Posted on 03/26/2006 3:39:31 AM PST by Liz
GLAM GAL: "You only do prom once, and I've been planning this for over a year," says Brooklyn 17-year-old Jenna Cossuto. Photo: Graham Morrison
Jenna Cossuto spent $2,400 on her custom-made dress. She'll rent a 22-seat stretch Hummer to transport her closest friends to privately booked Gotham Hall. And then it's off to the swanky South Street Seaport at Bridgewater and afterward, a party in Crobar's VIP section before a long weekend in a Hamptons beach house.
But this once-in-a-lifetime weekend isn't for Cossuto's wedding. It's for this 17-year-old's senior prom.
She's part of a growing generation of teens who think of prom as the end all, be all of their young lives. "Teens think of prom as their Oscar night. They want to look and feel like celebrities," says Gina Kelly, fashion director at Seventeen magazine.
According to a Seventeen prom survey, girls spend an average of $833 for dress, shoes and accessories......(and) shell out $135 on beauty products, $105 at the salon and $206 for tickets and limos.
"I'm not sure exactly how much I'll spend, but probably thousands and thousands," said Cossuto. If she gets all she wants, the total will exceed $10,000. "My parents are just happy that I saved up myself for the dress, and they'll obviously help me pay for everything else I need."
Beyond the designer Jovani dress, which includes multi-carat Chopard diamonds, Cossuto got $550 Gucci shoes, a matching handbag, tanning sessions, eyebrow shaping and professional hair and makeup for the big day, June 7.
The only thing she hasn't nailed down? A date. "I don't care about that as much," said the teen, who will go to college at Florida International University in Miami. "I'll have one, but I don't want to make the wrong decision."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
ping
Whew, glad I skipped the prom both as a junior and a senior. Damn materialistic society.
Good point. That reminds me of seeing that crap MTV show "Cribs" where they showcase some performer idiot's house. The dumbasses have Ferraris parked in the driveway and freakin' Beanie Weanie stocked in the fridge next to the champagne.
Realistic cost of prom: $500
$9,500 after 30 years invested (assume 10% yearly gain): $165,769.32
If I ever have kids, I am going to teach them about investing and compound interest the day they hit age 10.
I wore a formal dress that belonged to my grandmother to the prom. My date wore his Army uniform (which was a bit of a shocker in the 70s, but he was 6'6" and nobody said a word.) We went to the prom in a 1962 Studebaker convertible. My parents did pay for me to have my hair done.
We got married 4 years later. Still married 29 years later. I still have the dress, in case my daughter wants to wear it to the prom (I don't think so - it's sadly out of fashion now.)
Is there not something in the Bible that mentions people becoming more haughty and self-absorbed the closer we get to the end times?
Sorry you couldnt find a date.
If you consider a prom a waste of time then you must consider every dance or social entertainment a waste of time.
Because that all a prom is , its a social occasion that should be meant to have fun at. You meet with friends for enjoyment , Not all of us meet people we eish to date a the supermarket frozen food section.
True: some people have to ask their cousin to go with them, but thats not all bad.I am sure you must have had a cousin that would have gone with you LOL.
To each her own..
you may be surprised to find your daughter will want to wear your dress .. retro is very in.
wonderful story, btw
Couldn't find a date?
Disgusting.
And sadly, -- how many are going to play "Can you top this?"
Heh...you and I are from the same cut. We drove a POS early model Nissan Sentra (manual) for a couple years. Then we "stepped up" to a Chevy Corsica LOL!
His name wouldn't be Sir Launcelot, would it? ;)
Prom WAS a waste of time, even if it was mildly amusing while it lasted. Most of the people at my prom were so drunk that they probably don't remember much, anyway. What is prom? A piece of spongy chicken with white sauce and vegetables, a crowded dance floor full of drunk people, and for the worldly a chance to get laid? All the fun parts of "prom" are the extra things that people tack-on, not the actual school prom things.
Before you ask, yes, I could "get a date." I was asked by three guys to the prom, and I turned them all down. They were fine, but they were into me and I wasn't into them and didn't feel like pretending for a night while they wasted money on something I wouldn't enjoy anyway. I ended up going anyway, with friends, at the last minute. I only went because my friends REALLY wanted to go, and you have to buy tickets in pairs, and there would have been an odd number in the group if I didn't go, and they begged me to go. I went to the store two days before prom and picked out any old dress that was cheap, and I looked fine. I am glad I went because it made my friends happy, but that is all. Apart from doing a favor for a friend, it was a waste of my time and money.
I don't consider all social occassions a waste of time...just most of the formal ones. All the pomp is completely lost on me. I would have had a better time going on a small road trip or something...which we did, shortly after prom, and had a fantastic time, sans disgusting catered prom-food.
Some people like that kind of stuff, and some people don't. There's no need to imply that everyone who doesn't agree with you is just sour grapes.
The girl in this article is probably going to have a dissappointing time, since she seems to have built it up so much in her head. I think she is also the sort to have put Diamonique in her dress but is telling everyone it's a fancy brand of diamond.
(To be fair, I didn't read every single post.
JEALOUS MUCH???
LoveDoc
Ps Newsflash: This is how 80% of the girls are these days. In church/out of church. It almost doesn't matter.
In fact, you could do a lot worse. She's a cute girl that's not a druggie.
A very cute girl (at least in that megawatt prom dress.)
You want your kids to have fun, don't you?
Good Lord, what a boastful, self-absorbed twit.
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