In an era when clothes are mass-produced overseas and sewing machines are considered vintage housewares, do people really make their own prom dresses anymore? asked readers to submit photos of their homemade prom dresses, and we received images of cute one-of-a-kind dresses and fun stories to accompany them. “When the dress I wanted to buy for prom sold out of my size, I asked my mom to make one just like it,” Anita Graef of Evanston, Ill., wrote about this year’s dress-hunting adventures. “Unfortunately, our sewing machine broke, and she ended up sewing it by hand in just a couple of days! Fortunately for me, the dress ended up looking miles better than the one I originally wanted to buy!” Some readers shared photos of dresses they made for themselves decades ago. “I attended prom in 1985 at Monticello High School in Illinois,” Tamara Braden wrote. “My boyfriend, at that time, was Jeff and he was a gentleman.  He had tears in his eyes when he saw me in [my] homemade dress. 

I did not worry about wearing the same dress as any other girl, because I knew mine was ‘one of a kind’! Other girls were amazed I could sew such an elegant dress. Owl Curtains For KitchenIt is one of the greatest memories I have of high school.”Running Shoes Wizard Interactive: Your DIY prom dresses (on this page)Satin Sash For Wedding GownOne of the greatest memories of high school. Piper Weiss, author of the new book “My Mom, Style Icon” and creator of a blog by the same name, understands that sentiment. Since she started her blog two years ago, she’s received thousands of photo submissions from people eager to show off how stylish their moms were before kids came along. Some of the most popular submissions to the site are — you guessed it — images of young women wearing homemade prom dresses in the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s.

“Prom is such an important moment in your early womanhood,” said Weiss, 32, who is based in New York. “It’s one of those lifetime moments, when you stood and you posed for a photo, back at a time when photos weren’t taken as often. Most of the dresses in the submissions are handmade, which really kind of blows my mind.” In years past, preparing for the prom was a project. Moms and daughters studied fashion magazines, bought patterns, invested in fabric and spent weeks creating something utterly exclusive. “So much went into it, and it sounds almost ritualistic,” Weiss said. “A lot of these women never designed anything again. But they made a dress that was unique and they defined themselves, which is a really important thing to do when you’re a teenager.” Slideshow: Readers share their prom photos (on this page) Is any of this inspiring you to make your own dress this year? If so, here’s some incentive: Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores holds an annual contest for students between the ages of 14 and 19 who create their own prom outfits.

The grand prize for the Jo-Ann Own Your Look 2011 Prom Contest is a whopping $50,000. (Second prize is $5,000, and third prize is $2,500 — not too shabby, either.) Details about the contest, which ends June 15, can be found by clicking here. Send us your photos of your DIY and one-of-a-kind prom dresses! Weiss offered other ideas for securing a one-of-a-kind look and saving big bucks at the same time:Girls use Facebook to claim dresses Need a Coffey break? To get the latest news, trends and offers straight to your inbox Currently displaying 1-40 of 2184 styles Get the latest fashion tips, best coupons and weekly newsletter.Beth Ditto's 80s-tastic line for British fast-fashion chain Evans hits stores July 9th — just two weeks after the release of The Gossip's new album, Music for Men. The other thing about Ditto's collection? It's only available in sizes 14-32. That's right: Evans is a plus-size store, and for once, if any of the skinny fashion set wants to get its mitts on these somewhat moderately priced goodies, they'll need a good tailor.

(Evans' U.K. 14-32 size range is roughly equivalent to the U.S. sizes 10-24, and Evans does ship to the U.S.) Ditto — avowed lesbian, fat person, talented singer, fashion darling — is controversial, engaging and bracingly unusual. So do her clothes reflect her singular presence?Take a look through the slideshow to see how the collection, which is heavy on the 80s references and sequins, stacks up. This sequined top retails for £65, or around $105. The leggings are £18, or $30. While we're not indisposed towards outfits with a high sparkle count, $105 is too much to pay for a pillow case with paillettes. This dress is £45 (approximately $75). How awesome is that domino print? Ditto herself is rocking the same piece on the homepage of her collection's website. £60, or about $100, will get you this dress. The leggings and the belt are £20 ($35) apiece. I personally love the clashing sequin-laden print on the bodice of the dress, and the structured looking skirt.

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