Throughout various stages of life, there always seems to be a version of a “formal” event, where people dress up, take pictures, and bring dates. As sorority and fraternity formals, high school proms, and club dances become more prevalent during the spring, I figured this might be an interesting time to reflect upon this tradition. These events follow a familiar structure, but do their undertones and feelings change over time? Do high stakes milestones gradually become more relaxed and spontaneous? Or are formals all similar?
Formal events originate from European aristocratic traditions, military dress customs, and royal court etiquette. From the 18th to 20th centuries, these gatherings evolved, designed to establish wealth, determine social hierarchy, and celebrate milestones through dress codes. These backgrounds actually can be seen at times through some of our current formals, like prom being a milestone and dress codes being showcased throughout events.Â
The first major formal occasions I ever went to (other than middle school dances) were homecomings and proms. In high school, it seems like there’s a lot of pressure for prom to be perfect. People are rushing to purchase dresses and suits months in advance, scouring for the dress. Posters are made to ask each other to prom, parents struggle to book cars to drive their kids to the venue, and after parties sustain drama for months.Â
In college, there still seems to be a bit of the same pressure to have a date, especially for spring formals near the end of the school year. However, the overpowering stress to make a formal event the best night ever definitely decreases. In college, without as much influence from movies or social media, lower expectations might actually make formals more fun. There’s less of an anticipation leading up to events, allowing people to make the most of formals while they’re in the moment.Â
Formal events always come with pros and cons. For one, the cost of preparing for an event like this can frequently be steep – although the cost for dresses on average definitely goes down from prom to college formals, as they are more frequent and prices add up. Over time, it seems like people start to reflect on what is actually worth it, becoming smarter with where they spend their money and borrowing clothes from friends.
My favorite part about these formal events has to be the culture of getting ready. My friends and I have discussed just how fun it is to dress to the nines just for casual occasions like brunches or nights out. In my opinion, these events change slightly along the way, and these changes reflect maturity differences – but also a change in outlook. Still, formal events mark milestones in life for students and are worthwhile.Â