Dance the Night Away

The controversial conversation. Why is it customary for high schoolers to wear corsages, boutonnieres or bring bouquets to dances? Well, it started way back in ancient Greece. Originally, brides over 500 years ago wore corsages to deflect odor from bad hygiene, and repel evil spirits and bad luck. Starting around the 16th century, grooms started to participate in the customary action. Males began wearing corsages, or how we call them today, boutonnieres. Flowers gradually became more accepted and people started to wear them at formal events: dances, funerals, weddings, etc.  As science and the world's understanding advanced, hygiene became a less severe problem. Corsages were no longer needed as a perfume, and eventually became a common standard. As the trend of corsages moved west, they were often used in the process of courtship. It was courtesy and expected for men to gift a corsage to their date, especially for a dance. In the 19th century, because proper courting rules were always in conversation, the common placement of a woman's corsage changed. The usual placement was on a womans sleeve, or dress strap. Over the years fashion trends changed and the woman's typical dress strap became to thin to pin a corsage. That is why we know use wrist corsages. As for the men, the boutonniere placement stayed the same and is still placed on the lapel of a man's suit. (Blanchard.) Now that the popularity of flowers used at formal events has grown, we've seen the introduction of more bouquets. Some groups reason corsages are more practical on your wrist, while others believe the bigger bouquet is cuter. Is bigger better? 

Another topic in question is the semi formal attire at the dance. At times the male fashion industry can be very traditional and rarely have as drastic changes as the female industry. One significant way high school teens switch up their outfits deals with one of the most overlooked key aspects, shoes. One big controversy is whether sneakers or dress shoes are better. In 2022, according to NPD Group, "sales of traditional dress shoes in both men’s and women’s fashion have seen double-digit percentage growth." At the time loafers, dress shoes, heels and other elegant shoewear rose in popularity. Now at dances we see more dunks, designer shoes, and sneakers. What do you prefer?

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