So, you thought you’d be done with dances once you got to college? No more ‘snowball’ dances or proms but you were wrong; there’s still so many opportunities left. You’ve got sorority formals, fraternity formals, athelete balls, fundraising balls, etc. If you’re anything like me and assosciate with the unpopular opinion, dances are not your favorite thing in the world. There’s so many questions, things you have to plan for, time spent dolling yourself up, etc. High Point University’s Onyx Ball (basically PROM for graduating college seniors) is a week away and I don’t even have my dress yet. I typically don’t go to these things but for the sake of one last hoorah! and free alchohol.
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Dresses
Like I said, this thing is a week away and I don’t even have a dress. Possibly because I wait last minute for everything. Don’t be like me. Pick a dress that’s comfortable, essentuates your features, and examplifies your style. I hate bright colors, so i’m probably going to go with a black or dark blue dress since that’s what I like. If you’re feeling bold though- definetly go for a red. You’ll look saucy killing it out on the dance floor. For my highschool prom, I picked out a long elegant and classy navy gown but a day beforehand, decided to switch it up to a short, bright purple and sparkly (tutu like) dress. No matter if it’s a recommended “long” or “short” dress formal, wear whatever the heck you want to wear. Believe it or not, no one’s gonna be paying attention to what you’re wearing.
Dresses can also cost a poop ton of money which is totally un-cool. If you’re a broke college kid, you’re definitely not looking forward to throwing bills on a dress that you’re probably going to wear for one night. If you are actually a good human being and have friends, take a shopping trip to their closet. Most people would be down with letting you borrow their dress for the night… as long as you don’t return it smelling like beer, sweat, and broken dreams. Another option you have is, renttherunway.com. Rent The Runway allows you to pick a beautiful designer dress and feel like a superstar for the weekend. You pick a dress, pay for it, they ship it to you, you dance your little booty off, then you ship it back! However, this can still be a little pricey and you have to be extremely careful with the dress. Also, with ever ordering online, you can never be sure if the dress fits until it’s on your body.
Like I said before- don’t be like me, I’m most likely ordering my dress online and paying for expedited shipping. Yet, my favorite website to buy my formal dresses off of is Lulus.com.They have super cute choices and for prices that don’t break the bank. If you do decided to invest in a dress instead of borrowing or renting, try and pick a dress that you’ll be able to wear again.
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Dancing
I know a lot of people say they’re terrible at dancing but when I say I am the worst dancer in the world, I mean it. The thing is though, it doesn’t matter how you’re dancing at a dance. Just shake you’re little booty and have fun with it. Before a formal, I tried to have my friends teach me some dance moves but it didn’t really work… you just have to do your own thing and not be afraid to look silly! I just go with the whole ‘look so silly that i’m sort of cute’ thing and hope for the best!
And IF YOU’RE OF AGE, you’ll have a little liquid courage to help you get through it! Even though this may sound ridiculous, if you are really worried about dancing, go check out some How To videos on YouTube. Don’t let the fear of dancing stop you going to a formal. Hop around a little bit, move your arms, and sing along to the music!
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Dates
I know some people think having a date is a big deal or that you look lame if you show up without one. Truth be told though… no one cares! Sometimes it’s even a little awkward if you bring a date that you don’t really know. If you do bring a date, make sure it’s someone that you feel comfortable around so you’re able to break loose on the dance floor and shove five meatballs in your mouth at once.
I strongly believe that a friend is the best date (boy or girl). There won’t be any unlying expectations of the night and more than likely, they’ll know other people there. Me and my guy best friend have taken on four dances so far and he makes life so much easier. And since I feel as though I don’t need to dress up for him, I get to wear converse and my hair up! Bringing friends as dates to formals is so much fun and they’re usually so thankful you asked them… especially if they otherwise wouldn’t be able to go. Choose someone you know you’ll have a great night with or go alone.
If you do want to bring a crush as a date, remember to be yourself! When I brought a guy I had been chasing after for months to Semi, I was on my best behavior all night. I picked a dress that definitely wans’t me, I reapplied my red lipstick every five minutes, and I felt super weird when he tried grinding up on me. I just wanted to silly dance! That Semi I probably spent more time in the bathroom hiding than the dance floor. Not fun.
Back to the point, there are super cute ways of asking a date to formal. A lot of my friends have baked cupcakes, painted flasks, bought teddy bears as a way of asking. Check out pintrests for adorable “promposal” ideas.
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Drinking
If you’re over 21, dances are just another excuse to let your freak flag fly! Unfortunately, some people get a little too freaky and end up crashing with their heads in the toilet before the nights over. It’s important to keep things classy, not trashy. More than likely, there are going to be numerous pre-games before the actual party so remember to pace yourself. It’s not a race. Dances also can go all night and you’ll want to be able to last tha long. It won’t be fun for anyone if you end up passing out by 7 PM. You also need to remember the dangers of alchohal and even though you are over 21- that doesn’t mean you’re prone to alchohal poisining or can’t make bad decisions. People tend to forget, alchohol can be fun in limits but it is still a drug.
Unless it’s an open bar, drinks are usually expensive. Which is why so many people ‘pre-game’. We’re broke college kids, what did you expect? My advice to people of age, stay away from hard liquor. I enjoy a couple glasses of wine before the night gets going and a cheap double bottle is only 8$. If you do want to drink at the bar, set a budget for the night or you’ll blow all your money. The next morning you won’t be happy with the numbers in your bank account.
Be responsible adults.
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Diet
You’ll catch more girls in the gym whenever a formal is coming up. We want to be able to squeeze ourselves into that tight dress we bought a month ago as motivation. Except, dances are not a good reason to be going to the gym. Go to the gym because you want to be happy and healthy! Not so you’ll be the skinniest person in the room. In no way am I body-shaming. You do you, booboo. But as The Bachelor always says: make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons.
Heck, I ate chic-fil-a in my gown before my last formal. I never buy form fitting dresses, instead I opt for long and flowy. It’s like I could have a dog under my dress and no one would know! Plus I like to have dresses with pockets so I can carry food in them. (Priorities people.) If you do get a form fitting dress, props to you! If you got it girlfran, flaunt it. Just don’t feel like you have to look a certain way to impress people. Riots, not diets *drops mic*
Recently, I discovered the wonderful world of Spanx. Spanx is basically this strechy magical material you wear under your clothes that you can tuck all your extra love into. It holds you together all night and is definitely worth the money. You can buy Spanx at your local Target or Walmart and there are different styles of Spanx you can choose from. You’ll probably laugh at yourself when you first try it on cause you’ll feel like you’re wearing an adult diaper but you’ll see how effecient this stuff is. Not gonna lie, definitely not the most attractive undergarments… who cares though? Own that shit. Rock those Spanxs. You got this. Plus Spanxs make a perfect hideaway for your flask.