Random Questions

[alixtii]

The kind of store one goes to buy prom dresses--what would one call it? I have it as "fancy dress store" in my first draaft, but I'm afraid that would confuse British people.

Also, the metal thing one hangs one clothes on after leaving a fitting room if one doesn't want them--anyone have a name for that?

Comments

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Hee. See the comments above for what I was really thinking of. Perhaps "fitting room" is itself an Americanism?

[http://users.livejournal.com/peasant_/]

We would say 'changing room' but 'fitting room' is perfectly understandable. You are right though that 'fancy dress shop' immediately creates an image of Halloween costumes.

I think the rack is a 'reject rail/rack' or 'returns rail/rack' if it has a name at all.

Do most people actually buy their prom dress? Isn't hiring one more usual? In which case 'dress-hire shop' might do.

[alixtii.livejournal.com]

Guys usually rent their tuxedos for prom, but girls buy their dresses. (Prom costs a lot more for girls than guys.) Boys buy their suits for prom-like dances which aren't prom though.

Although nnow that I think of it I'm not sure that lower-class schools have prom-like dances other than prom. A homecoming dance, maybe. Whereas my school, in addition to homecoming and maybe a couple pan-school dances, also had a dance for each class, with the dress code becoming increasily more formal. (Although the levels of formality demonstrated by women's clothes is something I do not claim to understand.)