Wardrobe Catastrophes

By Nicole Weber

Cinderella is dressed up in her blue satin, empire waist dress that her fairy godmother casted together for the royal ball. Just before the clock strikes midnight Cinderella rushes to leave, trips and kicked off one of her glass slippers.

The night was ruined, Cinderella left scarred of embarrassment from tripping on the stairs.

Why did the night have to come to this? What could the poor girl do? How did Cinderella get over such an embarrassing wardrobe catastrophe? For those who aren’t destined princesses, getting over embarrassing wardrobe mishaps can seem impossible to get over.

Similarly to Cinderella, Plattsburgh State student Sarah Gosselin tripped as well, only in dressed down snow boots. Gosselin tells of the time where she tripped up the stairs in oversized winter boots when there were a group of guys standing down the stairs.

“My toe of the boot caught on the edge of the stairs,” Gosselin recounts on the experience. “I turned around and they [the group of boys] were all looking at me,” said Gosselin. “I grabbed my books and ran up the stairs,” said Gosselin.

There are usually two types of wardrobe malfunctions, or wardrobe catastrophes, those you can control and those you cannot. Gosselin’s occasion was unfortunately one, which she could’ve prevented. If she had worn the proper sized shoe, and maybe had paid more careful attention with the stairs she may not have tripped.

On the other hand, Plattsburgh State student Ashlee Strozinsky had an experience where the works of refreshing entertainment took hold of her garments. Water parks, yes, the excitement and pleasure of the summer. Only, when the elements take hold of your clothing, fun it’s the first thing coming to mind.

“I went to Great Escape, on the Typhoon Lagoon, the back strings of my bikini came undone,” said Strozinsky.

With facing the embarrassment of the wardrobe catastrophes it may seem hard at first, but as time passes it will seem insignificant.

As with Strozinsky she got over the water park mishap the simple way –avoidance. “Let’s just say I won’t go to water parks or pools for awhile,” said Strozinsky.

With Gosselin, not too differently than Strozinsky, she is making sure to not repeat the little tripping episode. Which is another tip: don’t wear the same piece of clothing again, and if you do be careful.

“I still wear them [the oversized winter boots that are now almost the right size], but not to go up stairs in,” said Gosselin.

After learning your lesson or coming up with a plan/way of avoiding a repeated occurrence laugh it off. You have to live it down. People fall, things get ripped, and clothing gets stained. Laugh it off; poke fun at your own misery. You can use your once upon a time happening to help cheer up a friend who is down.

“No, I don’t care, it was kind of funny afterward,” said Gosselin. “I trip and fall a lot so I should’ve known better.”

“Oh well,” said Strozinsky about her many wardrobe catastrophes. “You have to laugh about it.”

Always remember you’re one person with hopefully no more than a few wardrobe catastrophes to their name. At least you’re not in the spotlight of millions of viewers performing where you accidentally pee yourself, or your breast allegedly ‘accidentally’ falls out of your costume.

Could’ve been worse right. Thankfully Cinderella didn’t rip a homemade slit into her ballroom dress when she tripped.