Homecoming has been a tradition at Parker for a long time. Every year there is a theme, upper school sports games, and dressing up to go to a fun and traditional dance hosted by our school. Dress shopping is something that most upper schoolers at Parker find exciting, it makes them happy.
As technology becomes more advanced, so do websites. A Yahoo survey in April 2023 showed that 67% percent of American teenagers purchased their prom and homecoming dresses in-store, even if they first searched for a dress online. That said, another survey conducted by American Dress Shops showed that homecoming online dress purchases were 70% higher in 2023 than any year before that.
“I like to shop online because in stores they normally just have what is there, but online they have more items in stock,” freshman Samantha Kovler said. “I also enjoy shopping online because it avoids long lines and the hassle of traveling to a store that may be very far away.”
“For me, it depends on what type of dress I am looking for. Sometimes shopping online is easier because you don’t have to wait in a line or have to go to the store, but other times, it’s easier to shop in store especially when you try on multiple sizes or don’t need to worry about shipping or returns,” junior Kiley Moss, said.
Fifty four Parker students were polled about where they got their 2024 homecoming dresses, and the graph pictured above shows the result of the survey.
Every year, homecoming dress styles change. Some years this means long dresses, other years shorter. These differences can be in color, length, style, make or even material. This year, specifically, as online homecoming dress shops have been selling out fast, it is short, strapless, and bold color dresses that have been selling the fastest overall in America for Homecoming 2024.
“When it comes to dress brands, I’m not worried but when it comes to the style, certain people have opinions, but I just pick dresses that I like because I don’t really care about others opinions,” freshman Khaliah Lastic said.
But in other terms, homecoming dress shopping can be stressful. Girls will want to wear dresses that they feel fit in with everyone else’s style and aren’t considered “weird.”
“Sometimes I feel pressured to fit in, and I am afraid that people will stare at me and judge me,” freshman Miriam Blasko said. “I really want to work towards not caring, and I think I can improve when it comes to that.”
Overall, homecoming dress shopping can be stressful, but also fun and exciting. It’s an enjoyable part of the whole homecoming experience at Parker and students have really looked forward to it through the years.
“Although dress shopping and homecoming have their flaws, I am still excited for homecoming with all my friends and dressing up,” Kahliah said. “ I’m really looking forward to it!”
