How to Dress for an 8th Grade Formal

Co-authored by Hannah Park

Last Updated: September 15, 2021 References

Formals are a fun part of your eighth-grade social life. At formals, you get to dance, hang out with your friends, and take memorable pictures. You want to dress your best but above all be comfortable and have fun.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Choosing an Outfit for Your Eighth Grade Formal for Girls

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Choose a color that looks nice on you. When you’re looking for a dress for formal, you want to choose a color that you love and that makes your skin and eyes look radiant.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Hannah Park
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 21 February 2019.}
- If you have warm undertones in your skin, you’ll look great in yellow, orange, brown, ivory, and warm-toned reds.
- Cool undertones in your skin mean that greens, pinks, purples, blues, magenta, and blue reds will flatter you.
- To figure out if you have warm or cool undertones, check the veins on your wrist. If they appear very blue, you probably have a cool undertone. If they appear slightly green, you have a warm undertone.
- Above all, wear what makes you feel confident. If you want to wear your favorite color, regardless of skin tone, feel free to do so.
2
Pick your dress length. When you’re shopping for formal dresses, you can choose a floor-length full gown style or a shorter dress. Generally, if you are taller, long dresses look best, and if you’re shorter, a short dress might look better in proportion.
- For example, if you are petite, you would look great wearing a shorter dress or a dress with an asymmetrical hemline to make you look taller.
- Taller girls look great in floor length dresses or dresses that come past the knees. If you’re taller, you can also wear a short dress if you want to show off your legs.
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3
Find a dress cut that flatters your figure.^{[2]
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Research source} Often, the hardest part of choosing a dress is deciding what cut you like. Different types of dresses flatter different body types.
- If you are busty with a large bust, narrow hips, and undefined waist, you want to add dimension to your hips, and bring attention to your face. Choose a dress with tulle or pleats at the hips and a defined waist.
- If you're slender, you will look best in a dress that is very fitted with a belt or cinching at the waist.
- If you have an apple-shaped figure (that is, if you carry weight in stomach with slim legs), you’ll look great in a dress with an empire waist or embellished top section and a full skirt.
- If you have an hourglass figure with a small waist and proportionate bust and hips proportion, any dress that accentuates your naturally small waist will make you look great.
- A pear-shaped figure with a defined waist and hips larger than bust looks great in a strapless dress or open-necked top and a full skirt or an A-line skirt.
- If you are petite or shorter than 5’3”, a slim fitting, shorter dress will look great on you.
4
Find an affordable dress. For an eighth-grade formal, you can wear any type of nice dress. It doesn’t have to be a dress made specifically for a prom or formal. Many department stores have wide selections at reasonable prices.
- Buy a secondhand dress. Buying your dress secondhand is a great way to get something beautiful at a good price. This is an especially good option if your school’s formal is styled after a prom, and you want a true gown to wear.
- Check out thrift stores in your area.^{[3]
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  Research source} You never know what you might find.
- Ask around to see if anyone has old prom dresses they’d like to sell. You can ask family friends or the older siblings of your friends. Chances are good they’ll sell you the dress for much cheaper than if you were to buy it. If it’s slightly big, you can have it altered.
5
Dare to be different.^{[4]
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Research source} Being a girl doesn’t mean that you have to wear a dress to your eight grade formal. Wear whatever makes you feel your best.
- Consider a fitted suit or a cool pair of pants and a formal shirt.
- Another great alternative to a dress is a skirt and top.
6
Wear comfortable shoes. When you’re dressing for formal, you want to wear shoes that complete your outfit and make you look great. If you do decide to wear heels, make sure that you are comfortable walking in them. Remember that at a formal you will be on your feet a lot.
- Consider alternatives to traditional high heels.^{[5]
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  Research source} Wear nice sandals or pretty flats.
- If you want to stand out, you can even wear sneakers like Converse or Vans with your dress or formal attire.
7
Check your school’s dress code. Before you buy your outfit for formal, you want to make sure that it complies with any dress codes your school has. Ask a teacher or administrator to find out if there are any regulations on dress length or strap type.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Doing Your Hair and Makeup for Formal

1
Keep your make up natural. If you don’t normally wear makeup, it’s perfectly fine to go without makeup to an 8th grade formal. But if you do wear makeup and want to do it differently for formal, try a slightly more dramatic make up look than you normally wear.
- Apply a luminous foundation, and use concealer to hide any red spots or blemishes that you might have.
- Sweep some blush on your cheekbones, and wear clear lipgloss or a light nude lipstick.
- Apply black eyeliner to your upper lash line, and use a shimmery neutral eye shadow across your eyelid.
- Apply several coats of mascara to lift your lashes and make your eyes look large.
2
Wear your hair down.^{[6]
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Research source} Whether you have short or long hair, wearing your hair down is a pretty style that will allow you to do your hair yourself.
- Try wearing your hair in loose, beachy waves.^{[7]
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  Research source} You can leave it tousled around your face or pull half of it back.
- Add accessories. Accessories like headbands or flower crowns can be a great way to achieve formal style with minimal effort.
3
Wear your hair in an updo. Wearing your hair up to your eight grade formal will keep it out of your face while you dance. It’s also the ideal way to create an intricate hair style.
- Wear your hair in a simple bun or French braid, or experiment with combining braids and updos.
- If you don’t want to do your hair yourself, ask a friend or go to have it done at a salon. If you get your hair done, make sure to allow plenty of time before the dance is scheduled to begin.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting Dressed for an Eighth Grade Formal for Boys

1
Rent a suit. A classic suit or tux in black paired with a white shirt is a staple for any formal occasion. Renting your formal attire is a great cost-effective option when preparing for your formal.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Hannah Park
Professional Stylist
Expert Interview. 21 February 2019.}
- Make sure to try on all the parts of your outfit in advance, so you know they fit. Set up your rental plenty of time in advance.
- You can even rent dress shoes, if you don’t have any.
2
Wear a nice button down and slacks. When planning for formal, don’t feel like you have to wear a suit or a tux if you don’t want to. A button down shirt and slacks is a great alternative.
- You can even get a little bit casual and pair black jeans with a button down and bow tie or suspenders.
- Alternatively, make a classic suit more interesting by wearing nice sneakers like Converse.
3
Match your date.^{[9]
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Research source} If you plan on attending formal with a date, you should plan your outfits in advance together. Though you should stick to standard neutrals for your main suit, you do want the accents to match your partner’s dress or outfit.
- For example, if your date has a green dress, you might want to wear a green bow tie.
- If you can get a picture of your date’s outfit before you got to pick out yours. That way, you can better match colors.
4
Clean yourself up. You want to make sure that you look your best at the eighth grade formal. Shave off any stubble you have, and use a little hair gel to comb through your hair.
- Wash your face, and pluck any stray eyebrow hairs.
- Give yourself a few sprays of cologne, if you have it.

Expert Q&A
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Question

Is it better to be overdressed or underdressed?

Hannah Park
Professional Stylist
Hannah Park is a professional stylist and personal shopper with experience in e-comm styling, celebrity styling and personal styling. She runs an LA-based styling company, The Styling Agent, where she focuses on understanding each individual she works with, and crafting wardrobes according to their needs.

Hannah Park

Professional Stylist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

For a formal event, you're better off overdoing it instead of underdoing it. You can always loosen a formal outfit up a bit, but it's hard to look more formal once a dance has started.
Question

Is it okay if a girl wears a tuxedo?

Community Answer

Yes. Tuxedos look dapper on everyone, no matter their gender.
Question

What should I do if I can't find a dress that I like?

Community Answer

See, what your friends are wearing; maybe they could loan you a dress of theirs or give you a few ideas.