On Mon., Sept. 10 rumors regarding a Counties and Red & Whites dress code change spread like wildfire within the junior and senior girl populous. All girls that attend the dance are required to wear a full-length gown and all boys must wear tuxedos.
The County Assemblies decided, partly due to the 75th anniversary of this Charity Event, to reinforce a long-standing tradition of floor length dresses.
Cathi Zilling, the president of the County Assemblies, expressed another reason for a change to the rule. “We did feel in recent years attire has gotten more in line with Hollywood dance party than black-tie gown event,” she said.
According to Zilling, Counties and Red & Whites are cotillion-like events, and within those traditions girls are often required to wear white gowns and long white gloves. The Counties Board decided not to make that a requirement, compromising with a requirement of full-length gowns.
Many seniors, permitted to wear short dresses last year for Counties, disagreed with the Assemblies’ decision.
“If they changed it because they didn’t think they were nice enough then there are other rules they should have made because I think girls from our school look “nicer” in short dresses than some others that have outrageous cut-outs, but longer dresses,” said Siri Andrews ’13.
Other girls express displeasure because of the new rule’s inconvenience. “I was mostly just annoyed because long dresses are way more expensive than shorter dresses. They are just not as flattering to be honest,” said Annie Kessler ’13.
Though some girls may not be pleased with this new requirement, the County Assembly feels it is in keeping with the style of the dance, used to bring together various towns to bond both through “formalness” and fundraising.
