13Year Old Needs Formal Advice

[SBGeek]

I'm a 13 year old guy, I'm going on a Carnival cruise this Febuary and I have no clue whatsoever to wear to the Formal Night. Any and all advice is welcome and appriciated.

 

-Ryan-

[mtaylor04]

Do you have a suit, if so I would suggest you wear the suit. If not you can rent a tux and have it delivered straight to your room on the ship. Young men look very handsome when dressed up.

[Andee]

When my son was your age, we were able to find suits at consignment stores for very reasonable prices.

[Happy ks]

When my son was 13, I purchased him a black sportscoat, dark tan dress slacks and white shirt/tie, along with black dress shoes and socks. He is now 17 and, fortunately, is just now growing out of the sportscoat (at 13 he was 6'3", I was worried he'd get a lot taller than that!). We don't have an immediate need for another sportscoat, but I will do the same for him in the near future.

 

You would be surprised at all the opportunities he has had to wear the above and we have added to his shirt/tie combinations several times, he has a nice selection now. There have been school functions, weddings, more cruises that he has not only been all set for, but friends are impressed with his look. He actually loves to get a bit dressed up and is one of the only ones who wears a jacket to events, most young men only wear the shirt/tie.

 

My point is, shop for sales, get something that fits you (doesn't look borrowed from dad!), wear it often to get your moneys worth. You will look so handsome and feel so good about yourself!

[Happy ks]

I should add that, in the time he has had his sportscoat and slacks, my DD has needed a new dress for almost every event, she has grown and, we girls just change our minds more. The $200 or so I spent for the son is less than half of what I've spent on the daughter!

[SBGeek]

Thanks for the quick replies everyone. Guess I'm up for a shopping trip in the near future.:D

[Happy ks]

BTW, you sound like a great kid!

[Ehpride]

Definitely go for a suit. Or a tux even. Guys sometimes don't realize how great they look dressed up. One of my college roommates practically swoons when she sees a guy in a suit.

[SailingGal]

My 12 and 8 year old daughters just returned from a 9 night cruise on RCCL. On the formal nights they opted for long or ankle length gowns. We found fantastic buys on Ebay. Monkey Wear is a great line for youthful yet grown-up formal wear. At the captain's dinner they even opted for tiaras. They had a fantastic time wearing them and received many compliments. It made for a really fun festive evening. If our 8 year old had her way she would have worn her crown everywhere....she truly felt like a princess! Don't worry you will have a fantastic time no matter what you select.

[SailingGal]

Oops...just realized this was a guy question. My son also on the cruise opted for a tux because he and his father wanted to do something special. Honesly, most young men wore suits or even a suit jacket with coordinating pants. Almost all of the young men I saw wore ties.

[Jane110]

I think it's just terrific that you want to dress appropriately. At your age, I certainly wouldn't go for a tuxedo unless it's easily affordable for your family. A suit or a separate sports jacket w/ dress trousers will probably give you alot more mileage for other dressy events you may be be invited to.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Jane