I reread Carrie and now I'm mad about the economy

I reread Stephen King's Carrie last night, because I last read it when I was nine, and mostly what I remembered was the false bill of goods it provided on the wonders of puberty. (Still waiting for my telekinetic powers....) This morning I am shelving books, minding my business, when suddenly I get burn-the-school-down mad over this: In the book, we're told that Carrie's mom supports their household on an entry level job at a laundromat. We're not told, or given the impression, that Carrie has a job. Yet Carrie has enough money to make a crushed velvet prom dress with a princess waistline and Juliet sleeves. The book describes this in detail. (So much detail, in fact, that I wonder if this was Tabitha's influence. I have never heard that Stephen King had any interest in sewing women's dresses.) Here are some things I know about velvet, princess waistlines, and puffed sleeves: 1. Velvet is not cheap. Velvet has never been cheap. 2. A princess waistline dress with an ankle- or…