Alice's dress (the one SM had in mind)

zanhar1 >.>

cassie-1-2-3 It's nice.

luv_warriorcatz Nice to wear to school?

cassie-1-2-3 To a prom, not to class. Prom is after hours. There's no dress code, or not usually, but I don't see how this could be inappropriate.

luv_warriorcatz I'm not really addressing the dress code. More of the lack of effort the Cullens do to "blend in."

cassie-1-2-3 Everyone knew they were wealthy. I don't think buying an expensive dress would have done much damage.

bri-marie I actually like that dress. Also, prom is [i]meant[/i] for wearing ridiculously expensive and show-y dresses (and it's very hard to find a dress that's [i]not[/i] ridiculously expensive and show-y). That's why so many girls save up for the entire year (and longer) for prom.

luv_warriorcatz Wearing a simple dress (like in the movies) would have kept them a tad less conspicuous then wearing something like that. Yes, everyone knew they were wealthy, but that doesn't mean they should flaunt their wealth. They're meyerpires, they're suppose to keep on a low profile.

cassie-1-2-3 It's really not all that extravagant of a dress. Everyone at the school already knows who they are, and has seen them before. What would be the point in hiding at the prom?

luv_warriorcatz Its just seems as if they're determine to stand out when it's the opposite of what they should be doing.

bri-marie They also drive the nicest car in Forks; own the biggest, nicest house in Forks; are the most attractive people in Forks; Rosalie has the best clothes and hair in Forks; they get amazing grades without any apparent effort; and Carlisle is the nicest, best doctor in Forks. They're not trying to be inconspicuous in a "no one realize that we exist" kind of way, they're trying to be inconspicuous in a "no one realize that we're not what we seem" (aka not human) kind of way. But, once again, wearing a fancy dress when you're supposed to wear a fancy dress isn't standing out. It would actually attract more attention if the rich fashionista [i]didn't[/i] wear that type of dress to that type of event.

luv_warriorcatz The way Meyer portrays Forks is as if the town is poor. Hence the small school, the tiny population, etc. Bella describes the school as really boring. (or she was just whining) I know that they're rich (white) kids, but is it really necessary for them to flaunt their wealth in such a town. Obviously, everyone knows that they're rich but they don't need to be reminded of it. And the attitude. Doing that would make people notice and pay attention to you.

bri-marie As someone currently living in a small town, I can very honestly tell you that the size of the town has nothing to do with the wealth of the people that live there. Meyer portrays the town as a small, close-knit community. Beyond the Cullens necessary wealth, we know nothing about how everyone else lives. Bella and her father live quite comfortably, despite there being only one income in the house. (And that income coming from a police salary.) The girls in town are able to go out and afford prom dresses no problem, as well as going out regularly, so I'm seriously doubting that the rest of the people are "poor." Towns are small because the boundaries are close together. It has nothing to do with money at all. And there are not a lot of people there because it's a small town. Again, nothing to do with money. The school is small because there's not a lot of people living in the town. Again, nothing to do with money. It would be stupid to have this huge school with only three hundred people going there. Bella thought the school was boring because she's a teenager who's in school. Although I have no idea what that has to do anything, since the average income of the people living in a town doesn't effect how boring school is. Once again, this dress isn't all that "flaunt-y" for a prom dress. Have you ever been prom dress shopping? My prom dress was dressier than that -- it was a ball gown. No body seemed bothered at all by the Cullens flaunting their wealth. But, again, it doesn't matter, because as I said [i]They're not trying to be inconspicuous in a "no one realize that we exist" kind of way, they're trying to be inconspicuous in a "no one realize that we're not what we seem" (aka not human) kind of way.[/i] Showing off that they have nice things isn't going to alert anyone that they aren't human.

luv_warriorcatz If you are a vampire and you wouldn't want people to know who you are, then flaunting your wealth like that isn't helping. It would make people pay attention to you and start to notice their 'strangeness.' The dress is also very revealing, as described in the book. As far as I can see, no other people in the town as nice things as those. They actually show off their shiny cars (not designed for speed) and pretty much do everything to be noticed, not also from their wealth but attitude.

bri-marie Vampirism has nothing to do with being wealthy. The Cullens have money because Carlisle is a doctor, and doctors make a lot of money. Showing off that they have money isn't going to make people think they're vampires, it's going to make people think they have money. Them ignoring everyone in school isn't going to make people think they're vampires either, it's going to make people think the Cullens are the typical rich snobs. Wearing a revealing dress isn't going to make people think they're vampires either. And I'm not entirely sure what part of "this dress isn't that out there for a prom dress" you're not getting. Jessica's dress was amazing. So was Angela's. Remember them getting wolf-whistles while they were trying them on? Bella's dress was fairly nice as well. Bella also has a pretty great truck, if the fact that she hardly ever has to repair it is anything to go buy. Her house is nice. Her clothes are nice. Jessica has nice clothes. Angela has nice clothes. Lauren has nice clothes. No one in town has things as nice as the Cullens because no else one in town is a doctor. That doesn't mean they don't have nice things at all.

luv_warriorcatz Flaunting their wealth like that in a town that doesn't seem to have much money is attracting attention. Everyone knows that they're rich, they don't need to be reminded of it. People are going to notice they're ways. And isolating themself like that: not eating anything, being 'weird', etc, I wouldn't be surprised if everyone was curious about them. The prom dresses were nice due to Fork's standards. Bella's dress was bought by the Cullens. There are other doctors in town, they are just the children of the doctor.

ClaireVoyant guys? it's just a dress, you can always say that you buy something similiar only with cheaper price or whatever if you don't want to attract too many attention.. tough i do agree that smeyer seems overdoing in showing Cullen's 'richness' esme own an island, really now?

bri-marie The town has plenty of money. I don't know where you keep getting this "they're poor" idea, but they're not. The fact that no one blinked an eye at Bella, Alice, Rosalie, Jessica, or Angela's dress (along with everything else I've been saying) attests to that. Small town =/= low income. Just like how large town =/= large income. Income depends entirely on your job, not where you live. And where you live doesn't depend on how much you make, at least as far as town/cities go. Everyone was curious about them. But they were snubbed at wrote it off as them being snobs. Because that's the pretty standard stereotype for people with a lot of money. Forks' standard isn't different than any other standard. Living in a small town doesn't mean that our standard of what's nice is different that a large town's standard of nice. It's the same standard. Carlisle was the only doctor that lived in Forks. That's why Forks was sad to see him go in New Moon. The hospital had other doctors, but those doctors didn't live in Forks.