I always felt like the Assembly was a teenage meat-market when I was a teen. I live in the city where my convention is held, and I knew several friends who would go to each assembly weekend during lunch to try to scope out a new girlfriend/boyfriend. I was even guilty of it a time or three.
Buying new clothes for the Distict Convention was a common practice around here. Unfortunately, we were pretty poor when I was a younger and my parents seldom purchased anything new for the kids unless it came from a thrift store. When I got a job at around 17, I started buying my own clothes and wasn't about to spend the cash on something for the convention. When I was 18, I moved off to college and met my future wife, so the need to "dress-to-impress" at the District Convention went away.
I will say that I have always loved seeing some of the flashy hats, and get-ups that sisters come to the Convention wearing. I always find it comical that local African American women from our circuit will wear traditional African garb, as if they are at an International Convention. I have German heritage. If I could get away with wearing Lederhosen, I totally would. Heck, I just might even pack some beer for lunch.