The Pre-Debutante Cotillion, commonly known as PDC, is a tradition for Atlanta-area high school students. Each grade has a separate dance, with all three upperclassmen dances in the winter season. On the other hand, Freshman PDC is in the spring and with the season comes an opportunity for Westminster students to wear spring colors and styles.

Many girls would say that finding a PDC dress can be difficult, as the options for the dresses can seem limited, and oftentimes many girls will end up wearing the same dresses. For this reason, many girls start trying to find the perfect dress months before the dance While online shopping makes it easier to shop at any time and look at more options, the process is still a daunting task. Most Westminster girls order at least 3 to 5 dresses before finding the perfect one. Although there are countless online stores, most Westminster girls look to Revolve or Lulu’s for their dresses. Revolve has many different dresses all different styles, but most dresses are priced on the higher end. Lulu's, on the other hand, has many dresses under $100 which are typically comparable in quality to those of Revolve. Some other online retailers we recommend for shopping for dresses are Likely, BCBG, Nordstrom, Tootsie’s, and Bloomingdale’s.

Since many Westminster girls shop at these select stores, finding a dress no one else will have can be very difficult. For the spring dance, freshman girls have historically favored solid spring-colored and white dresses typically with some kind of ruffle detail. Popular colors include bright spring colors such as white, pink, blue, and red. In an effort to stand out against the crowd, freshman Virginia Miller opted for a printed dress still fitting with typical spring colors. Many freshman girls revealed that they had been contemplating the color of their dress for a while before even beginning to look. For example, Cate Stevens had already decided that she wanted to wear a white dress so that she could wear a bright shoe. This has become a common trend among not only freshman, but all grades, to wear either a white or black dress to place emphasis on a statement shoe. Others opt for a nude, white, or black shoe to make their dress the statement of the outfit. Our recommendations for shoe shopping include Revolve, Steve Madden, Lulu’s, Nordstrom, Sam Edelman, and Bloomingdales.

One Westminster freshman, Campbelle Searcy, made her dress for the big night in an effort to wear something original that no one else would have. Though Campbelle has been sewing for years, it was not until taking part in the altruistic fashion JanTerm that she decided to pursue her idea and begin designing her dress. After spending time sketching and picking a palette to complement her undertones, Campbelle picked out patterns, fabrics, and materials to start her project which she said took many weekends to work on as she is very busy with school and other activities. Though the project took time and concentration, she says that she would definitely do it again if she were to attend the dance again because she loved the process.

In addition, freshmen attending their first PDC stressed the importance of comfort since you will be wearing the dress for six hours while dancing with friends. Freshman Alessandra Higley found her dress only three days before the dance, so her tip to the incoming freshman is, “Don't wait until the last minute, because I was stressed about not having a dress.” Cate Stevens also added that if an underclassman does get their dress from Revolve or Lulu’s that they should scroll for a while because there is a high chance someone else will have the same dress.

Freshman PDC Fashion

JORDAN SGROSSO