A new dance calls for a new dress.

Homecoming is usually considered a normal part of everyone’s high school career; however it’s a Williston first. Most follow in the footsteps of what others have wore to the past years’ dances, but for Williston students there’s not yet a path laid.

Williston is hosting the homecoming dance on October 19 in the Reed Campus Center. It will start at 9:00 p.m. and end at 10:30 p.m. Many homecoming proposals have occurred in the excitement for the dance, but dates are not required. The attire requirements have been explained as “semi formal attire”.

Homecoming events started in 1910 at the University of Missouri and were soon adopted by high schools in the 1920s. Events within homecoming typically include a football game, bonfires, homecoming court, and a dance; the purpose being to bring students together to show their support for their school.

In addition to current students, many alumni return to their schools to attend homecoming events; hence the name “homecoming.” It’s a chance for them to reminisce on their high school experience and celebrate the schools existence.

Anna Parker Cuttino, a junior at Wade Hampton High School in Greenville, SC., attended two homecomings this year in two elegant dresses. She wore the “NIGHTLIGHT LOVIN DRESS BLACK” ($75) and “TENNIS FANGIRLING MINI DRESS RED” ($79); both from HELLOMOLLY.

Nora Clauss, a junior at Greenville High School, was in an unfortunate situation with homecoming due to Hurricane Helene, but shares what she wore the previous year.

“Well we haven’t had our homecoming yet because the hurricane delayed it, but in previous years I wore like a short dress,” she said. “I wore red last year, it was not like silky or sparkly, but it was like a nice material.”

Both Anna Parker and Nora agree that at both their schools black is the dominant color worn; Anna Parker added that this year red was a close second.

Anna Parker refers to the “Wrapped In Stylish Satin Mini Dress” ($36.90) from Windsor as the “freshman dress” claiming that all of the freshman girls wear that dress to homecoming. “It comes in like a million colors,” she said.

Homecoming at both Greenville High school and Wade Hampton High have been going on for decades, however the style has changed over the years.

“Well I think, when my sister was there people didn’t really go to homecoming, at Greenville at least. It was also more of like a sundress thing at first,” Nora said.

As teenagers mature, often their style changes as well. Anna Parker says homecoming dresses have matured as students have gotten older.

“I also feel like we are getting older and like it’s more mature. I feel like no one wore flashy dresses this year compared to like last year and freshman year,” she said.

Since Williston is just being introduced to homecoming, there aren’t any set expectations, but students have ideas for what’s to come.

Junior Lauren Counter feels that the dresses for homecoming at Williston are going to fall on the silky side.

However, junior Isabel Sorkin-Camacho, disagrees believing that the dresses will trend toward “sparkly” or “shimmery.”

As for the length, it differs from convocation dresses; there seems to be an unspoken rule of short dresses.

“I think that there’s a difference between the Convocation dresses because a lot of the older girls wear longer dresses [at convocation] verses like homecoming which is like shorter and like simpler dresses,” Lauren said.

Isabel agrees with Lauren saying, “I think almost everyone is wearing short dresses.”

Not only are homecoming dresses different from convocation dresses in length, they are also different in style.

“I think convocation is more summery and flowery and pastel-y while homecoming is more like darker and shimmery,” Isabel said.

The question of color is being debated, Lauren believes majority will wear pastels, where as Isabel feels that darker colors are going to dominant.

Lauren is wearing the “COSMO MINI DRESS SAGE GREEN” ($64) from PRINCESS POLLY, while Isabel is wearing the “Satin Strapless Twist Cutout Dress in Peach” from LUCY IN THE SKY ($49.90). Both of these dress are simple, elegant, silky, and follow the short dress trend.

The brands students are leaning towards for include LUCY IN THE SKY, HELLOMOLLY, Lulus, and PRINCESS POLLY.

While there isn’t one specific dress that everyone is buying, the trend seems to be revolving around dresses similar to the “Satin Sweetheart Neck Dress” (49.90) from LUCY IN THE SKY.