What Should Guys Wear to a Sadie? (2024)

The Sadie Hawkins Dance originated in the November 5, 1937 Li’l Abner comic strip. In the comic, Sadie Hawkins was a homely girl whose father was concerned about her marriage prospects. To increase his daughter’s odds of finding a husband, he declared an annual Sadie Hawkins Day where girls would pursue the town’s single men during a foot race. In real life, the tradition was reinterpreted as a dance where girls would ask out the boys. Today, some high schools and colleges have a Sadie Hawkins Dance which cause some boys to not only worry about getting asked to the dance, but also what to wear.

Tuxedo

A tuxedo is worn at black-tie affairs and typically consists of a black jacket in a wooven wool material, a notch or peak lapel in a fabric that contrasts with the jacket, matching black pants with a narrow, vertical strip of black ribbon on the side of each pant leg, a white tuxedo shirt with contrasting button covers, a black silk bow-tie and cumme*rbund and black shoes. Add a youthful touch to the classic tuxedo look by wearing a printed or colorful bow tie and matching cumme*rbund. Also, you can swap out your cumme*rbund for a vest. However, tuxedos are typically not the norm at Sadie Hawkins dances since most schools only have one formal or black-tie dance a year which tends to be prom rather than the Sadie Hawkins dance. If you are unsure whether a tuxedo is too formal for the dance, look up pictures of last year’s dance in a school yearbook or on an online social networking site or consult with a peer who attended last year’s dance.

Suit Looks

The classic suit, also known as a business suit, is another formal wardrobe option for guys. A 2-piece suit outfit consists of a suit jacket, trousers, a dress shirt, a tie and dress shoes. A 3-piece suit incorporates a vest in typically the same fabric and color as the suit jacket and trousers. Choose a single-breasted blazer over a double-breated blazer for a more contemporary look. You can personalize your suit look by choosing a colored or print shirt and a coordinating striped or patterned tie. Experiment with pocket squares, cuff links and ties of varying lengths and widths to show off your personal style. A modern, less formal way to wear a classic suit is to forego the tie and unbutton the dress shirt’s top button.

Smart Casual Jacket Looks

Wear khaki pants, a dress shirt, a navy sport coat, brown leather shoes and a tie for a classic look that is less formal and more youthful than a suit. For a preppy nautical look, swap your khaki pants for pants in a weathered red hue known as Nantucked Red and wear brown leather boat shoes or loafers. Finish off your look with a striped tie. This look will effortlessly compliment your date’s sundress or short dress in a lightweight, summery fabric. If you feel overdressed when you get to the dance, you can always remove your blazer and tie, unbutton your top shirt button and untuck your shirt. Another modern smart casual look consists of tailored dark-wash jeans, a button-down dress shirt, a dark suit jacket and black leather shoes.

Everyday Informal Looks

Some guys choose to dress informally to the Sadie Hawkins dance in the same everyday clothing that they wear to school and on weekends. If it is cold outside, dress in layers such as pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sweater. If it still hot and humid outside, then lightweight pants and a polo shirt in a breathable fabric are a good choice. A dance held in your school gym will most likely be less formal than a dance held in a hotel ballroom. Also, read over your school’s dress code when preparing for a school function. Clothing with offensive language or images, pants that are excessively baggy or worn too low or items of clothing that may symbolize gang affiliation are frequently prohibited. If you are unsure about your outfit, then check with a school administrator before wearing it to the dance. However, the most important thing to remember when picking an outfit for the dance is to be confident. When you look back on the dance, you will remember whether you had fun with your friends or date, not your outfit.

What Should Guys Wear to a Sadie? (2024)

FAQs

What Should Guys Wear to a Sadie? ›

Guys, you don't want to go to a more casual dance wearing a tuxedo or suit. I suggest wearing khakis and a light blue, button up shirt. I've included photos of khakis from Diesel, a shirt from CARVEN, shoes from Vans, a bowtie from Jaeger and a watch from Cheapo.

What is the dress code for Sadie Hawkins dance? ›

It's not prom, but it's still a party, so a dress or dressy outfit is what most girls wear to the Sadie Hawkins dance. Curious about who Sadie is and why she has a dance named after her? Here's a good article, which also looks at the cultural fit of a the “girls ask the boys” dance in the 21st century.

Do girls ask guys to sadies dance? ›

Basically, the idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance is that the girls ask their desired date to the dance, as opposed to the men (in their conventional gender role) inviting their dates. While in the 1950s this may have been a big deal, now, girls ask their crushes to dances ALL the time and, seriously, it's NBD.

Is Sadie's a formal dance? ›

A Sadie Hawkins dance or turnabout is a usually informal dance sponsored by a high school, middle school or college, to which the ladies invite the gentlemen to be their dates.

What do guys wear to sadies? ›

Guys, you don't want to go to a more casual dance wearing a tuxedo or suit. I suggest wearing khakis and a light blue, button up shirt.

Is Sadies like Homecoming? ›

Part of the traditional school dances (Homecoming, Prom, etc), there is also the Sadie Hawkin's dance. The difference about Sadie's is that girls invite the boys, contrary to Homecoming and Prom. Sadie's usually takes place in the springtime and is typically informal.

Why do they call it Sadie Hawkins? ›

The history behind Sadie Hawkins is that back in the 1930s, a father was worried that his daughter, Sadie Hawkins, wouldn't find a suitable husband so he organized a Sadie Hawkins day so she could find one. The women in town would literally chase after the bachelors and whoever they caught was required to marry them.

What does Sadie mean dance? ›

Sadie Hawkins Day is an informal holiday involving dances or other social events in which girls are encouraged to ask boys to attend with them as their date. Such a dance is sometimes called a Sadie Hawkins dance or simply a Sadie Hawkins or a Sadie.

Why are girls attracted to guys who can dance? ›

Tiera Beale, a sophom*ore health fitness specialist major, said, "Well, my boyfriend is a good dancer … he can seem more attractive when he dances." Researchers say women correlate dance moves with physical fitness, and they may also believe that a man's dance skills indicate his skills as a lover.

Who pays for dinner at a Sadie Hawkins dance? ›

This type of dance is better known as Sadie Hawkins, a tradition where the girls ask guys to the dance and pay for dinner and tickets to shake up traditional school-dance-etiquette norms and be progressive, but the premise of the dance is outdated and restrictive of who does the asking.

What happens on Sadie Hawkins Day? ›

Sadie Hawkins Day is an American folk event and pseudo-holiday originated by Al Capp's hillbilly comic strip Li'l Abner (1934–1977). The annual comic strip storyline inspired real-world Sadie Hawkins events, the premise of which is that women ask men for a date or dancing.

What is the traditional Sadie Hawkins dance? ›

“Sadie Hawkins” as regards a high school tradition, is an annual dance to which girls ask boys, rather than the traditional boy asks girl. The tradition reflects a time when boys asked girls to go on dates, to dance, to marry, etc. The opposite was not acceptable.

Who asks Charlie to the Sadie Hawkins dance? ›

Mary Elizabeth invites Charlie to the Sadie Hawkins dance, which is a dance where the girl invites the boy.

How do you casually ask a guy to dance? ›

Ask them in person.

Not having a bunch of people or friends around will make you both more comfortable. Make it simple, to start, say something like “Hey, could I speak to you a moment?” Then, once the two of you are alone ask, “I was wondering if you'd like to go to the dance with me?”

Who pays for dinner at Sadie Hawkins dance? ›

The person issuing the invitation pays for the dinner unless you've worked it out otherwise before you get to the restaurant.

Is winter formal a Sadie Hawkins dance? ›

However, many schools still uphold that tradition and have at least one “Sadie Hawkins” type of dance. This means that the girls have to ask the guys to the dance rather than vice versa. A lot of high schools are known to make their “Winter Formal” dance similar to this.

What was Hawkins dance style? ›

In contrast to the intense contractions and shaped positions typical of the Graham technique, Hawkins favored muscular release and free-flowing patterns of movement in a pursuit of effortless movement and seamless transitions.

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