‘Prom-inently Timeless’ ‘Prom-inently Timeless’

Some fashions come and go … bell bottoms, tie-dyed, platform shoes, the mullet ... but some things, like a string of pearls or a little black dress are classic and timeless.

Such is the case for one prom dress.

It was 32 years ago tonight that Sabrina Lake first zipped up her black beaded dress. She never imagined decades later it would still be going to prom. Yet, last week the dress made another appearance.

Lake’s mother saw the dress in the window of a shop in Union County. She wanted Lake to try it on and if it fit she would buy it for her.

“She loved it because it was different than any she had seen. She said if it fit and I liked it she would buy it for me,” Lake said. “And, of course, I loved it.”

The $400 beaded black dress has been to seven proms and was there when the Miss Ohio County crown was passed down to the next beauty queen in 2015.

Playfully calling it “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress,” a nod to the movie “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants,” the dress began its journey the following year in 1994 when her cousins wore it to their proms. Christi Stewart wore it to McCreary County’s prom and Crystal Geary Goodfriend wore it to her prom here in Ohio County.

“When Sabrina got the dress for our senior prom, I thought it was beautiful. The hand-sewn beading, the gold, red and blue details that were added to the top and the beads on the sleeves just set it apart,” Goodfriend said as to why she wanted to wear the dress.

The dress was hung back into the closet for another decade before it would move on to the next generation. In 2014, Lake’s daughter, Justice Daugherty Stevens, decided she wanted to wear it to the prom she was going to with a friend the year after her senior year.

“I liked the idea of wearing something that my mom wore when she was my age – plus it was free,” Stevens said. “It was comfortable. More comfortable than the one I wore the year before and even though it was 20 years old at the time, it was still in style.”

The following year, Lake’s other daughter, Sydnee Gledhill, wore it when she handed down her Miss Ohio County Crown.

In 2016, Carley Everly Burgess, Goodfriend’s daughter, wore it to Ohio County’s prom.

“I thought it was a cool opportunity. Not many people can say they’ve worn the same prom dress as their mom and other family members,” Burgess said. “This dress stood out enough for people to realize it was special, but not enough to know it was a 20-year-old dress (at the time).”

Burgess’ friend Keely Addington Phelps wore the dress two years later. She said she wanted to wear it because not only was it beautiful and classy, but in great shape.

“I wanted to be part of the ‘Sisterhood of the Traveling Dress,’ and wear this iconic dress,” Phelps said.

The dress was put away again for seven more years until Lake got a call this year asking about the dress. Kamryn Marcinkevich, a family member of Gledhill’s husband, wore it to prom this year.

“Of course, I said she could wear it,” Lake said. “I loved that it was going to keep going.”

“Its vintage vibe and unique look really appealed to me,” Marcinkevich said. “This dress was more elegant than the ones I had already tried.”

Some people might see the dress as just that … a dress, but for those who have worn it, it represents more.

“It is sentimental. It will forever be the traveling dress,” Goodfriend said.

Lake believes the dress is still relevant today because it is “timeless.”

The dress remains in “amazing condition” despite its age. The beads that once hung off the sleeves have been removed and the shoulder pads taken out; those are the only changes that have been made over the years.