18 Style Lessons From The Least Boring People At The Inaugural Balls

So, it wasn’t just all stuffy old people wearing fashion-backwards formal attire.

1. Necklines needn’t be conservative.

2. Show off your tattoos.

She obviously took a page from Lena Dunham’s book.

3. Don’t just opt for a fancy updo or a curled-under bob.

Instead, this lady chose a hairstyle straight off a 1988 Betsey Johnson runway show.

4. Push the boundaries of what formal attire actually means.

Hot pink fringe that starts at the waist? It certainly counts as floor-length.

5. Instead of a hair clip, wear a tiny hat.

Newsflash: people above the age of 30 buy crafts from Etsy (where there are currently 331 tiny handmade hats for sale).

6. Don’t just go for beads and sequins.

Indiscernible gown embellishments can work, too. Are these bows? Rosettes? Why are they fuzzy?

7. Instead of pumps, stay comfortable in your everyday sassy footwear.

8. Wear every kind of color and texture imaginable.

Melissa Joan Hart wouldn’t have even had the balls to wear this cardigan during her Clarissa days.

9. Pretend you’re at a pageant.

10. You CAN wear out-there eyeliner with bold lipstick.

To everyone who says that you can only wear one or the other — you are WRONG.

11. Don a suit of armor.

You never know when those Xena Warrior Princess powers are going to come in handy.

12. Add a fuzzy boa.

13. Pile on the necklaces.

Neck parties are the new arm parties.

14. Pile on the butt ruffles.

Butt parties are the new neck parties.

15. Wear three shades of red.

Who said redheads can’t wear red??

16. Don’t just give little French-style pecks on the cheek when greeting someone.

FULL ON MAKE OUT.

17. Deck out your shoulder with architectural cutouts.

18. Maximalism is the new minimalism.

Photographs by Macey J. Foronda for BuzzFeed