The County Assemblies’ “counties” dance is the first opportunity that Staples girls are given to ditch their Uggs and throw on a pair of heels for a formal, black-tie night with their classmates. With much anticipation surrounding this evening, the question of “what to wear?” becomes even more crucial.
“At a formal affair, the ladies usually wear garments made from shiny fabrics. The outfit may be accessorized with glittery jewelry, evening purses and fancy shoes,” Counties Assembly Executive Board member Mary Jennings said.
While the freedom to wear what they want rests in the hands of the junior girls, the question of dress length is dictated by popular trend.
“Counties dresses should definitely be short,” Elena Adams ’12 said.
The current trend tends to be to wear mid-thigh dresses in recent years.
Christina Peterson ’12 says “mid-thigh is appropriate because it’s not slutty, but it’s what a lot of people like to wear.”
However, Joosje Grevers ’12 thinks that girls shouldn’t feel pressure to follow the trend, and that they should wear whatever style of dress that they like.
“Personally, I love it when girls wear long dresses,” Grevers said. “I think it’s such a classic, pretty style.”
In the months leading up to the Jan. 28 event, junior girls search for the perfect dress at boutiques and online shopping sites.
Dress store owners prepare for the influx of customers by stocking their boutiques with the season’s most popular formal trends.
Stylist Elvira from BCBG store on Main Street in downtown Westport says that she has been seeing a lot of girls coming in to buy plain, black, strapless dresses.
“The long dresses are especially popular for counties,” said the stylist.
On average, one of these dresses costs $400.
Taylor Boone ’11 attended the 2009 counties assembly dance, and noticed that the majority of the Staples girls were wearing knee length dresses or higher.
In contrast, the female attendees from other towns were wearing what Boone referred to as the “stereotypical prom dress,” which is typically long and brightly colored.
There was an evident contrast between the styles of dresses.
“Some of the classy girls wore long dresses, but overall Staples girls wore simple, classic dresses,” Boone said.
It is important that the dress selection process is taken seriously because inappropriate attire can jeopardize one’s entrance into the dance.
“Anyone-girl or boy- who wears inappropriate attire may be asked to leave,” Jennings said.
The opportunity to attend the Counties Assembly dance is a privilege provided to the youth of Westport.
The Executive Board hopes that Staples will represent their school in an elegant, rather than shocking manner.
