With the arrival of formals for the men and women in Greek life comes a great deal of stress. Who to ask? Will I get to the date doc on time? Should I buy a t-shirt? Should I buy my date a t-shirt? But the biggest question for the women attending, is undoubtedly “What do I wear?”
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For all the gals shopping in these next few weeks, here are tips for shopping for formal like a pro, split into the three phases of your excursion!
The before:
What to wear for your quest:
Even what you wear shopping can change your experience! Starting with your undergarments, a strapless bra and light colored panties are your best bet. If your dress is thin, or also light colored, you’ll get the most accurate picture of what you’ll be buying with these choices. To go a step further, a thong is also suggested. It has much less of a panty line!
Establish a budget.
As young adults, we need to be thinking like adults. How much money are you planning to spend? Find a budget and stick as close to it as possible! Of course, finding the perfect dress a little outside your price range happens. In that case, consider just how much you’d be willing to cut back in other areas of your life, like on Starbucks, to make sure your ensemble won’t have you going broke.
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Bring your most likely shoes of choice
If you already have a pair of shoes you think you’d like to wear, take them with you! It may seem like just one more thing to carry, but it will make the fitting of the dress more accurate when it comes to deciding on length and whether or not alterations will be necessary.
The during: So you’ve started to try on dresses!
When considering a dress, answer these questions:
- Do you already own accessories and/or shoes you could wear with the dress, or will you have to spend more money to make it work? Are you willing and able to do that?
- Will you wear it more than once? Say to a wedding or a formal in the future?
- Does it need to be altered, and do you have time for that process?
Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
The sales associates are there for a reason, be sure to ask for help if you need it! For example, if you’ve found a great dress but don’t see your size, definitely ask if there are more in the back. Or, if while putting your dress on, you can’t quite do the zipper alone, do not try to force it. Ask for another pair of hands or risk breaking and buying a useless dress.
Look in the mirror at ALL angles!
Don’t settle for that one, front-view image of yourself! Find a set of a few mirrors that will help you see how the dress looks on you from every angle: from the back, from one side and then the other side, the works!
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The after:
Keep your receipts, and in a place you can find them.
Try to keep your receipts organized and easy to locate. Some girls like to buy a couple dresses and decide later. If you plan to make a return, know where to find your receipt! Sometimes, buyer’s remorse hits hard; be prepared.
Take care of what you’ve bought.
Until the big night, keep the tags on as a just in case. If you find yourself hit with delayed buyer’s remorse, it could save you a lot of angst. Similarly, keep the garment clean! If it didn’t have a garment bag of some sort placed over it for protection, find one or request one from your sales associate.
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