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

I bet she won't, though.
I know it's your money, but when so many people in this country can't afford to eat properly and heat their homes the idea of anyone spending that much on a dress for a child feels a bit gross.

Hear, hear! It was just creeping in when my DD was that age. She didn't want to go as she ' didn't want to dress iup like a twat' & thought the idea was 'shit'. Complete waste of money - I've known people go into debt. In America, the kids are 2 years older, more appropriate.

Just avoid Stacees or similar online dress retailers. They look cheap but are based in Hong Kong and don't follow UK distance selling regulations, you'll never get your money back if they don't fit, and the quality often is nothing like the photos. I'd rather support a local dress shop , but as others have pointed out there are vinted and high street options that are much cheaper

Just avoid Stacees or similar online dress retailers. They look cheap but arr based in Hong Kong and don't follow UK distance selling regulations, you'll never get your money back if they don't fit, and the quality often is nothing like the photos. I'd rather support a local dress shop , but as others have pointed out there are vinted and high street options

Our Local Secondary schools have a 'loan scheme'. They asked for donations of prom dresses and accumulated many before setting up the scheme. The hire, I understand, is just enough to cover cost of laundering / dry cleaning. Given the cost of Prom tickets anyway, this has proved a great success.

Ha yes ours were in joggers and hoodies in a field by 11pm for an all night after party.. Made me even more glad I hadn’t spent so much for 4hrs wear!!! Our Yr13 event is a black tie dinner and I know they’ll be in even “sleeker” dresses by then so definitely no hope of a second wear!

Nah, at uni we went to two or three a year. We used to swap dresses and throw them in the washing machine after. It’s just a party at the end of the day. It’s mad that some people are paying wedding dress prices but what the heck - if you can afford it fill your boots.

My daughter had her prom in the summer but wasn’t going to go until weeks before. I got her a dress off Vinted for £12.50 and it cost about £30 to have it taken up. It’s the sort of dress she can wear again to a formal event. I would not ever spends hundreds on a dress, I didn’t spend that much on my wedding dress!

I think dd's was about £70 - no alterations, shoes & bag from New Look, did her own make-up and I dropped her off. Nothing to prove, no trauma to overcome, never wore any of it again - no big deal. No one talked about anyone's dresses, they just had a nice time.

Yes. My DC's "main" school starts at Year 9, with the prep finishing at year 8. This means there is the equiv of a prom for year 8 leavers. We had a dress made for our DD at the cost of £800 by a designer who has done outfits for me. Worth every penny and as we got darts in the side of the dress she will be able to wear it repeatedly because as she grows it can be taken out.

My daughter felt extravagance for both her Yr11 and 13 proms wasteful as hates over consumerism so was great for my budget and stress levels

I did find the £ that can be spent over the top tbh as my daughtersYr11 prom finished 10pm Yr13 10.30pm so definately not worth spending excessively as could end up being a big build up and then a bit of a let down was my thoughts. It’s seemed to me that the after party/hanging out together was the big thing more than the school organised prom and then they get changed to be more comfortable as can’t tolerate the heels/long dresses for long 😂😂 deffo try not to spend loads is my thoughts from our prom experiences . My daughter had brilliant time btw at both her proms with hardly any money spent

Yes my dd was in year 11 last year. We spent £250 including alterations. Shoes and hair on top of that. I was happy to do so as year 11 was so stressful for her and she studied so hard for her gcses. Should there be another one in year 13 she has the dress and I will not buy a new one.

The budget for my granddaughter’s prom outfit was £150. We ended up getting a gorgeous dress in Quiz - sale rack - for £35. She initially only tried it on because she wanted to see how the colour looked on her. She loved it, so we bought it. The alterations to make it fit cost £50 - it had lots of beads and sequins to deal with. Even with shoes, bag and jewellery, we came in under budget.

If you have the money, then why not. Mine was 2200 in 2006. Plus additional shoes, bag, professional makeup, hair, limo, all the shebang. Wealthy parent. It was fun and I wouldn't change anything and neither would my dad. It was certainly not a lot of money for him.

I hate this 'oh, but you can find it cheaper, even cheaper, the cheapest, just scrounge it from the bin'. One thing is when you can't afford it. But if you can - then why not? Surely that can be adapted to adults to, not just teens. What's your 'thing'? Bags, jewellery, clothing, cars, holidays, city breaks, books, gigs, theatre, fancy food, skincare, horses, other hobbies/experiences/stuff? Just do them on the cheap, or don't do it at all? So instead Maldives stay in a hostel in Scunthorpe?

Going into debt or spending way above your means is silly, of course. But if you can afford it - go for it, don't skimp, don't be a miser, it's your kid. It's a once in the life occasion.

🤣🤣

My DD’s cost £10 in Oxfam and I bought her a matching pair of DM boots for £150 and a mini DM bag for about £40. The dress is languishing in the wardrobe while the boots and bag are used all the time three years later. I’d try, as far as possible to buy things that can be used more than once.

My dd is 27, so prom was a long time ago but she wore a long prom style dress from Ted Baker. She tried it on in John Lewis and then we found it bnwt on EBay. Shoes and bag were New Look and she (through choice) dud her own hair and make-up. My son is 21. He missed out due to Covid but wore a kilt to his school’s ’winter formal’ which we hired from Slaters.

We wove DDs dress from leaves we found in the wood and did her make up using crushed berries
Do we win?

That was going on for my daughter's proms and they are now in their 30s

'Its avery expensive event.' Only if YOU allow it to become that! 🙄
Sorry but my mind just completely boggles a the mere suggestion of spending that amount of money on a dress that will theoretically be worn once and whether the purchaser can 'afford it' or not for me is irrelevant, it's frankly obscene...😮

There are always loads of once expensive prom dresses on the local Facebook Marketplace, charity shops and dress agencies. It’s possible to have an incredible pre-owned dress for a lot less than brand new. Afterwards you can put it back on Marketplace and get some money back!

A seamstress will be able to alter it so it fits perfectly. I (have to) go to a lot of formal functions through work and have always found real bargains - a lot of the dresses have only been worn once for an evening at most.

For some leavers Prom is a massive social event which they’re excited about and if they’d like to go “all in” it is definitely possible to do so on a budget. It’s absolutely pointless to get into debt for it, and not needed if you’re happy with pre-owned.

I hope your DD finds something she loves and has a really lovely time when it comes round (and I hope neither of you is feeling pressured by friends or peers to spend silly money).

I didn’t need to as DD found a second hand one she loved and dd2 dresses very simply however if they wanted to whole experience of dress shopping etc and I could manage it one way or another I absolutely would
They’ve thought about prom night for so long and worked hard their entire time in secondary so I would want that for them if they wanted it.
We had a hairdressser and a little pre prom party for both girls. They only do it once so if you can make it special then why not tbh

We had prom this year I had an awful feeling this might be a thing… but as it turned all the girls bar a small percentage went Vinted, or online stores at less than £150 max.. The Vinted options were stunning and so cheap!!! Private School so not as much of a cost issue.. We found as soon as a couple said no to the full on “princess prom” dresses everyone else realised it wasn’t necessary.. it’s definitely a pack mentality with girls!!!! In hindsight I can’t believe I even let it cross my mind to go that route particularly as obvious now those £3/400 dresses will never get worn again as will be way too over the top for more grown up black tie events.. I think almost all have gone on Vinted to be sold already..

Ridiculous. More fool them. My first sixth form ball dress was in the sale at River Island, so probably about £20. My second one I wore my Mum's dress from the 1960s.

So much pressure on parents for prom. It does get ridiculous, one of my dd friends spent £650, on her dress. Luckily l can sew, my daughter told me what she wanted, l made it for her, cost me £75.00, she looked stunning, l did she'd a tear or two. It has become very competitive, how much a dress can cost, what vehicle they arrive at the venue in, i.e. limousine, horse and coaches etc. It's big business, that's for sure