A friend and I made these throughout high school for our sons' homecoming dates. We got together every Sunday afternoon for a month -- surrounded by ribbons, trinkets (whistles, bells, mini teddy bears, etc.), glitter letters spelling out their names (son and his date), feather boas, and anything else we could come up with to put on there! Not only do they wear them to the football game and dance, but they also wear them all day to classes! Don't even ask how much they cost -- we didn't keep track because our husbands would have killed us! :)

Well, since my HS didn't have HC since we were a Magnet school, I won't say NO school in Louisiana did this, but WE didn't. Thank God!

http://imgur.com/iptE2HG

DID I READ THAT RIGHT???

So what states is this done in? Texas, obviously, and Louisiana from AOII Angel's comment. I have never seen these in middle or east Tennessee or in Atlanta when I lived there.

The Florida Panhandle, circa 1999. I have a picture where the mums on my dress are as about as big as my hair. We didn't call them "mums" at the time, but now they do. Little teddy bears, raggedy Anns.

I knew this was about Texas before even clicking the link. I have friends with teenaged girls in the Houston area.

My bf said he's bought 2 for dates, and each was about $50-60. He said he went to Michaels and they put it together for him. You say what school (so they know the colors), and specify anything you want to add. They were pretty similar to the pic on the first page of this thread.

I guess any craft type place in Texas knows what these are and will make them for you.

Of course, people who go crazy with these things can spend a few hundred dollars. The ribbon is cheap, but the added extras can add up if you have enough of them.

And WestcoastWonder.. my bf put small teddy bears on each of the ones that he bought.

Munchkin, I wonder if some of the military from Texas imported this festive idea when they were stationed near your old stomping grounds. I have never heard it done in the Tallahassee area where I grew up or in SW Florida where I now live-or in Jacksonville when I lived there.

I had never heard of these until some former roommates (both from the DFW area) talked about them one day. They seem so odd to me!

Those are the most god awful looking things. What's the point of spending all that money on a beautiful dress only to cover it up with cheap ribbons and trinkets?

At my DFW area HS school, you had one flower for every year of school. I saw some when looking though old college yearbooks from the 50's and they wore smaller versions of mums to HC games. Guess it's a Texas thing.

Never seen anything like this in Ohio. It's ummmmm...it's a bit much for me...

Expect to spend at least $60, even for a homemade one.

No one in my group had a mega one (we called them singles, doubles, and triples), so you can see them all here.

Don't judge how 2007 me looks!

http://i39.tinypic.com/2labygn.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/vfyu54.jpg

Senior wear all white and Junior wear all maroon (school colors). My corsage was probably about 2 feet long. But, we only wear them on the Friday of Homecoming and we wear them to the football game as well.

The most OBNOXIOUS part about them, though, was the cowbells. Yes, cowbells. Also, the high school boosters had a mum/garter repair show set up in the cafeteria all day in case you got stuck on a door handle or something and you rip yours in half (me).

ETA: I went to high school in the DFW (Plano), FWIW.

I hate them. They are a huge distraction in the class. It has become absolutely ridiculous. It's went from something fun to a huge 'show-off' aspect (in my opinion). Some of the girls can barely stand up straight. But, then, I'm just a grumpy old teacher.

I see the mums everywhere, but this thread is the first time I've seen them for males (went to HS in central TX).

IIRC, they were only worn during certain parts of homecoming week (ex. if we had a pep rally after 5th period, they would be worn during 1-5th period, then taken off). I don't remember them being a huge distraction or being worn at odd times.