After a silly little TikTok I made about all my dance looks went semi-viral, I am still getting comments every day asking where various pieces are from. And so, here it is. The recipe. Some pieces I spent weeks on, making sure it was the perfect fit or perfect color. Others I ordered just nights before on Amazon and crossed my fingers. I realize not everyone takes school dances seriously or doesn't care for them, but for me, I love them. Maybe it's because I'm a stereotypical Student Council kid, or maybe it's cause I'm just a 16-year-old girl who will take any chance to dress up, but living in Utah, I genuinely feel really lucky to be surrounded by a culture that would agree with me. And because I am a firm believer in not gatekeeping, here are all the details from all my sophomore year dance looks. #HotGirlsDontGatekeep
HOMECOMING
Homecoming really was one of my favorite dances. The school district I'm in does things a little differently; our high schools are 10th-12th grade, so this was my first-ever dance! I remember being so excited... until the moment I tried on my dress and heels together for the first time & realized it wasn't gonna work. The original dress I had picked out was way too tight & too short to pair with my 5-inch platform heels. I didn't look my age AT ALL. (I mean, it's not bad to look a few years older, but when you look like a hooker, you've gone too far) My mom & I had to brainstorm just a couple of nights before the dance on what I was gonna wear because I was dead set on those platforms, so we were going to have to make it work. (When you're 5'3 & your date is 6'2, you take advantage of that height difference) I ended up borrowing my mom's dress from the brand Krisa which gave me much more of a flowy free people element, 100% killing the hooker. Then, I chose red for my date's boutonniere & my corsage because what's a stronger color duo than black & red? P.S. If you pay attention to the pictures throughout this blog post, you'll notice my acne clears up, & I grew my bangs out. Two minor things that felt major to me this year.
SADIE HAWKINS
Sadie's was easily one of the dances I had the most fun at, it's a girl's choice dance, so I asked one of my close friends, and for the day date, I planned a day up the canyon swimming at the crater! We had a blast. The dance's theme was 'disco,' so my date and I coordinated in a copper/brown aesthetic with gold sunglasses as the finishing touch. I like to joke that one of the perks of going to a dance with me or taking me as your date is that I will, without a doubt, style you & pick your outfit out for you. In this case, that was extra true. Once I knew the color of my dress, I immediately started the hunt for what my date was gonna wear. I loved how both of our looks turned out & I must thank my mom's amazing best friend, Mindy, for letting us use her music studio as the perfect backdrop for our disco-themed night!
PREFERENCE
I LOVED preference! I took one of my best friends, & the Theme was 'Old Hollywood,' so obviously, I had to sport opera gloves, but with a twist. Or should I say a puff? I've always had a soft spot for London fashion, but I am not sure why. I just tend to find really amazing pieces like this dress & these gloves from the brand Miscreants, & so my love for London fashion grew. One of my favorite moments from this dance was a week before the dance even happened when I got a FaceTime call from my date while he was shopping with his mom for a tuxedo jacket. Again, I love helping my dates pick out what to wear, and in this case, his red velvet tux was the perfect thing to give both our outfits that extra 'POP!'
SWEET HEARTS
Not many people know this, but I'm actually a huge fan of country. Seriously. My dad grew up on a cattle ranch in Nevada, so it should be no surprise when I say Alan Jackson & George Strait were a big part of my upbringing. This is why I was over the moon when they announced the theme of Sweet Hearts was 'Western.' If I had to describe my outfit in 3 words, I'd say: Dolly, Denim & turquoise. My dress perfectly hugged my figure by sinching me in with 12 silver buttons. (Dolly would be proud) I felt amazing, which is exactly how every dress should make you feel. I was thriving in my cowgirl boots too, and when they played the boot-scootin' boogie, your girl was ready.
SPRING FLING
If Disney was going to remake High School Musical 2 & they needed a brunette Sharpay, I better be the first person they call. Just kidding. Although Sharpay Evens would be a pretty great example of how I felt at Spring Fling. The theme was 'country club,' so my date & I embraced that The Ralph Lauren Way. aka the only right way. While I loved the mini tennis dress, my legs had goosebumps for a good while due to the cold, but it was well worth it.
PROM NO. 1
I felt like I was living the all-American high school dream at prom. My date picked me up with a surprise pearl bracelet and treated me like royalty all night. He even got my bracelet size right! (impressive) If I'm being completely honest, though, it was my dress that had me in a trance all night. The light pink tulle & tiers were perfect. I first saw the dress on an Instagram AD months before the dance, & so when my mom asked what kind of dress I wanted, I knew I had to find the same one I had seen on my feed.
PROM NO. 2
It probably sounds ridiculous to hear that I went to two proms, but if you asked me, I had a blast. However, I actually met my 2nd prom date on the day of prom. A mutual friend set us up, & even though I was nervous out of my mind, it was honestly my most fun dance. He was a great time from the moment he picked me up to the moment he dropped me off. His school's colors include green, so I sported a sea-green silk dress with strappy white heels that are my ride-or-die.
XO,
SELA
My favorite girl!! 🥹
Loads of info!
i’m loving this sela! i fr just read that whole thing and never got bored! UR A BABE! can’t wait for more ❤️