This past Friday, I attended my final Chi Omega formal of my college career… That’s just as weird to type as it is to comprehend! As hard as it is to believe, senior year is really starting to come to a close.
Carnation Ball was absolutely incredible and I can honestly say that it was one of the very best formal experiences I’ve had during my time at Loyola. Being surrounded by some of my very best friends, all dressed up and dancing the night away to our favorite songs, made Friday truly the perfect evening.
What I Wore
Solace London Dress (Rented from Rent The Runway Chicago) – Hair & Makeup ℅ Gold Plaited – Topshop Heels ℅ (similar style here) – Kendra Scott Earrings & Ring – Monica Vinader Bracelet ℅ – Bite Beauty Lip Crayon in “Glacé”
For old time’s sake (and because he’s a super fun dance partner) I brought one of my best buds, Connor, as my date! We’ve gone to quite a few formals and semi formals together over the years, but this was by far one of my favorite events and outfits.
Carnation Ball was held downtown at Pazzo’s at Three-Eleven and the venue was stunning! It had a massive vaulted greenhouse style ceiling and marble everywhere you turned. I had seen photos online beforehand, but they really didn’t do the space justice.
I did something a bit different for my dress this time around and I used Rent the Runway for the first time ever! I was able to go to their store in downtown Chicago with my friends, Tori & Elle, to work with a stylist to find the perfect dress and this one was actually the very first one that I put on! I tried on all the other dresses that my stylist, Lynsey, had set aside for me as well, but we all agreed that this was the one! It’s definitely a bit different from what I usually go for, but I felt like a million bucks in this dress and I’m so happy that I decided to go out of my comfort zone a bit! (It also helped that I wasn’t actually buying the dress, just renting it, so I felt much better about doing something more out-of-the-box since I wasn’t having to invest in a super expensive dress.)
I decided to stay relatively simple when it came to jewelry with this look, so I only wore earrings, a bracelet and a ring. Typically, I stack on my jewelry and layer necklaces and bracelets, but these chandelier statement earrings by Kendra Scott ended up being the perfect detailed piece to go with the dramatic back and lines of my dress. They were also surprisingly light and didn’t hurt my ears at all throughout the night, which was a pleasant surprise! I’m really looking forward to continuing to wear them now with more casual outfits as a way to add some luxe to what could be otherwise pretty basic outfits.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to the gals over at Gold Plaited for doing my formal hair and makeup for me this year! I am SO happy with how it turned out and the ladies that did my hair and makeup for me were both amazing!!! They worked on me together (At the same time!) and I was all ready to go in less than an hour and a half! I felt like I was being prepped backstage for a runway show. I’ve never had my makeup professionally done like this before, so that was truly a treat. I have gotten my hair done before for events, but this was by far the best experience that I’ve ever had. I brought in some pictures for inspiration and they followed them to a T, so I got exactly what I was hoping for! I would highly suggest Gold Plaited if you’re ever looking for a place to do your hair and/or makeup for an event. They’re seriously fantastic! (Also, check out the cute little photo spot that they have in the salon!)
Photography by Ola Wysocki
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Given the fact that this was my last formal, it was certainly a bittersweet experience, but it was one that I will always remember and cherish as one of my favorite Chi Omega and college memories. One of the very last songs that they played was “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds from The Breakfast Club. I have a tendency to associate certain songs with specific memories, so now I know that every time I hear that song I’ll be taken back to Carnation Ball 2017, my final Chi O formal. ❤️
Senior year is quickly coming to a close, but here’s to all that’s to come!
