Revealed: The official high school formal cheat sheet

From arriving in a Ford Escort to a Ford Mustang, the school formal has evolved markedly over the decades. This is what parents of today’s kids need to know.

Cooper Moore and Charlotte McCulloch ready for their formal.

This is a tale of two formals.

Both are set in our fair city, but one, thankfully, well before the dawn of social media.

In fact, it seems a lifetime ago that I attended the Aquinas Catholic College Class of 1994 formal at the Sheraton Mirage.

Only one blurry Polaroid remains of that chilly June night, when I arrived in the finest of style … as passenger in my boyfriend’s white Ford Escort panel van, complete with the name of his favourite band stencil-sprayed on the back in blood red: ‘Bad Religion’.

Aquinas 1994 formal - Gordon Forman and Ann Wason Moore.

I was wearing a burgundy chiffon gown that I designed myself with gold lace detailing that matched the elbow-length gloves my mother hand-sewed for me (fingerless gloves, I might add … my phalanges far exceeded her stitching skills).

My crowning glory was to be a delicate floral wreath sitting upon my sweet head. Alas, the florist thought I meant a wreath for a front door and the thing was so chunky and heavy that I had to snip the front section off my forehead lest I snap my neck. So I ended up looking like an ancient Greek … an ancient grunge Greek.

However, all of this paled next to my partner’s ensemble. Not only did he look dapper in a suit, he paired it with a satin waistcoat bearing the image of Wile E Coyote from Looney Tunes, which he had purchased from 90s novelty store Granny May’s (RIP).

Classy.

There were no pre’s, our after-party was at another student’s house somewhere out the back of Arundel and we all slowly froze during that cold winter’s night.

Compare this to my son’s high school event this past weekend. He wore a perfectly-tailored suit, had a partner who looked like a supermodel in a stunning but simple blue dress, and they rolled up in a 1967 Ford Mustang convertible (courtesy of some incredible parent friends – shout-out to Liv and Mark) complete with pyrotechnics on their arrival.

The pre-formal started mid-afternoon, there were tables of snacks and drinks and there were more photoshoots than at an influencer convention.

Cooper Moore and Charlotte McCulloch arriving at their formal.

Even the after-party was perfectly organised in a warehouse in an industrial area with clear instructions on pick-up times and rules that allowed for plenty of fun, but no trouble.

While some might say it’s all too much, I think these kids deserve it.

The truth is that our students are under so much pressure, they deserve a night to celebrate with their mates – and for their families to celebrate their wins with them.

But there is no denying it can still be a stressful event, and I’m grateful to have had a trial run with my son before it’s my daughter’s turn in 2026.

So here are my top tips on how to not only survive but savour what should be a night to remember.

1. It’s less about dates, more about mates

I’ll admit I’m kind of a fan of the prom-posal (where someone is asked to formal in a semi-elaborate spectacle that is, of course, filmed for social media) but then I’m a sucker for the over-dramatic. Still, the best part about formal is it’s a real chance for the whole year level to have fun and bond. Everyone is invited and, hopefully, everyone has fun. I don’t believe that high school will necessarily be the best days of your life (in fact, I think it’s kind of sad if you peak that early) but it can have some truly great moments – and formal can be one.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Whether your school hosts the big night at the start, middle or end of the year, whether it’s at an amazing venue or somewhere more pedestrian, it ultimately doesn’t matter in the long run. Every date and every place has its benefits and drawbacks, so just accept it and focus on the big picture – a milestone night for your grown-up baby.

3. Budget? What budget?

Don’t feel guilty or pressured to spend a lot or a little, because I can guarantee that someone else will have spent more or less. Buy a dress, rent a dress, borrow a dress … as long as your child feels good and you’re comfortable with the spend, you’ve succeeded. Besides, even the biggest of budgets is no prediction of style success.

4. Organise a co-curricular parent party

Sure, it can feel like the day is crammed with pre-formal, formal and post-formal parties, but don’t forget about yourself. Our parent cohort organised a party across the road from the actual formal so that there was not only something to do before student pick-up time, but because it was a great chance to reconnect with mums and dads we haven’t seen since the days of primary school playdates. The best part was that we all understood the joy and the tears of night … we listened and we did not judge.

5. Don’t hate on social media formal spam

Scroll past if you’re not interested, but just let us be proud of our beautiful babies.

Originally published as Revealed: The official high school formal cheat sheet