What Are You Wearing?

I went to see the new Twilight movie last night. Go ahead-start laughing and judging me. Yes, I am 32 years old and yes, I was sitting in a theater filled with crazy teenage girls. However, there were a few men there (can someone say "whipped?") and women older than me.

The reason for attending the movie and not waiting for it to come out on Netflix (like I normally would) is for the bonding time with my neighbor friends who have read the books as well. We had a nice dinner together and then sit at the theater and laugh at all of the freaks.

You know, because we are definitely not included in that group.

Now, I can understand the Twilight t-shirts sporting the "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" side that they are on (even though they know the ending of the books-it is like the bumper stickers that still support Clinton or Bush-it is 2010 people!), but there were some outfits that were worn last night that caused me to question the sanity of my fellow movie goers.

Teenage girls (I really want to belive they were still teens, because if not, this story is even more sad) wearing prom dresses. Not just any prom dress, but very snug, very revealing and very not flattering prom dresses. I am not here to judge body image, but I would have looked better in those dresses and I am looking very pregnant and very bloated. I cannot understand why their parents let them, first of all, spend money on such clothing and then let them wear it in public.

I remember buying a dress for a high school dance one year while shopping with a friend. It was short, had spaghetti straps and probably a bit too fitted. It was clearly a dress that I bought with a peer and not with my mom.

I came home, tried on the dress for my parents and immediately my dad said that I had to return it. What? Did he not understand fashion? Little, revealing dresses were in and it is not my fault that I had inherited long legs.

As I am now older and wiser, I now understand that my dad knew more about fashion than I ever did. What was "cute" to me would have been "eye candy" to the eager boys in my class. Even though I was annoyed with him back then, I am thankful that I had a dad who cared about my image and purity.

So again, where are the parents of these girls at the movies? I get that it is difficult to find clothing that is in style and still conservative, but come on! These girls had beautiful faces, yet everyone's eyes were drawn immediately to their breasts that were hanging out and their stomachs that were just as big. I wanted to go over to them and say, "Wake up! Have some self-respect and express your beauty in other ways!"

Now, as I watch my five-year old daughter dance around the room, I am dreading the teenage years with her. It will be a lovely time of her hating me and my decisions, of her scaring her dad with every date and every dress that she wears on those dates, and of her constantly questioning every rule that we set. Oh, the joy. At least she will know that she is loved and someday she will appreciate it.