Taylor Swift Never Goes Out of Style at Queens Formals
Gwen Akers
The Ashland Beacon
From country to pop, R&B to alternative, the music of Taylor Swift has been the soundtrack for people of all ages since her debut. This past Wednesday, Queen’s Formals–part of Queen’s Cottage–hosted a Taylor Swift-themed party to celebrate all of Swift’s eras, as well as the “eras” of her fans.
The event was the idea of Kelly Queen’s (the owner of Queens Formals) two daughters–Kristin and Kendall. The event featured several Taylor Swift-themed photo booths, a fashion runway, Swift-themed drinks such as pink lemonade and album-inspired cookies. Party-goers could also “Shake it Off” with polaroids, friendship bracelets and a hair tinsel station. T-Shirts, printed by Kendall Queen were also available for purchase.
“I'm a huge Swiftie–I love Taylor Swift. I actually went to the Eras tour in Nashville. I was just sitting in my kitchen, and I looked over and I saw some beads for friendship bracelets. I was like, ‘You know what? We should have a Taylor Swift party this weekend since she’ll be in Cincinnati,’” commented Kendall Queen.
Listening to Taylor Swift tunes and enjoying the festivities was also a perfect opportunity for party-goers to get to know “All Too Well,” other community members and Swifties while getting to try on beautiful dresses from your “Wildest Dreams” and walk down a balloon-scattered runway. For some, all of the different stations at the party were like walking down memory lane as they reminisced about the different stages of their lives they were in when they enjoyed different Taylor Swift albums. Whether you are a Speak Now aficionado, or a 1989 girl, this party was for you.
“I've been listening to Taylor Swift since I was really little. She really got me into music–listening to her songs in the kitchen and stuff like that. I feel like the whole ‘eras’ in general is kind of like going through stages of life, if that makes any sense, because I've been listening to her forever. Going out and doing fun things about Taylor Swift is just awesome,” explained Abigail Skaggs, a Russell native who purchased her prom dress from Queens Formals, and could not wait to check out the event.
Kelly Queen, the owner of Queens Formals and the original Queen’s Cottage, explained that the shop is a family-owned and run business, that is all about the power of community and confidence that never goes out of “Style.” The formal shop was an expansion of the original Queen’s Cottage–and it has become a venture that the girls really love. The formal shop also offers wedding dresses and tux rentals, and aims to be the one-stop-shop for brides, prom goers, homecoming attendants, and event connoisseurs.
“She was like, ‘well, I just want every girl to walk through this door and feel so comfortable and so good about themselves because everybody's beautiful.’ I mean, she's terrific,” commented Kelly Queen, talking about her daughter and her vision for the formal shop.
Kelly Queen could not be more proud of her two daughters, who orchestrated the event, and are blossoming into passionate young business women like herself.
Whether you are feeling “22” or just trying to boost your “Reputation,” you should check out Queens Formals’ exciting upcoming events on their Facebook page, stop in during their business hours, or call to set up an appointment.