It’s that time of year again: Formal Season. I’m talking dresses, dancing, and dates. With this semester coming to a close, formal season is just now heating up. If you’ve already had your formal this semester, you know how much fun it was. If yours is still approaching, you’re probably trying to coordinate all the final details.
First things first: Finding the dress. I mean, the dress. For college formals, its searching for that perfect dress that
1. is fun and flirty
2. has a twist of sophistication
3. has a bit of a wow factor
4. is as show stopping as your last dress
Good thing we like a challenge, right?
To be honest, dress shopping is my favorite part of the whole extravaganza. Heading to the mall with your friends trying on dress after dress. Taking study breaks to browse Tobi, Dilliards, and Nordstrom in search of the best online options. The whole hunt is fun, somewhat stressful, but finding that perfect dress is worth it. If you’re on a budget or just don’t feel like dropping a pretty penny on a dress you’re going to wear once, that’s fine. Ask your friends or your sorority sisters to borrow a dress! There’s also rental dress services like renttherunway.com. Whatever route you decide to go with, just make sure you feel confident in your dress. Confidence is beauty, after all.
The second hurdle towards formal is finding a date. I know that finding a cute piece of arm candy is important, but what I’ve found is that having a date that your comfortable with and don’t have to entertain the whole night makes for a way better evening. The best advice I can give you is that when it comes to finding a date, go with the least stressful option. Maybe that means going with a cute boy (or girl) that you’ve had your eye on, a friend, or no one at all! Honestly, just choose the option that will guarantee you a fun time. You don’t want to be one of those girls who are holed up in the bathroom crying over their date.
I know finding the perfect dress and a date (perfection optional) can be stressful, but remember the stress is all in the moment. In the grand scheme of things it really doesn’t matter how fab your dress was or how cute your date was. What really matters is making the most of this moment. Formal is meant to be a celebration of the end of the semester, another milestone, so don’t ruin it with petty things. Go. Have fun. Dance your butt off. Make it count! Have a night to remember (or at least get enough pictures for you to pretend that you remember it the following day).