Whenever I receive an invitation for an event, I always have two immediate reactions. One is: “Fabulous, am I free?” And the second one is: “Oh no what am I going to wear?” When I received the invite to the inaugural ball, honoring Brandeis’ new president, obviously thought number one entered my head, however, once I realized I was available to attend… thought two immediately followed. A ball! What am I supposed to wear for such a special occasion, especially considering that I have never been to “ball” before? While I eventually decided to go for a more safe choice, a little black dress (LBD) that I accessorized with costume jewelry, I was more excited to see what other guests would wear since we were “encouraged to wear attire from [our] cultures,” according to an e-mail the student body received. Luckily Abi and I attended, armed with our cameras, and have accumulated a selection of photographs of those best dressed at the event.
Kathy Lawrence, the new first lady, dazzled in her Brandeis blue Monique Lhullier gown. I loved how impeccably it fit, the way she matched the color of her dress to the Safire stones in her earrings, and how confident she looked. Her up-do and bare neck allowed for all the attention to be focused on her dress, which definitely deserved recognition for its intricacy and uniqueness.
Another attendee looked ready for spring in a gorgeous white lace dress. I love the high neckline, which draws attention to her beaming smile as well as the slits on both sides, which made it a great dress to dance the night away in.
Incredible is the only word I can think of that can remotely justify the beauty and magnificence that was encompassed in each of these ladies’ outfits. I am always in awe of ensembles with hand beading because I
admire the patience and talent of seamstresses who sew such intricate patterns with beads onto saris and dresses like the ones the women are wearing in this picture. Additionally, I love how the lady on the right has matched the emerald color of her scarf perfectly to the green tone on her dress and that the lady on the far left is wearing orange, the in color for spring. These
women show that you can embrace your culture’s style and still find a way to incorporate current trends.
They guys met the challenge with equally elaborate attire, full of rich colors that we don’t see very often otherwise on campus.
Despite how different everyone’s ensembles were from one another, they all showed their personal style and looked great. Next time I receive an invite for an event, I shall not fear when it comes to selecting an outfit because at the end of the day, so long as you wear what you love, anyone can be the bell of the ball.