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Scarlet and Kalypso’s Guide to the Summer Ball
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
Some tips and tricks from your Co-Editors (25-26):
Plan outfit wayyy in advance - I’d say have your outfit sorted at least two weeks before, and by sorted I mean accompanying shoes, bags and accessories. Don’t do a Scarlet and have to rush around town DAY OF to find some heels in Zara and matching earrings!
Don’t underestimate ‘getting ready’ time. By the way, you want to book Summer Ball off. If you're one of the unfortunate whose exam falls on the big day, there’s not much we can do about that, but the prepping takes a lot of time. Usually the day seems to go in a blink and suddenly it's time to book an Uber (and you still haven’t eaten, finished painting your nails or found a bag to go with your outfit). Take the day off.
Get ready with friends. Duh. Once the outfit is hung up ready to go, shower is complete and bag is packed [see ideas of what to bring below] invite your besties over. A) Uber will be cheaper when there are more of you car-sharing. B) The summer ball can be overwhelming on arrival, and you can’t risk an evening out with no pictures! An outfit photo shoot in the garden and TikToks are a cute way of showing off the final look and getting that Instagram content. C) After a few giggles and validation of how good you look, you’re bound to arrive on a high!
Photo: Josh Bibby Plan what activities you want to do! I know it sounds a bit too organised for a Summer Ball but honestly we didn’t have a plan which meant there were a lot of activities we didn’t do or bands we missed, so definitely go with an idea of a few things you want to do otherwise it can be quite overwhelming!
What was in my summer ball bag 2025 edition (Scarlet):
Bag is Kalypso’s (don’t fall into the trap of buying brand new accessories to match your outfit, check if your friends have anything suitable first)
Ballet flats
X2 lipsticks
A Ferrerro Rocher bar
My Lumix
Keys, id, phone…
For all those firming the heels, don’t be overconfident. Expect those pumps to make an appearance. Lipstick always comes in two shades, you never know what colour you’ll fancy.
A sweet treat will always qualify for bag space, it’s a long night.
The racecourse as a backdrop will look so pretty on film or digi, the summer ball is the final big event with all your uni friends, make those mems!
And finally all the essentials…
What was in my summer ball bag 2026 (Kalypso):
I took the same bag Scarlet took last year and I must admit it’s not my favourite but definitely fits a lot in which is most important! Kudos to people who live in the moment and can walk in with a tiny bag but I personally always need to be prepared for any scenario. Most important for me was a bag to fit a warm cardigan because being cold was not on my agenda for the night.
Plasters (wrong day to wear a new pair of tabis)
My lipgloss, lipliner, and mascara
Gum & smints
Kodak disposable, digital camera
Cardigan
Extra rings/bangles
Perfume
Keys, id, phone and powerbank for my end of the night 5% battery
Scarlet’s highs and lows:
Highs
Outdoor silent disco
People-watching on the steps and admiring outfits
Rides on repeat
Staying until the end for the leavers' photo
Lows
Rides and silent disco closing early
Not enough layers when it started to get chilly after 10pm
Price of food
Performances being indoors only and sometimes difficult to find
Kalypso’s highs & lows:
Highs
The excitement of seeing all your friends in one place
The Salvos atmosphere during music sets w/o having to step into Salvos
All the cute pictures you see the next day
Exploring all the different floors and activities
All the free candy floss
Lows
As an impatient Balkan girl, the queuing was definitely a low (but this is where good company comes in handy)
Giving our little Hardzine microphones to very drunk people and losing them halfway through!
Losing people every five minutes and spending a lot of the night tracking people down
By Scarlet Somerville and Kalypso Isaidou
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