Teen’s Boyfriend Couldn’t Make It to Prom So She Wore Him on Her Shoes

What do you do when your boyfriend is (gasp) unavailable on prom night? One loyal girlfriend decided to go stag — but kept a reminder of her long distance boyfriend on her all night.

Austen McGowan, who lives in Virginia Beach, Va., while her boyfriend is in college at the University of Texas at Austin, designed a pair of customized Vans with his face and initials to wear with her black sequin gown.

“There was no way I was taking someone else,” McGowan tells Yahoo Style. “I truly wanted him to be there for my prom because he did not have one himself.”

McGowan shared photos of herself posing in her slinky, Chrissy Teigen-esque formal dress paired with her one-of-a-kind kicks. “My man is out chasing his dreams in Texas so he couldn’t make it to prom but I had to make him apart of it somehow,” she explained on Twitter.

“He plays basketball at UT Austin, so I picked a picture of him doing something he loves also representing where he is at,” McGowan says. Texas fans will recognize the Hook ‘Em symbol on McGowan’s shoes — a double tribute to her man and his team. “He helped me pick a picture to design the shoe with. When it is time for basketball season, I’ll wear them to his games,” she says.

Twitter fell in love with the outfit, with fans responding that her boyfriend “needs to propose” thanks to this look. Others appreciated the update on the traditional prom couple photo. (Technically, they did still get pictures together on prom night!)

McGowan swapped out the sneaks for a pair of strappy black heels in some photos with friends — it’s tough to be be the only girl in flats in a group shot — but there’s a good chance the most memorable snaps from the night are co-starring her boyfriend’s face.

“Come prom day, when he saw it all together he loved it,” she says. She’s continuing the tradition with a new handmade shirt that also features his face. Couples, if you’re not wearing each other on your clothes, apparently it’s time to step your game up — literally.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

• Gay Couple’s Army Prom Photo is Adorable

• 15 Makeup & Hair Ideas to Inspire Your Prom Look

• The Prom Hair & Makeup Our Editors Wore Back Then… And How It Would Look Today

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