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I attend a small school where we don’t have a senior banquet but my boyfriend’s school does. He invited me to go and I’m not sure what to wear. A short dress or a long one? Fancy or not fancy. Please help!

–Harper, Maine

Assuming this is not a prom — but a banquet — where you wouldn’t be expected to wear a prom dress, you can be more creative with how you dress.

Look through your closet or in a thrift shop for a tartan plaid skirt of any length to wear with an oversized thin, light-weight pullover black sweater along with your best boots — booties or high. Not motorcycle-style boots. You want to look dressed for attending a social dinner in a scholastic setting.

Another dressy casual look would be a floral top with a solid skirt and a cardigan sweater to tie around your waist. Or vice versa, floral skirt with a solid top. Both florals and tartan plaids are popular this winter for a pop of color, but look best when worn along with a solid color.

Also trending is the image to this answer to your left. A black leotard-style dress with long sleeves that falls above the knee. The correct length would be no shorter than the length of your arm when it is resting along your side and your fingers are extended to your thigh. Worn with high knee socks and platform cork shoes the dress looks even cooler.

If I were you, I would ask another girl who will be going to the banquet what she’s wearing. Do a bit of homework to find out what the dress code is for the girls.

If that’s not possible, ask your BF if you can look at his year book from last year to find photos of the banquet. They will show what the girls wore and you can update the look to suit your style.

To get a sense of trending outfits, take a look at these websites:  JCrew.com, Reformation.com, NastyGal.com (don’t be put off by the name, it is a totally cool site), BetseyJohnson.com, and RentTheRunway.com — where you can not only buy or just browse, but rent a dress as well.

The key here is to find out the dress code for the banquet and adapt from your wardrobe — improvising to express your own look.

In my opinion, where length is concerned go short or midi. Possibly a maxi, but not an evening gown. You would only wear a gown if your date was wearing a tuxedo. Ask him what he’s wearing, because that might also help you decide what to wear.

~Didi