In a show of solidarity and school pride, students and faculty alike united via fashion from Monday, Sept. 15, to Friday, Sept. 19, for Homecoming week’s dress-up days, donning outfits to fit diverse themes ranging from Twin Tuesday to Top Artist Thursday. Prior to Homecoming week, Student Council (StuCo) worked together to come up with unique daily themes while preserving the school’s tradition of spirit and community.

Kicking off Homecoming dress-up week week, students arrived at school dressed as their favorite movie and TV show characters for Movie Character Monday on Monday, Sept. 15. While some engaged with the theme through subtly hinting at the characters in their everyday clothing, others came to school in bold, brightly colored costumes. 

Making an impression on hallway onlookers, Ky’mani Love ’27 came to school dressed as the Lorax, donning a bright orange suit stuffed with a belly at the front, accessorizing with a big yellow mustache to complete the look. On the other hand, some students took a more serious approach, incorporating their own interests into their chosen characters. Akshara Anand ’29 used her golf clubs and baggy golf clothes when dressing up as the titular Happy Gilmore from the 1996 film. 

“I chose Happy Gilmore because I’m a golfer and today was a golf day, so I thought I could just use my golf clubs,” Anand said. “Happy Gilmore’s a really funny guy, and he’s good at golf. He’s like me.”

Anand added that her outfit was composed of items that she already had. Finding closet pieces rather than buying new costumes was a theme throughout the week as students participated in the festivities on a budget.

“My shirt is from my dad and my shorts are from me,” Anand said. “Then, my hat is from one of my tournaments, and then my clubs are tailor-made.”

Blue plaid button-ups and austere slacks flooded the International Baccalaureate (IB) Colony at 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, as approximately 27 students surprised IB Literature teacher Dr. Joshua Plocher by imitating his style for Twin Tuesday. On this day, Warriors across campus could be found matching with their friends, whether it was as simple as chemistry teachers wearing matching laboratory goggles, or as thought-out as StuCo officers dressing up as performative males.

In the days leading up to Twin Tuesday, IB seniors commemorated their final year with a tribute to Dr. Plocher, who is highly involved in the IB community and plans various community events. To coordinate the large-scale twinning, the IB Student Organization (IBSO) officers sent an email with details of what Dr. Plocher usually wears: khaki pants, button-up shirts, and black shoes. 10 minutes before the first bell, his students congregated in the IB Colony, surprising him.

“He was very sarcastic about it,” Nitya Dani ‘26 said. “He was like, ‘I didn’t get the memo,’ but I think he liked it. He was giving us tips on how we did [and] how we dressed up as him. Since it’s my senior year, I would like to make memories. I think dress-up week is cool because I can get photos and especially [as a] senior, I [get to keep those] memories.”

Standing out with their wired earbuds and flannel, Nancy Lu ‘27, Yonnie Yang ‘27, Akshara Anand ‘29, Apple Ma ‘28, and Cara Chow ‘28 dressed up as performative males. The friend group planned this in advance, adding a fun and trendy spin on the day’s theme. Performative males are trending on social media right now, especially among the teen demographic, so the group knew their reference would not go unnoticed. Believing in style on a budget, Yang created her performative male outfit with pieces she already had at home.

“My best accessories are my earbuds and then my lafufu, because I think fast fashion and microtrends are prevalent for performative males,” Yang said. “I’m definitely into fashion, but I’m [usually] more minimalistic than this. It depends on my day-to-day, like how much time I have, but I usually try to go for something comfy but cute.”

Cowboy hats and denim outfits flooded the school on Wednesday, Sept. 17, as students and faculty engaged in a dress-up tradition: Western Wednesday. Participants mixed casual Western wear into their outfits to show school spirit.

Stepping out of her comfort zone, Eva Raymor ’28 incorporated a cowboy hat and pieces with Western motifs. Since she doesn’t usually dress Western, this theme was an opportunity to explore her personal style while showing school spirit.

“This is my friend’s hat. He came up to me today [and said], ‘Is that mine?’,” Raymor said. “I [said], ‘You left it at my house for a year.’ I also like my shirt combination, so I thought it was pretty cool. I haven’t worn this shirt in forever, so it was a big change.”

Teachers also dressed up in Western attire to display Warrior pride. Getting into character, Ms. Christine Mihealsick dressed up in cowboy boots, a plaid shirt, and pigtails to tie the look together.

“I like the combo between the boots [with] the farmer-rancher Western shirt,” Ms. Mihealsick said. “I had these boots, so I had to find a shirt that matched I think it’s really fun to promote school spirit, and it’s fun to see everyone dressed up too.”

From pop star Gracie Abrams to global sensation KATSEYE, musicians were the rage for Top Artist Thursday as students channeled their favorite artists into eye-catching outfits on Thursday, Sept. 18.

Drawing on his interest in ‘60s and ‘70s fashion, Aiden Watson ‘27 incorporated the hippie style in his outfit inspired by the rock band LSD and the Search for God. Since the band hasn’t established a style aesthetic, he added his own flair to the outfit, taking an experimental and era-mixing approach to the dress-up theme. Watson regularly enjoys taking risks with his personal style, prioritizing self-fulfillment and being true to yourself.

“I got really into [the band] when I was really into hippies,” Watson said. “When I think hippies, I think ‘60s [and] ‘70s, and I’m really into the ‘70s fashion. This [outfit] is a mix of a bunch of different eras. I really [thought] of this flamboyant sort of natural brown, so I have these racoons and beads together. I’m really into fashion but I’m [also] really experimental, so it’s either a hit or a flop.”
On the flip side, Bookkeeper Caitlin Ramon based her outfit off of a more contemporaneous artist: the K-pop boy band Stray Kids. Though Ms. Ramon doesn’t usually dress up, she took Thursday’s theme as an occasion to show off her merch acquired from concerts. Last year, at the world-famous music festival Lollapalooza, Ms. Ramon brought freebies to exchange with other K-pop fans. She incorporated bracelets she received from other fans in her outfit.

“[Stray Kids is] my favorite group, and you can find me listening to them a lot in my office,” Ms. Ramon said. “These pants are from when I went to their concert in June, and this was their shirt that I got at their merch table at the concert. Seeing them is always the best part, but I learned last year at Lollapalooza that it was a K-pop thing to give out freebies to other fans and everything. [That was] my first time being like, ‘Let me bring some stuff so we can exchange,’ so I got a lot of keychains, bracelets, and cards and stickers over there.”

Bringing the week to a close, Orange Out Friday welcomed painted senior overalls and school shirts as students showed school pride before the big Homecoming game on Friday, Sept. 19. The halls echoed with the sounds of clanking mums, setting the tone for the festivities.

For SunDancer Lina Saad ’28, the day was about more than just wearing orange — it was about representing the school. 

“We are required to wear this outfit on Fridays or on game days, but it really brings up school spirit.” Saad said. “It’s a great conversation starter to let people know about the game because we want to have maximum attendance, because games are always funner with a bigger student section crowd.”

Making her mum was an opportunity for team-bonding. Saad convened with other SunDancers after school hours and had a mum-making party. For her, Orange Out Friday allowed her to forge stronger friendships with her fellow dancers.

“It took me about 45 minutes, and I made it with a big group of SunDancers,” Saad said. “We had snacks, and we made mums together. We make them to raise school spirit, and they’re just a high school tradition. They’re really cool to see in the hallways and hear the clanking noise.
It just raises school spirit.”

Showcasing another aspect of the theme, Sloane Quealy ’26 spent hours creating a personalized pair of senior jeans, making sure that each detail had meaning. With supplies from Hobby Lobby, she painted her hands white to make handprints on her jeans.

“[The jeans] took me probably five hours [to make],” Quealy said. “I spent a lot of time on the 2026. It has my religion on it, and then I have my boyfriend’s number on it to show that I’m supporting him.”

Both students pointed out the importance of Orange Out Friday closing out the fashionable five days, emphasizing how Homecoming dress-up week is about more than the clothes. Dressing up gives students the chance to support student athletes, whether they’re part of the Warrior Pride dance team or varsity football. 

“On top of all the stressful things happening at Westwood, it’s also just fun to see all the different costumes and see friends really connect through this,” Saad said.