Hair O’ the Dog 2015

Guests turned out in their gala best for the 21st annual installment of Philadelphia's "adult prom."

The 21st Annual Hair O’ the Dog gala took place Saturday night, January 17th, at the Crystal Tea Room in the John Wanamaker Building. Hair O’ the Dog was started in 1995 by friends and business partners Dan Cronin and Robert Molinaro (of Chorus Communications) as a small party of friends and has grown into a must-attend 1,000-strong charitable event.

This year, a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Philadelphia chapter of UNICO, which provides clothing to the homeless. Often described as an adult prom, the glamorous event attracts guests who really dress in their gala best, from black tie to gowns, cocktail dresses to your best dark suit.

I’ve gone to about five Hair O’ the Dogs, and this was by far the best: The crowd was beautiful, the event was well-organized, and the space was perfect. I’ve never seen the Crystal Tea Room used so well.

The lounge outside of the ballroom was dubbed Ibiza, and there guests could lounge on sofas, hang at cocktail tables, be entertained by feathered dancers, and dance to the tunes of DJ Montone, all while enjoying gourmet hors d’oeuvres and a light buffet.

The main ballroom was dubbed “Sin City,” a Vegas-inspired area with reserved tables, an extensive silent auction of sports memorabilia, and rotating musical acts — The Rockets, DJ Dan Cronin, Maxim Model, DJ Paola Shea of CBS’s Big Brother and, at midnight, Natalie Guercio of VH1’s Mob Wives debuted her new song, “Throttle” — with a light buffet served all night.

The final room was the super exclusive Miami bottle service room; entertainment included DJ Bizz, Mr. Robot, lighted dancers, and the Jewelz dancers. The standout of the night was definitely the dresses. I’m running a few of my favorites, which ones do you like?

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HughE Dillon covers parties, events and more for Philadelphia magazine’s The Scene. You can follow him on Twitter at @iPhillyChitChat and visit his daily online social diary PhillyChitChat.com.