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Fixing a dress for the Prom

Meet Vaughan. Lancashire-born Vaughan is a tailor-dressmaker with a business in Weston-super-Mare.

Last year, he landed himself in hospital with a heart attack brought on by overwork. The cause? Altering 130 dresses for the young women of the town as they prepared for their annual School Prom, a modern rite-of-passage brought over to the UK from the USA and requiring substantial outlays – hair, make-up, fake tan... and a dress.

Vaughan works closely with a bridal gown shop just round the corner from his workshop: "I'm all right, it's everyone else that's the problem," he says, mischievously.

Vaughan is the go-to guy for any alteration you might need to the Prom dresses which the shop has bought in. He will guarantee to make any dress work for any girl – within reason.

Vaughan is disparaging of many of the dresses on the rail. He doesn't mince his words: "Females have no taste," he declares." But among the bright colours in lurid shades, one of the dresses catches his eye. The black one. "That... is this season's challenge. It'll take a brave girl to carry that off."

Fate comes to call. Carmen, a young woman with 10 piercings and her eye on her first tattoo is, by her own admission, "not girly". She arrives in the shop with her foster mother. Vaughan is convinced that Carmen will be able to carry the dress off – he is sure she will be the belle of the ball, the centre of attraction. Carmen agrees to give it a go. But it will require a little alteration...

Before tackling The Dress, Vaughan has a backlog to clear...

Vaughan adjusts the fit in the bustier and the straps.

That dress is this season's challenge. It'll take a brave girl to carry that off...

"The Dress" is a success for Carmen. This is a story of empowerment through clothing – how externals can help build confidence, allowing an individual who doesn't see herself as "fitting in" to compete on a level playing field with her peers.

For Vaughan, there is the satisfaction of embarking on a piece of work which is worthy of his skills and which allows him to play a positive part in the transition, symbolised for today's young people by the Prom, from childhood to adulthood.

"I guess I've helped this to happen," he concludes.

Photos by Polly Weston.

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