Can you tell me about how prom dress shopping was for you ?

[PromQueenDiamond]

how did you get on ?

It was a while ago for us (2017/19) but it was easy because both of mine knew what they wanted. DD1 went full Goth, DD2 kept it simple with a just below the knee sheath dress and heels. DD1's outfit, hair and makeup came to about £150 (she already had the right shoes), DD2's was £35 because we only had to get the dress and we got lucky.

We got DD1's 6th form ball dress for £17 in a charity shop so it is worth checking those out come the season.

We went to quizz in Debenhams and got a pretty long dress. Wasn’t expensive and a friend did make up.

DD knew exactly what she wanted, and it was done online with alterations at a local shop, which actually cost more than the outfit. She was pleased with it though.

Bought and sold a few dresses on ebay before we found The One.
Shoes were more problematic.
She did her own makeup and found a hairdresser online herself.

Ours was pretty straightforward. We ordered about 4 online, and went to a few real life shops. We ended up getting the first one dd had ordered. She looked absolutely stunning in it, and it was only about £70.

Dd did her own make up, and I did her hair.

Dd got her dress from monsoon in the sale, same with shoes. It was very straightforward. I did her hair and she did her own makeup.

She had a lovely time dancing all night and then went to an after party. She was pleased her dress had not cost £100's, those that did were scared to dance incase it got damaged!!

Awful. Didn't really know what she wanted so rejected all the usual types. Plus I wasn't prepared to pay £100s for a dress worn for a few hours. Got there in the end and no one cares years later. Covid meant I, fortunately, missed repeating the experience for the youngest.

*shoes in sale ( not from monsoon)

Shops that specialise in prom dresses are surprisingly expensive. We did this last year. The budget dresses were nearly £400.

Bought a brand new dress for a fiver from a charity shop a pair of doc Martin boots and she did her own makeup I created her earrings and hair pins and did her hair

Ordered a few dresses online from places like Debenhams etc. in the January sales.

Ditto with shoes.

Settled on choices.

Then sadly Covid happened, prom didn't and the dress remains unworn

ebay. £60 for a beautiful shimmering gown.

Me and DD went to a specialist shop and we had around an hour, her BFs Mum came too and we went for lunch first.
She tried on about 6 or 7 while we and the 2 sales assistants gave feedback until she got it down to the last 2.
It was actually really lovely

DD didn't want to go full on promzilla, so ruled out posh prom dress shops, but finding a dress was tricky because she wanted full length but she's petite.
We ended up buying a dress from Asos and having it massively taken up.

ebay, pre loved.

Expensive
went to the local specialist prom shop (now out of business)
spent £350 ish on one of the ‘cheaper’ ones.
This was for prom June 2020…
Thankfully for the shop but bad luck for us, we had a contract to say we had to pay the full amount on delivery. It was delivered near the end of the first lockdown…

Both girls looked through the Next website and picked a dress. Both Lipsy and both cost £50. Dd1 it was the first one she ordered. Dd2 she sent one back then it was the second one she kept

It was traumatic but thankfully several years ago. The dress has since been altered by a talented relative and has been worn several times including being lent to a friend.

We saw some real horrors, some which were £££££. But amazingly got a lovely one in TKMaxx

In the US here ... oldest bought her dress online, second went to Macy's clearance section, next bought one from ASOS, youngest went to Macy's clearance. They probably spent a total of $300 between the four of them. They did their own hair and makeup. Oldest got her nails done but the rest did their own.

It was a lovely experience in 'proper' prom shops. DD looked lovely in pretty much all of them. Expensive though, especially when it was 2020 so never actually worn and sitting in a wardrobe

Our first prom was 10 years ago! Both my girls did 2, Y11 and Y13.
DD1 has her own style and did not want a long fancy prom dress, she found her Y11 one online (did take a few orders and returns to get it correct). Did her own hair, make up and nails. Transport was dad's taxi as usual.
DD2 is more fashion conscious and her Y11 prom dress was bought in the spring during a family shopping trip to London. It was typical prom/bridesmaid style from Coast in the sale. It was a year of many weddings for us so was bought amongst other items not a special trip. Her hair was done by her regular hairdresser as we had thought to book her scheduled appointment for a cut and blow dry. Make up etc, all done herself.
Neither of my girls would have wanted to visit a prom dress shop and there were some very expensive horrors at the events, along with fake tan, fancy hair and make up.
They take after me, the only time I have had my hair and make up done for an event was for my own wedding and the only time I have had a professional fake tan was for my Brother's early spring wedding.

We both looked online, I saw a nice one. She said ok and we bought it. £27 and a pair of high heeled sandals in new look. Going all out for prom isn’t really the done thing here. Most of them buy their dresses on pretty little thing or boohoo.

Bloody marvellous.
eldest called me from the oxfam shop saying she’d found her dress and if she put it aside would I pay ( £25😂). Fabulous slinky red number.

youngest didn’t have a prom.

do explore charity shops ( oxfam on line maybe ) and vinted etc. it’s a pretty much certainty no one else will have the same - otherwise the fashionable shops sell many if exactly the same dress in different colours and they all rock up in it - some looking like beautiful swans and others less so !