Tips and Tricks for Official Dress

Walking down the streets of Indianapolis at the 91st National FFA Convention and Expo, taking in the sights of the sea of blue jackets. Nothing could go wrong, that's until I trip and my heel runs across my shin as I stumble to regain my footing. Now I am completely fine, my pride maybe bruised a little, but one thing has not survived the trip. It is my pantyhose. They now have a huge run down the front, and I am embarrassed. Maybe we haven't found ourselves in this exact situation in Official Dress, but we may have had a mishap with it at some point in our FFA careers. That is why today I’m going to share with you my 6 Tips and Tricks to Official Dress.

1- Collars. I’m sure at some time we have had a problem with the collars of our white button downs. They can be too small, or maybe after a few washes no matter how many times they are ironed they don’t look nice. My tip for this would be to get a men’s button down. They collars on men's shirts stay crisp and tall for a long time and are great for keeping up scarves.

2- Pants/ Skirts. Pants and skirts are some of the easier parts to Official Dress, and really don’t give us too many problems. One thing is for certain after doing many hours of walking in them though is they will fall down. A little, very snazzy, trick for this is definitely suspenders. FFA suspenders keep pants and skirts up, and also super fun!

3- Black Shoes. Whether you wear black dress shoes, heels, or flats, after a long day In Official Dress your feet hurt. I combat having sore feet by wearing an insole in my shoe. The gel sole gives me just a little more cushion to keep the pep in my step! Also would recommend carrying around a bandaid or two just in case of blisters. 

4- Scarves. FFA scarves have a handy little adjustable strap on them to help them fit your neck properly, but for some, the scarf is still too big. Using a safety pin can help cinch it up the rest of the way.

5- Pantyhose. Let me say pantyhose are always a pain. They snag and run, and in the winter your legs get cold. So here is what I have learned from the many times I have worn them. If you don’t want to wear a skirt and pantyhose then you don’t have to, you can wear pants instead. If you do wear a skirt then I have more advise. Let's say you have a small snag that could turn into a run. Use clear nail polish, or hairspray to keep the hole from getting any bigger. Maybe you have a little hole and can see skin, use a pen or marker. Color in the hole. Also when putting on pantyhose make sure to remove rings or bracelets, also make sure you don’t have a hangnail that could catch. Trying to avoid snagging or running and just want a really good pair of pantyhose. I wear Hanes Silk Reflections and let me tell ya those are some good ones.

6- Jackets. Maybe you had a big mishap in your jacket and now have a stain. Do not wash it yourself! Have your jacket dry cleaned. Also if you haven’t discovered already, you have inside pockets in that blue corduroy. Use those to fill with little things that can help you through a long contest, or workshop. I split the use of my pockets. In my right inside pocket, I always have a few safety pins and bobby pins, a band-aid or two, chapstick, and a tide to go pen. On the left, I carry a pen, some business cards, and little sticky note with a happy little reminder to keep me going.

Whether we are at a contested, convention, or workshop, remember to lend a hand to someone if you can. Remind them to tuck their tallywacker, straighten their scarf or tie and wish them the best. I hope my time spent having some mishaps in Official Dress can help you avoid some of the mistakes I’ve had to combat.

As always in Blue and Gold, 

Your Southwest State Vice President,

Gwen Back