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Formal Fashion: How to be the Best Dressed

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at McGill chapter.

This past Saturday, Gamma Phi Beta held its annual Pink Carnation Ball at the Delta Hotel, and the classy evening featured a cocktail, dinner and dance, and it was the perfect way to conclude an amazing year. Of course, at a formal affair as such one would expect nothing less than everyone being dressed to the nines, anticipating some beautiful photos to be looked back on as memories on a later date, reminiscing an evening well spent.

The color scheme for the night was gold and pink, and two sisters really embraced the theme, and dressed accordingly. Bailey, the sorority’s Philantrophy Chair, and graduating sister Sophie are captured in this beautiful shot — Bailey in a white strapless, A-line, sweetheart neckline dress paired with a simple gold necklace and a structured beige clutch, and Sophie in a beautiful dusty pink bodycon dress with bow detailing in the front. The two girls looked absolutely stunning, and their soft and light curls complimented the feminity of their dresses, perfectly!

Do you have a formal or a fancy evening coming up on your calendars? Looking for the perfect dress?  Here are some of my tips when in search of that dress:

1) Finding a silhouette that suits your body type

Choose a dress that compliments your body shape. If you have curves, show ’em off! If you have beautiful athletic legs, get that dress with the side slit. It’s so important to know what looks good on you, and which silhouette does your beautiful body justice. And there are so many different types of dresses to choose from: strapless, one shoulder, a-line, body-con, midi dresses, cutouts — oh the possibilities are endless!

2) Choosing the right color/pattern

By all means, always choose a color that you think brings out the color in your eyes, or compliments your skin tone but when I mean choose the right color and pattern, what I really mean is: take a chance! Don’t be the girl who’s always always in the little black dress (girl, I know you look stunning in black, and it’s CLASSIC and oh-so- Audrey Hepburn) but take a risk darling. There are so many different and quirky print dresses or even color-blocked dresses that can really steal the night away from all those girls wearing boring black dresses. Fashion lets you release your inner risk-taker, and be as daring as you want. So next time you’re scouting out dresses, I say grab all the ones that you think you’d never wear — the colors that you’ve never tried, the patterns you always avoid — and take them to change room with you. You’d be surprised, as the one that you least liked on the hanger, may actually be the one you decide to go with.

3) Feeling comfortable in it

It’s so important to find a dress that you feel good in. If you’re constantly having to pull up your dress, adjust your bra, or uncomfortaby tug on the bottom of it to make sure it covers your bum, chances are you are going to be struggling to get through the night. Choose a dress that allows you to move around comfortably throughout the night, so that you have nothing to worry about but having fun. And plus, fashion is comfort. Don’t compromise — I promise it’s possible for you to find a dress that you feel comfortable in and looks beautiful on you.

Good luck collegiettes! I hope you find your perfect dress for whatever formal you may be attending this season.

 

 

 

Photography by: The Bull & Bear

Photo set by: Polyvore

http://www.polyvore.com/formal_wear/set?id=117559309

Political Science student, hopeless romantic, dreamer, and a firm believer that "those who are crazy enough to think that they change the world, are the ones who do"