Would you/have you spent hundreds on a prom dress?

Not everyone would want to spend £500 on a dress, for sure, but surely the idea that (many) people might have a spare £500 isn’t that mind blowing?

Why would you assume people would need to take out loans or credit cards? People meet one off costs like that all the time, car repairs etc…. It’s bonkers to me that you’d even give the source of money any thought.

Yeah paid about £300, was happy to and could afford it. She's worn it a handful of times. No other big expenses like hair/nails/makeup etc

I really, really hate this prom situation.
Just leave school and get on with your life. Earn money, take yourself to fancy events.
Why oh why, do we need a prom.
I didn't go to my leavers disco as it was called back then. Or my gcse presentation.
I couldnt stand another minute in school than I had to. I jist wanted to leave and get on with my life.
I did leave and got a job where I got to to go to events and parties. I am not a social recluse. I just absolutely hated the fakeness of school cliques.
I think proms are just awful.

I spent loads and then when I asked how it was I got pretty much a grunt and it was alright and she just went on about the after party which she didn't even wear her dress for all the girls got changed. I got some nice photos but half of them are with a boyfriend who she is no longer with. I won't be spending that amount on my other daughters

Yeah, that was the funny bit ✨

For most at our school it was treated like s school disco. No alcohol, all the teachers there, paying £30 for poor buffet food at a cheap hotel. The only ones who had their hair and nails done and bought £400 dresses were the ones not going to uni. For everyone else it was just get an ok dress and turn up to a bit of a shit night. If that's the best night of anyone's life i feel very sad for them. Definitely not worth spending hundreds of pounds on. Maybe other schools go to town more, i don't know.

It's a very expensive event if you choose to make it so. What about parents who dont have money to burn on nonsense like this?

A lot (most?) of private schools had leavers balls in the 80s, and they weren't new then. It's the same thing really, what's unfortunate is it's turned into into a bit of a consumer fest as so many things have

Ours wasn't called a prom (late 90s) but was effectively a prom. Everyone got absolutely hammered, someone puked across the entire kitchen of the hired local hall, there were several fights, lots of snogging and the teachers "supervising" didn't care at all. It was a classy affair 😂. This is a posh school in the Cotswolds as well.

Yes, her dad and I would pay up to £200 each, if that’s what she wanted (including hair/make up shoes etc) She’s a good kid and our only child.
I would encourage 2nd hand dress for a better deal and then pass it/sell it on.

It wasn't funny.

Well the jump from 0 to "fucking scrubber cunt" was funny 🤣

So people can see what others are like I guess. Must admit I thought the same and didn’t report. Sometimes it’s good to see who the argumentative idiots are.

My DD had a lovely dress from Quiz, I think it was £40 in the sale. I paid for her to have her hair and makeup done as neither she nor I own any makeup.

If I'm honest, of the girls whose dresses I know about, the families who could least afford it were the ones spending £100s, while the girls from financially comfortable families had upcycled dresses they bought on vinted etc.

Late 90s I think.

We had a levers disco, but it was organised by the students. We had pizza and a disco.

But the. Also Year 6 leavers have loads on now days too. Local primary does hoodies, leavers assembly, leaver's presentation evening, evening party etc!

We got given a dictionary in our final assembly and sent on our way!

It was funny

I think our DDs dresses were £400, but didn't mind they worked hard and paid for accessories, make up and hair.

My daughters was £495 and altercations about £120.

The bloody thing ripped at the bust before she even entered the venue.

@SanityLeftTheChat

I'm not sure you can be a scrubber cunt and a snobby (it's snobbish FYI) cunt at the same time - gotta pick a lane

£100 all in, dress, shoes, bag and car hire, nails and they did their hair themselves. They enjoyed their prom, and deserved to.

That's a post that should have been allowed to stand.

It’s weird to think I left school in early 90s without any fanfare of any sort. Just left final class, went in for exams and then back in for the results, hugged a few teachers and then just waited around until uni term started. And that was it!

I sometimes think wouldn’t it be great if someone organised a retro prom night for us kids of the 70s and beyond who never got to experience one - with the caveat you had to dress like your 16 year old self probably would have 😅

Aged cultural historian here who hasn't lived in the UK for a very long time. WHEN DID THE PROMS INVADE? They weren't around in the late mid 70's when I was wrestling with O levels and A levels. Did somebody flying into Heathrow from JFK airport in 1980 carry the virus? Who was patient zero?