It can be tough to face, but anyone who has never been to a dance has no clue how to dress for one. This struggle has been evident with every other noob in the school dance world. What should I wear? Do I wear a tie or bow tie? What type of shirt should I wear? All of these questions might be inquiries one might ask themselves, and will be answered, rest assured. Although these six steps are intended to help the dudes, hopefully the gals can use it too to advise their dates.

1. The Top: The best way for a guy to dress up for this special event is to wear a basic white dress shirt. It is the simplest way to ensure that it will match every other part of the outfit. Take it from the most mismatched kid at LHS, you will want to match for formal.
2. Wear black slacks: One should obviously not show up to the dance wearing sweats or jeans, but investing in a nice pair of black slacks should do numbers for the outfit. Not only does this add to the general neatness of the getup, but it matches the white shirt as well.
3. The Tie: This part can be tricky. Do not wear a goofy tie; it will stick out like a sore thumb and it will look silly compared to everyone else. One is traditionally supposed to try their hardest to match their tie to their dates dress, but this can be difficult. The best way to ensure that the tie matches is to ask for a picture of the dress that the date will wear, and then go on from there. Men usually wear a bow tie, but normal ties work too and bolo ties should be out of the question.
4. Suspenders: This is pretty self-explanatory. Wear black suspenders, not a belt and especially not both. Make sure that the suspenders are loose enough so that they do not ride up, but also make sure that they are not too loose so that the pants will not fall down.
5. Dress shoes and socks: If one does not yet own a pair of nice dress shoes or dress socks, invest in some. Although they may be freaking wicked, Nike Roshes are not the shoes to be worn to a dance, nor are the new Lebrons. When it comes to footwear, try to look as professional as possible.

   

6. Comb and Shave: No girl wants to go to a dance with the raggedy looking guy, so combing and shaving is very important. Looking sharp is paramount, so paying $10 for a haircut is definitely worth it if one is necessary. As far as shaving goes, think of it this way: Would you rather give your date the best kiss of her life, or the scratchiest? Trading in the feeble attempts to grow a beard is worth it if it means pleasing your lady.

These are the bare essentials when it comes to dressing for winter formal, and may be life savers to whatever drastic decisions might have been made. This winter, make the right choice and choose to dress smart. Here are some links for some great (cheap) shopping for formal:

• https://www.jcpenney.com/g/men/N-bwo3y?pageType=X2H2
• https://www.menswearhouse.com/
• https://www.macys.com/shop/mens-clothing?id=1&cm_sp=us_hdr-_-men-_-1_men
• https://www.kohls.com/sale-event/mens-clothing.jsp?cc=mens-TN1.0-S-men