Congrats! He asked you to his formal! Maybe he thinks you’ll look really good in pictures next to him, maybe his date bailed on him last minute, or maybe he actually likes you! Either way, you now have an excuse to buy a new dress, ask your gay friend to do your makeup, and drink free alcohol until you puke on your BFF’s Steve Madden pumps!
So… now what? Your first formal can be awkward, especially if you’re going with a dude you hardly know (which tends to happen more often than not). As someone who has gone to formals with boyfriends, best friends, and guys I got blindly set up with, I am here to save your night.
DO: Ask Your Date In a Social Setting
You don’t need to spell out in roses on his front lawn “Formal?” But, try to grow some tits and don’t text him to ask him either. If you’re not comfortable enough to ask him in person, you probably shouldn’t take him.
DON’T: Ask Your Date When He’s Fucked Up
Once my friend asked a guy while he was blacked out, and he forgot… Needless to say, she was a tad late to the pregame… Boys aren’t the brightest, and gentle reminders are always a good idea.
DO: Wear Something That Makes You Feel Comfortable
While at some times it may seem like prom, it’s not. If you think wearing a long bedazzled dress is cute, have fun tripping over yourself after you and your date split a fifth of Smirnoff. Same thing goes for dresses that don’t fit you properly; I saw WAY too many nip-slips at my last formal. The good thing about formal is that you can make it as casual or as fancy as you like, there aren’t any hard and fast rules- just remember you’re probably going to be hammered and look like a hot mess at the end of the night regardless.
DON’T: Freak Out If Your Date Doesn’t Match
I repeat, this isn’t prom. How many ties do you really expect a dude to have in his tiny ass dorm room or messy ass apartment? If your date is a badass and decides to rock a Lion King themed tie instead of coordinated with your coral colored dress, you should be happy your date doesn’t look like every other basic there.
DO: Dance With Your Date
I don’t care if you have a boyfriend or don’t want to fuck your date, you can still dance and have a good time. Contrary to popular belief, there are other ways to dance besides grinding. You CAN still have a good time on the dance floor with a dude without feeling a half-chub against your ass the whole time, I promise.
DON’T: Feel Pressured To Fuck Your Date
We all know that ultimately, guys choose their dates based on who they think will put out at the end of the night. However, just because a dude decides to graciously invite you to his formal, doesn’t mean that you should feel obligated to hook up with him. Yes, it would be nice, but you’re not a prostitute. Just because a guy spent some money on you doesn’t mean you have to put out. As long as you’re a nice, fun, and cute date (not to mention hot arm candy), he shouldn’t complain.
DO: Make Sure Your Date Brings a Bottle And/Or Cash
Sometimes, boys are clueless and need gentle reminders. You are paying for his ticket, so he should realize that it’s appropriate for him to supply a bottle for the pregame and/or cash for drinks at the formal if it’s a cash bar. Likewise, if it’s his formal, you should consider asking if he wants you to get a bottle.
DON’T: Pregame Too Hard
Take it from someone who has done it… My date once was sweet enough to buy a huge handle of Jack Honey. I got so excited that I chugged it straight for the entire pregame. Needless to say, after showing up to Formal for 20 minutes, being fed a breadstick and passing out on the table, I was asked to leave. Puking on your own formal dress isn’t a cute look for anyone (even me).
DO: Socialize
This isn’t a wedding, you’re allowed to dance with your other friends that are in attendance. And you don’t need to cling to your dates side like you’re siamese twins, he probably wants to bro out too.
DON’T: Ditch Your Date
Okay, so maybe he’s belligerent and keeps asking if you want to make out. Maybe his dance moves look straight out of the disco-era; but either way it’s his formal and you should try to have a good time with him. If you’re a bitch and leave him alone to hang out with your girlfriend’s (or worse, another hottie in his fraternity), you are going to look like a bitch and no one is going to want to take you to a formal again! (Okay… maybe a bit exaggerated there)