Luke Backer had planned on making a quick trip to West County Center to pop into a dressing room, try on his tuxedo and get out Friday, April 26. Prom was the next night, and as a member of class office, Backer had responsibilities to help prepare for the event. He did not anticipate a line stretching out of Savvi Formalwear.
“I was thinking, ‘Really?’ I walked down the escalator and saw where it is and said, ‘Oh my God this is going to take forever,’” Backer, junior, said.
But Backer’s true moment of realization was when he got in line and talked to Daniel Schuchardt, junior, who was walking out with his tuxedo and learned about the long wait. Schuchardt considers himself as one of the lucky ones because he only had to wait for an hour and a half as well as being close to a couple of his friends in line.
“I was lucky enough to have my friends Bobby Ceresia and Austin Steimel two people ahead of me, so I was able to to talk to them toward the end of my wait,” Schuchardt said. “I was able to talk to people I know, check the time every five seconds.”
Though he was done waiting in line, Schuchardt could not leave the place he had been since school let out. He still had to wait for his ride, so Schuchardt decided to spend that time easing the pain of those who remained in line.
“There were a lot of people I knew I could talk to that were in the same boat,” Schuchardt said. “Everyone just wants relief from the boredom.”
While Schuchardt said Savvi could not have done much more because of the limited amount of dressing rooms available, Backer believes the store could alter the process to avoid the mass amount of waiting customers had to endure. Right now Savvi asks all of their customers for an event to come in on one day, in this case April 26 between 3 – 9 p.m.
“Obviously prom is a busy time of the year for them, but maybe come up with better ways for people to try on their tux,” Backer said. “Give [customers] specific times to come pick it up so you don’t end up with half the school in line.”
Backer said he could have gotten a tuxedo from a different place if he had originally known about the store’s process. As a guy who said he does not like to dress up too much, he wishes the process was more efficient.
“If you do not like to stand in line for a really long time I do not suggest you go there,” Backer said.
Schuchardt said the wait was just a part of the prom experience. Backer was thrilled to get it over with and move on with his busy schedule. By the time Backer left the mall, he had spent over two hours waiting in line.
“When we finally got out of there I was just super relieved I could go home and do the million of other things I had to get done, and sit down,” Backer said.
