Looking Your Best For Harvard's Biggest Ball

So the heavens are smiling on you. You won the ticket lottery or better yet, the person of your dreams has asked you to go to the 350th ball next weekend. Now comes the hard part.

What do you wear?

For guys, the answer is relatively easy. Black tie means a black tuxedo jacket with black pants and a white pleated shirt. Male ball-goers interested in getting a little more formal may want to trade in the tuxedo jacket for a tailcoat.

Despite the name, black tie does not mean that men must sport a black tie. In fact, many men satisfy their zest for flamboyance by sporting silk and satin cummerbunds in bright colors and madras patterns.

Unlike their escorts, however, female ball-goers face a dizzying array of apparel choices. Basically, anything that wouldn't look ridiculous beside a tuxedo goes. Gown lengths range from floor length to well above the knee, and most dresses are usually made of some combination of lace, taffeta, silk, satin and velvet.

"There is really no dress code. People should wear what they feel most comfortable in, although it should also be their best stuff," says Elizabeth Gillis '82, co-chairman of the committee which planned the event. "I'll be wearing a very simple black dress."

While Cinderella's fairy godmother may have materialized a dress out of thin air, real life ballgoers still must go out shopping to find the right clothing to celebrate Harvard's big bash in style.

Prince Charming

Tuxedos are particularly appropriate for the 350th ball because it takes place exactly 100 years after the first tuxedo was worn in Tuxedo Park, N.Y. on October 11, 1886, Gillis says.

When searching for a tuxedo, men should look for "comfort, a good fabric and of course a good fit," says Lowell resident Mischa A. Frusztajer '89, a member of the Krokodiloes. A good quality tuxedo retails for $300 to $500.

At the Crimson Shop, 16 Dunster St., the undergraduate tuxedo business has been heavier than usual. "We've sold a couple of dozen tuxedos since the end of the summer," says one store employee. The Crimson Shop's tropical wool tuxedo jacket and pants set retails for $315.

However for those undergraduates who don't have a lot of money to burn, Keezer's Harvard Community Exchange, at 140 River St., has probably been Harvard students' most popular source of second-hand formal wear for years. "It's the busiest September we've ever had. We can't even keep track of the sales," says Leonard I. Goldstein, who runs Keezer's. "There's a whole new shipment coming in Monday."

Keezer's sells both new and used tuxedos at prices substantially less than department stores. A new tropical wool jacket sells for $97.50, while new pants retail for $45. Used clothing is even less expensive; jackets are $35, and pants are $12.50.

Ruffles Are Out

Undergraduates appear to prefer jackets with shawl collars (rounded style), although the notch collar (as on a sports jacket) is also popular, says Goldstein. "The shawl collar is a more classic style," says Frusztajer, who owns several tuxes for on-stage performances.

Nor is the tuxedo accessory business suffering these days around Cambridge. While black silk bow tie and cummerbund sets costing $16.50 are the most popular choice at Keezer's, patrons at the Crimson Shop prefer brighter colors. "Patterned silk brocades are doing really well," one employee says.

However, colored cummerbunds present certain color-coordination problems with one's date. "What I wear depends on what the girl is wearing. You have to match the cummerbund to the dress," says Paul S. Sherman '88, another tuxedo aficianado in the Kroks.

In shirts, most students prefer simple pleats. "Ruffles are out. They're high school," says Frusztajer. Goldstein notes that shirts with wingtip collars--at $16.50 new and $7.50 used--are particularly popular right now with Keezer's patrons.

The Harvard students who prefer not to shell out substantial amounts of cash to buy a tux turn to Cambridge Formal Wear, at 1902 Massachusetts Ave., where undegrads can rent a tuxedo for $45 or $55 an evening. The rental company currently has an inventory of 400 tuxedos.

Cinderella

While most Harvard men either own tuxedos already or plan to buy them in Cambrige, their escorts will be sporting gowns they purchased over the summer or bought in Boston.

"Harvard Square is a hard place to find anything formal," observes the manager of the shoe department at the Harvard Coop. "Everything is really sporty and trendy."

"New York is the only place to buy a dress for the 350th," says April A.E.J. Tash '89, who was number one in this week's lottery. The Adams House resident bought her black beaded 1920s style dress at a vintage clothing store in New York.

"I got my dress this summer in Paris, because I wanted to go to Paris and my parents said I couldn't go unless I bought some nice clothing," says one Quincy House junior. Her dark pink dress has puffy sleeves and comes to mid-calf.

"I'm wearing a full length violet lace gown with a short black Laura Ashley jacket. I bought it over the summer specifically for [the ball]," says Quincy resident Patricia Yurchack '89.

For undergraduates who haven't planned so far ahead, Looks, 40 Brattle St., sells a variety of satin and taffeta dresses for about $85. "I kept the formal in mind when ordering fall clothes," says store owner Judy Armell.

And at Jordan Marsh, 450 Washington St. in downtown Boston, sales associate Helen Rosie says all this year's dresses seem to be short, above the ankle. "We have a lot of lacy, saloon-girl dresses by Gunne Sax, and dresses with a ruffle in back are also popular," Rosie says. Formal dresses in Jordan Marsh's junior department retail for $84 to $136.

A Filene's buyer, Brenda Hajjar, says "very glitzy looks are in this year. We're really not carrying prom-dressy-type dresses," says the assistant buyer. Beaded tops with silk shirts are among the most popular items at the 426 Washington St. store in Boston.

Since the ball will be held outside, a number of women are debating whether it will be sensible, let alone appropriate, to wear a strapless gown.

"I'm a little nervous that I'm going to be too cold," says Nicole H. Parisier '89. "It really depends on whether the tents are heated."

Price also plays an important role in where students go shopping. "My dress came from Bloomingdale's by way of Filene's basement," says Kristin M. Daly '89. "I'm on financial aid, and I have to pay for everything myself."