By Sophie Weinstein, ‘13, Contributor

When faced with the question of what to wear to winter formal, one has the option to go completely bedazzled, outfitted in basic black, or maybe somewhere in between.  At the dance, in the spirit of Taking The Stage, there were lots of flashy, spotlight-ready dresses. For example, Gretchen Weigel, ’11, chose a dress almost completely covered in sequins. “I wanted something sparkly and fun,” said Weigel.

Sticking with a more classic design, Emma Weinstein, ’10, said, “I was thrilled when I found a simple yet elegant black dress with white detailing on the skirt at Anthropologie.”  The cut of the dress managed to be both contemporary and traditional.

Ari Knue, ’12 (pictured with date Thomas Brown, ‘12), stood out this year from the solids and sequins in – spots!  Her bold choice of a blue and white geometric pattern turned out to be a hit.  Knue said of her dress, “I didn’t want to wear something as simple as black but I didn’t want to wear something too bright like sequins either.”

Julia Murphy, ’13, found her little black dress by shopping around in her friend’s closets.

Gretchen Weigel, with date Fletcher Pease, '10

“I wanted something simple, but everywhere I looked I couldn’t manage to find something good for me,” she said.

Julia not only found a great dress, but also managed to go green by showing recycling doesn’t just have to be with paper and plastic.

There was a lot of anticipation to see what Jamie Huelskamp, ’11, would end up wearing, after the success of her handmade creation at Homecoming (see “Huelskamp designs own Homecoming dress”).

Huelskamp chose a green BCBG dress with a black belt accent.

“I really liked the color and thought the shape was a bit different.  I didn’t want to wear just another strapless dress so I thought the sort of flowy, asymmetrical Grecian style of my dress would be unique,” she said.

Though it is too late to display these trends at the Winter Formal Dance, you can still be “in-style” for Prom.  From the pattern to the cut, there are plenty of ways to mix things up. This year’s trends included one-shoulder cuts, sequins, spots, shine, and bright colors. However, things will change for spring! Be on the lookout for the next fashion review so you can be aware of what’s “in” for 2010.

Don’t forget that, along with the trends, you should also stay true to your own fashion instinct.

Photo of Ari Knue courtesy of Catty Perrin, ‘12. Photo of Gretchen Weigel courtesy of Alyssa Magarian, ‘10.