHING out there on the racks [at her school all the girls wear the same style]. Then for high school – another white-dress-and-white-gloves affair – we didn’t even TRY to shop. Just went straight to the dressmaker and ended up spending $100 less than most of the stuff off the rack . . .

 

[misericordie]

Celia:

You should have seen what they wore to dances at my Catholic high school. Yikes. There was rules, but no one really followed them. Maybe that’s how it was at your nieces graduation. Plus, they wouldn’t have gotten in trouble anyway, they were graduating…and, a lot of juniors dresses they’re making now are pretty immodest.

Just in case many did not know, these so called “catholic” schools are no longer catholic. What’s worse is that MANY bishops and Carinals who run CERTAIN Archdioceses and diocese NO LONGER CARE!!!

 

[chevalier]

I can’t recall a single Vegas strip style graduation dress in my secular school and it wasn’t so long ago (3 years, actually). Then again, I probably live some 5000 miles away from you.

The dresses may look revealing and indecent to people who wouldn’t wear such clothes, but for those who do, they may appear to be a part of the normal clothing routine. Perhaps the girls who wear them don’t even realise they look slutty and maybe the boys who look on them don’t react to the dresses the way someone more sensitive could.

Playing adult probably has more to do with it than seduction or arousal. Next, those girls likely think that body is their most valuable asset. Part of the credit goes to guys who aran’t always mature enough to notice anything else in a young lady.

Next, everyone needs someone. The message that today’s culture sends to young women is that they need to grin and bare it or they won’t find a mate. A devout Catholic will think “God will provide”, a bitter and cynical one will think she’s better off without a mate than with one like that, a loner won’t mind, a shy one will fear the attention. But most will respond to the message and get along with what seems to be required of them.

On one hand, men complain incessantly about slutty women. On the other hand, they rarely see anything wrong with omnipresent hostesses, cheerleaders, sexy assistants and arousing advertisements. Put an end to that stuff and ladies will be ladies again and gentlemen will be gentlemen.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

I agree that they are hard to find.

Last year I went shopping with my daughter for her eighth grade “promotion” dress. We spent an entire afternoon/evening and hit practically every decent store in the mall, and there were very few selections that either she or I felt to be acceptably modest, other than ones that were just stupid or totally wrong size. Most of them were banned outright by their teachers’ guidelines, such as those with backs cut clear down to the plumber zone.

We finally did find a nice dress, and it turned out to be on sale and not as expensive as what we were prepared to spend.

Alan

 

[chevalier]

Well, Alan, perhaps you should adopt a couple of additional girls to make the world a better place?

 

[sconea]

We have that problem with the dresses in my area too…Except! for the schools where they use graduation cap and gowns, either rented or disposable.

I’ve experienced both and can tell you…forget the dresses and put them all in a cap and gown. It saves not only the $$ but keeps the ceremony simple and beautiful…and keeps the kids humble and the parents sane…

God bless.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

chevalier:

Well, Alan, perhaps you should adopt a couple of additional girls to make the world a better place?

Are you kidding? You think I can handle finding three non-sleazy dresses in the same mall? Maybe as long as their ages are different enough we can hope for some turnover.

Strange thing I ended up shopping with her instead of her mother. Her mother somehow thought it was my job to take her shopping. It was a chore because I had been experiencing a very deep depression for the previous couple months, and clothes shopping was the last thing I wanted to do. Instead of agreeing with me, my wife practically insisted. It turned out wonderful. I actually smiled for the first time in weeks, stopped and listened to the piano player in one rather “upscale” store Von Maur’s, and in general thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Afterwards, my wife said I should take her to “Fat Freddie’s,” a place she had been but I never had, and we split some chili cheese fries. It was a great time, and we got soaked in the rain after Freddie’s on the way back to the car! That evening gave me hope the eventually helped me get out of the depression.

Alan

 

[ND79]

misericordie:

Just in case many did not know, these so called “catholic” schools are no longer catholic. What’s worse is that MANY bishops and Carinals who run CERTAIN Archdioceses and diocese NO LONGER CARE!!!

You are right that we need to be vigilant about what our Catholic schools are teaching, but I am seeing a return to our Catholic traditions.
Our school has actually had 2 sisters (in habit) join our faculty as well as the return of May Crowning and reciting the rosary in class.
We need to continue to pray. Wonderful things are happening in our schools! God needs us to make it happen!

 

[misericordie]

ND79:

You are right that we need to be vigilant about what our Catholic schools are teaching, but I am seeing a return to our Catholic traditions.
Our school has actually had 2 sisters (in habit) join our faculty as well as the return of May Crowning and reciting the rosary in class.
We need to continue to pray. Wonderful things are happening in our schools! God needs us to make it happen!

I KNOW this cannot be the catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York you are talking about here? After all, I MEAN CATHOLIC in the true sense of the word.

 

[chevalier]

AlanFromWichita:

Strange thing I ended up shopping with her instead of her mother. Her mother somehow thought it was my job to take her shopping…]

Perhaps you were better for that job because you knew all too well where guys looked and how they did.

 

[Cadence]

AlanFromWichita:

Are you kidding? You think I can handle finding three non-sleazy dresses in the same mall? Maybe as long as their ages are different enough we can hope for some turnover.

Strange thing I ended up shopping with her instead of her mother. Her mother somehow thought it was my job to take her shopping. It was a chore because I had been experiencing a very deep depression for the previous couple months, and clothes shopping was the last thing I wanted to do. Instead of agreeing with me, my wife practically insisted. It turned out wonderful. I actually smiled for the first time in weeks, stopped and listened to the piano player in one rather “upscale” store Von Maur’s, and in general thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Afterwards, my wife said I should take her to “Fat Freddie’s,” a place she had been but I never had, and we split some chili cheese fries. It was a great time, and we got soaked in the rain after Freddie’s on the way back to the car! That evening gave me hope the eventually helped me get out of the depression.

Alan

Alan

I always loved it when my dad took me clothes shopping. Sure, I go with my mum more often but the times my dad took me were really special. Dad took me to find a dress for my 8th grade class dinner. He also took me shopping for a nice coat when he took e to London a couple of summers ago. He actually has quite good taste and can give me a man’s point of view. I’m sure your daughter got just as much out of the experience. I wish more dads would do this sort of thing even though it is outside thier comfort zone.

 

[ND79]

misericordie:

I KNOW this cannot be the catholic schools in the Archdiocese of New York you are talking about here? After all, I MEAN CATHOLIC in the true sense of the word.

Don’t underestimate the power of prayer to improve the situation in New York. Two years ago, I was praying so hard to save a small traditional Catholic school that my son was attending, but it was not to be. The alternative was to put him into the large, local, liberal Catholic school in our city. After lots of tears, we decided to put him into this school to give it a chance. This is the school that God gifted with the 2 new religious faculty, and a return to the rosary and our Holy Mother. We couldn’t be happier. God always answers our prayers, just not always the way that we expect!

We also need to be involved and to speak up. Sometimes, I think that the clergy is so beaten down that they have just given up. We need to give them our support and prayers.