The majority of the SYR struggle seems to be: "Am I going or am I not going? Well who else is going? Will there be a fun group? Who should I ask that will compliment the overall group? Will they be free that night? Is their dorm's SYR the same night? Is it weird if I text and don't ask them in person?" And by the time you actually get a date locked down, a group of friends going together and somewhere to socialize before and after the actual dance, there are only a few days before the actual night.
It feels like a huge weight the size of a chemistry exam has been lifted off your shoulders. And then you remember: "ahhh I can't go naked again, no one liked that, I gotta wear clothes this time dang it." And one of those excessively large hourglasses with sand falling, oozing down is placed smack, right in front of you, and there is less and less sand, and you're still showing up to your dance naked.
Relax! I have formulated an ordered plan of attack for all my fellow outfit stragglers out there.
Formal
1. Do you already own an acceptable formal dress that Facebook has yet to see? STUPID QUESTION, who has that just waiting around? No one.
2. Do your roommates/dorm friends who are the same size as you have something you could wear?
3. Do you have any way of getting to a mall in the next few days, hours, right now?
4. Call your mom, is there anything at home she can ship?
5. Go to forever21.com, asos.com, fab.com, any cheap dress site with free returns and order a slew of dresses in multiple sizes and have them express shipped.
6. But don't stop looking. What if they're all terrible? Go on Facebook, look at friends who go here, friends of friends even, as long as they go to ND and live on campus. See anything you like? Pull some strings, send some creepy inbox messages, who knows, maybe there will be some really kind-hearted Facebook friend with great taste and the same dress size as you.
Themed
1. You're on your own...(only words of wisdom, less is more, less time and thought spent, less money wasted, less clothing worn is always better, less is more!)
When you discover you are the panicky, deranged person running around Friday afternoon still looking for something to wear Friday night, don't worry, we've all been there! I once found myself at a friend of a friend's dorm room leafing through her roommate (who I'd never met)'s closet alone while neither roommate was even there. Ultimately, if you have to repeat an outfit, it will be okay. Take a lot of from the shoulder up pictures, and hey if the night goes well, you might not remember it anyway!
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Emilie Terhaar at eterhaar@nd.edu
