What should I wear to club formal? This is a question that taunts every girl’s mind from the very first time spring formal is mentioned in a meeting starting in January. It is a valid question. No one wants to be the person at formal who everyone talks about later saying “Can you believe she wore that?” or “That dress was all wrong for her.” In order to save you from being “that girl,” here are a few tips on what not to wear to formal.
Let’s leave the glitter at home this year, Ladies. While a little bit of embellishment can be pretty, it can be hard to know where to draw the line, but please make sure it is drawn. Glitter can be overpowering on a dress. It has the ability to turn an elegant black gown into something that looks like the 5-year-old you babysit dumped her arts and crafts on it. The key here is moderation and by moderation I mean very, very little glitter.
As a freshman, it is easy to just call mom and ask her to bring last year’s prom dress with her to Spring Sing so you can wear it to formal. In theory, that is a great idea and of course we all want to save money, but prom dresses are not always the best way to do that. Prom dresses tend to be a bit more over the top than what formal calls for. Bubble dresses or dresses that are so poofy you look like you are wearing a house are great for high school prom. But, this is not high school anymore. Choose something simpler and more elegant.
For some reason wearing tennis shoes with formal wear has become popular with some people. Do not fall for that trend. There is nothing formal about a pair of tennis shoes. Why would you spend hours on your hair, makeup and dress choice only to pick a pair of tennis shoes out of your closet to go with it all? It makes no sense. Maybe you want to show off your brand new pair of bright orange Converse, and that is great, just do not do it with your dress. If heels are not your thing, you do not have to wear them. You can wear a nice pair of flats or a pair of wedges. They are both easier to walk in, but are still able to compliment your formal attire in a way that tennis shoes will never be able to do.
Formals do not come at the best time. We are all coming straight out of winter and who is not pasty after four months of hibernation? Keep that in mind when picking the color of your dress. Try to pick something that does not wash you out and compliments your skin tone. Purple, blue and green are usually good choices for those of us who do not need help looking any paler.
Maybe you think you have found the perfect dress to wear, but it is just a little too long even with heels on. Put the dress back on the rack or give it back to whoever you borrowed it from. There is nothing worse than having a dress that drags on the floor all night. Not only will it be gathering dirt and any food that was dropped, but you will constantly be stepping on it. Stepping on your dress can be quite a problem if you have decided to go strapless. You may have that embarrassing moment when you step on it just a little too hard and your dress comes down a little too much up top. No one wants that. Choose a dress with an appropriate length. That goes for dresses that are too short as well. Enjoy your night. Do not spend it trying to pull your dress down so it is long enough.
As you continue to ponder the question of “What should I wear to formal?,” remember these few tips on what not to wear. Also remember to keep it elegant, classy and, of course, Harding appropriate.
