Homecoming is one of the most popular school events that happens throughout the entire year, falling in with events such as prom and the annual Battle of the Birds football game. At Great Crossing, our Homecoming Dance will take place on October 12th, and girls in all grade levels have already been searching for and trying on dresses, trying to find the perfect one for the first big dance of the school year.
Homecoming is important to girls in all grade levels. It gives them a chance to dress up and wear a fancy dress, one that normally they would have no reason to buy. For two nights of the year, girls can be seen showing their style through what dress they chose: sequined, glittery, long, short, strapless, sleeved, and hundreds of other types of dresses are seen throughout the dance. However, the pressure that comes with spending hours searching for a perfect dress can have a significant impact on self-esteem.
Senior Tammy Le has been to two of GCHS’s homecoming dances and loves to hangout with her friends at the dances. However, she has struggled with finding a dress that suits her. “The pressure of finding a dress that fits and looks nice is extremely difficult,” said Le. Many dresses are made for certain body types, and it can be difficult to find one that looks how you want it to on your body. It could be that the dress fits your waist, but is too big on the shoulders. Or that if it does fit your shoulders, there is excess fabric pooling around your hips.
Lillyan Brannock, GCHS freshman, has not yet been to Homecoming but has had similar struggles with dress shopping in the past. “I’m never able to find the right size, and it’s either too long or too short,” said Brannock. “A lot of shops target skinnier and smaller girls, and a lot of the dresses are super short and not appropriate.”
Another concern is how much money has to be spent on a dress many only wear for one night. No one wants to break the bank for a dress only to wear it for five or six hours. However, many Homecoming dresses are priced well over $100, especially those that are crafted by more well-known designers or brands.
To try and eliminate stress associated with the amount of money you are spending at the dress store, Le encourages students to “Be sustainable. You are probably only going to be wearing the dress one time, so don’t choose something super expensive.”
However, the issue that trumps all others in Homecoming season seems to be one that may cause more stress than just a dress simply not fitting or being out of your budget. Self confidence may be the single biggest inhibitor when it comes to girls choosing a Homecoming dress. Many have had anxiety about how they look in a dress, especially ones that are traditionally shorter as Homecoming dresses tend to be. Le believes that this stigma has placed a lot more stress on girls during the dress shopping season.
“The expectations of social media and trends have decreased the self worth of many girls. Whenever a pretty girl has gone viral, there will be girls everywhere who compare themselves to them. Whether it be their looks or body – insecurity remains prevalent,” said Le.
Le encouraged girls to “Not compare yourself to other people, people you don’t know how someone differs from seeing them on a screen. Wear something that you feel like you look good in.”
Senior Annie Lawson can certainly relate to the Homecoming shopping stress. While dressing up, going out to dinner, and taking pictures with her friends make for a fun night, the weeks leading up to the event are spent searching for a good dress – not in stores, but online. Shopping online stores instead of spending hours sifting through piles of dresses in-store has helped solve part of the problem for Lawson.
Online shopping often means that more options are available than what may be located in physical stores. “I’ve had plenty of bad dress shopping experiences, but the one that sticks out to me was one that I had in eighth grade while shopping for a cotillion dress. The dances had themes and dress codes, and this dance was supposed to be “cocktail attire” only. I had waited until the last minute to shop, and when I couldn’t find the perfect dress, I remember how upset I was,” Lawson explained. Browsing online is an easy way to pick through styles that fit the occasion, with a wider variety of options.
Shopping online may help eliminate the stigma that comes with being surrounded by a room full of people modeling dresses and photos of what the dress “should” look like on someone’s body. While we see pictures every day on social media and online, often our real experiences don’t reflect that.
Lawson said, “Growing up, I was always told that when you find the dress, whether it’s prom, hoco, or wedding, it would be a magical experience. This could not be further from the truth, as in the past when I have found the dress I wanted to wear to whatever specific dance, I was just happy to have the whole experience over with. So I think for other girls when they have this idea in their head about how dress shopping is supposed to go, and it doesn’t end up that way, it can be very disappointing.”
While generally everyone agrees that Hoco is a memorable experience, many girls spend weeks scouring through racks in-store or browsing online to try and find the perfect dress. The struggles that come with looking your best for one night may seem small compared to other issues, but they carry a very real effect on females, especially those in highschool who are in their most vulnerable years confidence wise. Whether it’s trying online shopping or simply bringing along some friends to accompany you, dress shopping should be a fun and memorable experience for all girls.
Valerie Maynard • Oct 22, 2024 at 2:45 pm
Great article! I love how you emphasize the importance of self-confidence and remind everyone to focus on what makes them feel good rather than comparing themselves to others. Plus, the tips on online shopping and being sustainable are super helpful!