The homecoming dance is right around the corner, and so is the time to purchase the appropriate attire. Every year students go on a quest to find the right dress or the right dress pants for the anticipated event. Each homecoming, styles change and some girls just go with the trending style.

“This year I expect to see girls dress according to the theme, Neon Night, so probably neon colors and puffy,” junior Amanda Wright said.

For the upcoming dance, students will gravitate to neon colors. Aside from the theme, various styles will be worn.

“Personally, I like dresses with pockets,” junior Rebecca Yost said. Yost purchased her dress at Gordmans.

Though the dress for school expresses a casual feel, and the homecoming dance is formal, the same rules still apply. Bellevue West staff tries to enforce the expected dress code, primarily through homeroom announcements, senior senate and junior senate.

“At school professional attire is is expected. You wouldn’t wear a strapless dress to work, but we know the dance is little different. We stay as close to the dress code as we can,” Woodard said.

Even though the expected problems may pertain to short dresses or promiscuous necklines, there are some other dress code violations.

Dean of students Doug Woodard said that jeans are acceptable but stressed the fact that keeping the rips to a minimum is important. The dress code in the student handbook states that jeans with holes above the thigh are not permitted.

Deans do their best to provide examples of what is indeed unacceptable.

“Anything that is uncomfortably short, or way too low-cut is the biggest problem areas,” Woodard said.

Incoming freshmen try to find the right the dress they have imagined for this particular occasion.

Freshman Natalie Sjostedt said she likes bright blue and teal dresses for the occasion.

For the freshman girls, homecoming is a more anticipated event that requires a lot of planning, while for upperclassmen, not much thought was applied

“I have no clue what I’m going to wear, maybe a tux or something,” freshman Michael Kochera said.
Even though Kochera did not have much of an opinion on his first homecoming attire, he did have an opinion to express about girls’ dresses.

“I don’t like really, really puffy outfits. I don’t know; they are just weird,” Kochera said.

Though not everyone agrees with certain dress styles, there are always of course concerns of having the same dress as someone else.

“I always go to The Goodwill to buy my dress because they are way cheaper, and the chances of having another girl having the same one is not likely,” junior Emma Radziunas said.

In order to avoid purchasing the same dress, there are other options.

“I usually go out of town or go shopping online to find my dress,” senior Renee Bracken said.

Rather than leaving town, or having to worry about whether or not your dress will be shipped in time, you could explore other stores.

“You could shop at a store that’s not that popular,” Sjostedt said, “Don’t go to JC Penney’s because a lot of people shop there.”

Each year questions arise in students pertaining to homecoming. “What should I wear? Where should I get it? How much am I willing to spend?” Some questions may be asked as students reminisce about what styles are hot, and what are not. There are always students who plan way ahead, and other who have yet to even give it a thought.

This year the styles are expected to be puffy. Different attire for the dance is worn to homecoming, some dresses with pockets, dresses with electric colors and sometimes no dress is needed for the students who seek comfort wearing jeans.

“For the most part, everyone keeps it pretty tasteful and classy,” Woodard said.

Ashley Quintela
West Wind Features Editor and Hitting the Runway Blogger