I did homecoming a little differently this year. Instead of going all out myself, I wanted to capture the excitement and creativity of the night. I have always loved the brief moments before I enter the dance floor, when I can take in all of the dresses, shoes, suits, bowties and corsages that move past me. For most people, there is no other event in the year that gives one the excuse to dress like royalty, a Disney princess or whatever you may want. This year I picked out my favorite ensembles and attempted to capture the ingenuity and out-of-the-box looks that walked through the door that Saturday night.

Firstly, what seemed to be the most popular look of the night was velvet. I saw every color velvet, but especially red. When velvet came back to the runway in 2014, through Tadashi Shoji and Burberry, I swore up and down that velvet would never make it to the Midwest. Even though I held little faith in the longevity of the trend, I still embraced it myself. Everything from the texture, to the way light hits it when you wear it, to the timeless look it gives any outfit I pair it with, makes me love the fabric. So, when I saw so many girls wearing velvet that night I naturally got excited.

Tatum Halla, a sophomore, wore one of my favorite velvet ensembles, which she told us was scored at Forever 21. With hair in a simple semi-updo and a necklace that barely traced her collarbone, she exuded chic.

Anna Oberweiser, a sophomore, went with a non-traditional bohemian ensemble, sported black Converse and a yellow velvet dress from Urban Outfitters.

Amara Neitzke, a junior at North, wore a cherry red crushed velvet pencil dress from Windsor. When asked why she chose velvet for the occasion, Neitzke said, “It was non-traditional, and that’s why I loved it. I paired it with a denim jacket and a black velvet choker; I thought it looked very 90s.”

Velvet wasn’t the only trend that came to North that Saturday. I saw suspenders and bowties galore, as many boys deviated from the traditional shirt-and-tie combo that can get quite boring.

Although suspenders can be a fashion don’t, as some of us might have learned during middle school after experimenting with the “nerdy” fad that Hot Topic debuted, this homecoming proved that they can be just as classy as they are cringe-worthy. The look was often paired with nontraditional button ups, and I give an A+ to Isaac Quinones for wearing his bow tie and suspenders with a floral shirt.

A few other noteworthy outfits that I feel deserve recognition are as follows:

Joey Dehuring had the best sock choice, red sneakers and cuffed jeans. Plus, the cute bowtie made his outfit stick out from the crowd in the best way. I commend his date Clare Pelky for sticking with the prettiest color palette: baby blue, silver, and gold; even her makeup matched.

When I asked Lydia Paulow where she bought her dress, she told me she’d gotten it from drama storage. It had originally been a floor length bridesmaid dress from the late 90s, and she’d hemmed it to fit the occasion. I’m just a little upset I hadn’t thought of that one myself. Also, and I will swear to you, silk is the next big thing.

Sam Van Boxtel’s outfit just made me laugh. “I didn’t know I was going to homecoming.” Even so, he looked good.

If you can’t tell at first glance, Sam Woo’s tie is ALL flags; I also like the pink oxford.

Lastly, I had to include Carter King and Izabella LeCaptain, because they were, hands down, the classiest looking couple at homecoming. Both of you get two thumbs up.