Things You'll Need:
- Dresses
- Evening Handbags
- Hair Accessories
- High Heels
- Women's Dress Sweater
- Jewelry
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Step 1
Listen to the chatter amongst the upperclassmen if this is your first homecoming. Learn whether your school hosts a semiformal or just a dressy homecoming dance.
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Step 2
Give yourself plenty of options, and the opportunity to step out in a dress no other girl will be wearing. Visit the department stores and boutiques across town, or shop online for a selection of dresses not carried in your hometown shops.
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Step 3
Pass on the full-length dresses and look at styles that hit at, just above, or just below the knee. For more formal functions, consider dresses made of satin, velvet or a sequined knit.
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Step 4
Try on a sleeveless shift dress in cotton sateen or a short-sleeved jewel-neck dress in a shiny black jersey. When the fall temperatures are really low, pair one of these with a fuzzy angora sweater, and don't forget your coat.
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Step 5
Let prints or trims dress up an otherwise simply cut dress. Look for an off-the-shoulder dress with ruffled or fringed edging, or a knit dress with rhinestone or beaded trim.
Comments
PapaG said
on 10/13/2007 Most of it is common sense!
budgetbabe said
on 9/15/2007 i also recommend asking upperclassmen what to wear. for my freshman homecoming dance, i showed up wearing a creme colored brocade number with a floral print, scalloped neckline and flutter sleeves. Um yeah, it was hideous. (My mom thought it would be savvy to recycle my 8th grade graduation dress.)
At any rate, I arrived unfashionably on time and then proceeded to watch in horror as one by one, the other girls arrived, EACH wearing a short to mid-length little black dress, accessorized with no more than a single strand pearl necklace.
Needless to say, I felt out of place but never made that fashion faux-pas again. Sure, we should be ourselves, but when you're a freshman in high school, most of us just want to fit in. We can experiment later when we become more comfortable in our own skin. :)
Anonymous said
on 9/3/2006 For strappy, low cut dresses, have at least some of your hair up. If your hair is down, and it is below shoulder length, it covers what you are trying to show off. Find a necklace that compliments the neckline of the dress instead. For higher necked dresses, definitely go for a classy up-do. If your dress has a wild asymmetrical neckline, having your hair down, but styled would be a good look. And if you are getting your hair done in a salon, schedule it for at least 4 hours before you have to leave, just in case something happens and changes have to be made. That one I learned the hard way.
Anonymous said
on 8/8/2006 If your dress is above-the-knee or shorter, you'll want to opt for a handbag which is anywhere from small to medium sized, and has a thin shoulder strap. Don't get one of those that is under your arm and you have to stick out your arm to wear it. If your dress is longer, then you'll opt for a clutch bag. For a bright dress, choose a darker (but still bright) handbag. For a dark dress, choose a brighter (but still dark) handbag.
Example: If you're wearing a midnight-blue dress, then have a handbag which is slightly darker than sky blue. If you're wearing a white dress, then have a handbag which is silver or gold. For the second example, you can still have a different color than silver or gold; those two just happen to look very good with white. Also, if your dress is of a material which is very loose and flowing, then a sequined handbag looks nice.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 The internet is NOT the best place for advice on what to wear to your homecoming dance. For the real info, check with upperclassmen who have been to YOUR school's dance before. After moving from a school that had "Homecoming Pizza Night" to one that spends $16,000 a year on just the homecoming game and dance, I had a little trouble shopping for a dress. The local Dillards' representative told me that they were all going formal, but short. The bridal & formal store told me that they were all going in beaded, pastel numbers. Really, every store just told me that everyone was going in whatever their store really needed to sell at the moment.
School faculty and staff will probably just tell you to wear whatever you have or want to wear, since they 'just want you to have a good time' - well meaning, but you probably don't want to feel out of place. Your best bet is asking someone who has attended before. At my old school, a nice shirt and skirt would have been overdressed, but here, it would have been much too casual - our school's dance this year was an even mix of cocktail/party dresses and long formals.