When you're in the entertainment industry, clothing is part of the job. You can't go to an awards show looking anything less than spectacular. But what happens to all of those dresses once the party is over?
Some are rented, but others manage to stay in celebrity closets for decades. Just ask Brooke Shields, who recently let her oldest daughter, Rowan Henchy, wear something that fans may remember from the '90s.
Specifically, 1998. It seems like Brooke knew that dress would be perfect for Rowan's prom, so it lived to see another day. And it was probably a special moment for Brooke, since it made her reflect on the time that has passed since that dress was first spotted at the Golden Globes.
"I thought it was a special night when I was nominated for a Golden Globe and wore this dress in 1998, but nothing could have prepared me to see my daughter wearing it to her prom," Brooke wrote on Instagram. "Proud mama!" In the three photos, you can even see Rowan posing a lot like Brooke did at the awards ceremony.
Even by mimicking her famous mom, you can tell that Rowan and her mother are close. She's not Brooke's only child — Brooke also has daughter Grier with husband Chris Henchy. Chris and Brooke have been married since 2001, years after ending her publicized marriage to Andre Agassi.
Brooke has been quite sentimental about her two girls on Instagram recently, and Rowan's prom may be why. Rowan recently turned 18, meaning that she's an adult — and no longer as small as she is in the pictures Brooke has gotten nostalgic over. Brooke has also recently talked about how much she loves being a mom, which may be why she's taken a brief backseat when it comes to the spotlight.
Rowan was born in 2003, and Grier was born in 2006. While Brooke did try to balance both work and motherhood, she realized how tough it was. As she told Parenting, per Closer Weekly, "I wasn't putting my kids to bed at all. When you're doing theatre it's almost impossible to put them to bed and it really threw me for a loop."
"I have to work so when I'm not working, it's easy to get caught up and say, 'Oh, I'll do that charity or I'll do that thing for you.' And your kids are with the babysitter and it's heartbreaking," she said. It's a reality that many working moms can relate to.
It was then where she realized she didn't have to be the perfect mom. She just needed to make sure she was present and engaged. "I'm so appreciative of even the chaos," she said. Over the years, she prioritized time with her kids even more. While her life with her children is mostly private, the family of four still manages to enjoy some moments of the spotlight.
Rowan and Grier were both spotted at the Impractical Jokers: The Movie premiere for good reason — their dad directed the film. At the premiere, they weren't afraid of rocking their own personal styles, proving that they may have learned a little bit about clothes from their mom. Since Brooke was so generous with lending Rowan the dress, it's possible that they discuss wardrobe quite a bit.
But the girls are teaching Brooke as well. She opened up to People and said that both Rowan and Grier were "so much more mature" and "so much more confident in their own bodies." That just shows that both of them will grow up to be wonderful role models of their own.
While Brooke shares nothing but wonderful stories about parenting through Instagram, she has still mentioned how she handles the highs and lows of motherhood. Back in 2017, she opened up about a terrible pattern she kept finding herself in.
"Every day there's a new challenge," Brooke said. "My new thing is not screaming and not screaming back at them. I would engage in an absolute fight, and my husband would say, 'What's wrong with you? Why are you fighting with them?'"
But luckily, her husband figured out a good way to cool Brooke down in situations like that. "Chris, my husband, calls it FOFO — Find Out Before You Freak Out," she said. "So before I react, I'm now trying to just count to 10." It seems as if their strong partnership has made parenting even more fun.
With Rowan's prom out of the way, that means it's time for Grier next. It'll be fascinating to see if she also shops her mom's wardrobe for the big event, even if it's just a piece of jewelry or a pair of shoes. A lot of people would love to have access to Brooke's closet even for a day, so these two are very lucky.
It's crazy to think that Brooke's kids are already prom-ready, but she's not alone. Other famous moms who had kids attend prom this year include Kelly Ripa and Jennie Garth. It's a reminder that time passes so quickly, and that it's always important to create special memories just like Brooke did.
