St Andrews Black-Tie: A Conundrum

Before I came to St Andrews, I noticed that people I knew who were already here always seemed to be posting from some black-tie event or another. And now that I’m here, I feel like me and my friends seem to attend far more balls than my friends at other universities. Maybe it’s because sometimes a night out at 601 isn’t enough, or maybe we’re just a student body who are very passionate about raising money through the wearing of black-tie.

Whatever the reason for our attendance at these extravagant balls, the big question I always ask (after ‘Are you going?’) is always ‘What are you wearing?’ I’ve found that though all the balls are black-tie, they seem to have their own distinct dress codes. 

Like most freshers, my first introduction to St Andrews balls was the Kate Kennedy Club’s Opening Ball. As we gathered on South Street, girls dressed in rainbow, including reds, pinks, blues, greens, and whites, standing in anticipation as the buses started taking us to the venue. Armed with a pair of black heels and a yellow midi dress (which my sister said looked like a nightdress), Bowhouse was my oyster. Though I did love my dress, my heels came off maybe an hour after dinner and were later traded for a borrowed pair of trainers for my walk home.  

It wasn’t until Welly Ball that I realised how much more fun balls were when my feet didn’t hurt, a realisation that changed my entire outlook on going out. For Welly, ball-goers traded their floor-length gowns for mini-dresses to flaunt their footwear. Yet again, dresses seemed to be in every colour imaginable, but with far more dark-coloured or black dresses as we entered the winter months (a trend which seemed to carry into the various Christmas balls). 

As we’ve come more into the Spring months, I’ve been seeing more colour injected back into our ball attire. This semester, hall balls seem to have been every other weekend which means that everyone is posting in more and more dresses —I’m adding to my mental list of ones to borrow next year. 

With May Ball not long away, I want to ask all my friends ‘Are you going?’ which is often followed up by ‘What are you wearing?’ As we approach summer, almost all of my friends have decided to wear bright colours. The most popular colours among my friends seem to be reds and pinks while there are also a few in green and blue and another couple of my friends going for florals.

Another running theme I’ve seen among the dresses my friends and I have decided on, is lots of strapless dresses. Even in the winter months, sleeveless formal dresses tend to be the most popular style. But as we come into summer, the strapless style feels summery yet elevated. Particularly for darker coloured dresses and making them feel more season-appropriate. 

With May Ball fast approaching, yet again people are asking ‘What are you going to wear? I’ve found myself asking my friends this same thing while I try to work out what I’m going to decide on…