The house is packed. The lights are dim. Everybody is facing the runway. Out comes Nikki and the crowd goes wild.

The annual Career Style Show was held at the Bayou Pointe Student Event Center Wednesday evening. Students attended the event to learn what is considered proper dress code for different occasions.

The show is brought by the Career Center to educate students on what to wear and what not to wear to formal events like job interviews and dinner banquets.

It was the Career Center’s 10th year doing the show but its first under its new name. The office once known as Career Connections changed its name early this year to the ULM Career Center.

“The show gives you a more broader perspective to what you actually can wear because a lot of people, including myself, don’t necessarily know specifically what to wear and what you shouldn’t,” said Nikki Simien, a junior pre-occupational therapy major.

Models strutted the runway demonstrating to attendees what to wear and what not to wear. The group of models were divided into sections. Some represented interview wear while others did lunch meeting and banquet attire.

Blake Stone, the current Mr. ULM and Monica Whitman, the current Miss ULM, were the hosts of the show. Stone said it wasn’t his first time partnering with the ULM Career Center. As a freshman, Stone visited the Career Center to get some help with his resume. Now, Stone has some new tips and tricks to use as he’s dressing for banquets.

“I’m a very flashy person, so what I picked up for dinner banquets is keep it casual, keep it nice, don’t overdo it. I know one of the models came out with fur, on fur, on fur and it’s not really acceptable, maybe on the holidays, keep it casual,” Stone said.

The models used for the show were volunteers from around the university. Niaya Fant wore what she described as a mustard-yellow polo in her outfit for interview wear. While at the show, Fant said she learned that sometimes it’s not wise to expose your shoulders.

“Mrs. LaShawn actually helped me out with it, I was having a hard time with it so she helped me out, put something nice on, iron my shirt and all that stuff,” said Fant, a junior kinesology major.

Fant was awarded with People’s Choice for Women at the end of the night for her efforts on the runway. A junior math major, Riley Cooper, won Judges’ Choice for Women.

Simien won both People’s and Judges’ Choice for Men with his fur ensemble. Although Simien was categorized as what not to wear during a banquet, his outfit was appreciated by both the audience and judges.

“A lot of the things I wore today were kind of just random pieces I picked from out of my closet. I just wanted to make it as boujee as possible,” Simien said.

Simien’s outfit was flashy, but according to him it’s all for show. Simien said he keeps it simple when out on business.

“When it comes to going to interviews and banquets, my style is usually simple but this time since I was what not to wear I decided to spice it up,” Simien said.