To ask how much you're paying for DD's prom dress

[concernedforthefuture]

I have a younger DD (8) so have this to come . Colleagues were discussing prom dresses for their 16yr olds. I was staggered to hear that they (and most of their classmates) have all bought their dresses from a wedding shop... at a cost of around £250-£350 .

It's not just the dress though.. they're getting new shoes, accessories, nails, hairdressers, make-up artists (with trials too!) etc. I'm only in my late 30s but this seems so different to when I left school and feels like an absurd amount of money to spend on a 16 year old's night out. We don't live in an affluent area and these aren't wealthy families (to the best of my knowledge).

Is this the norm nationally? Had I best get saving

We did put £10 a month aside for nearly 3 years

We did a trip to a boutique, tried on lots of dresses and dd found one she liked for £450. (It did look lovely but completely beyond our budget!) in the end we ordered a very similar one online from China for £115 made to measure. While I’be heard horror stories our experience of doing so was very good.

I am 😮 at this thread, people spending hundreds because they didn’t have the heart to say no to their dd’s!
My daughters dresses were from ASOS or similar, around the £50-60 mark and even then ugh it was a lot for a dress that was worn once.
We live in a relatively affluent area and none of her friends wore dresses costing in the £100’s.

We ordered online from China too. Dd knew exactly what she wanted, very slim fitted low back and quite plain, and plans to wear it for uni formals etc (she’s doing A levels and hopefully going to medical school) cost about £90 made to measure, including delivery, and looks stunning. She has silver strappy heels and bag from a previous party, and plans to do her own hair and makeup - and revise in the garden during her exams to get a bit of colour!

JackieLavertyintheFreezer Not that I didn't have the heart at all, it's her Debs, she's only going to have one, I wanted her to have the dress she wanted, she'll use it again. I don't see the big deal

Dds last year was £385 then £45 alterations, plus shoes and bag £75. Hair dresser was 2 x £35, £30 nails and she did her own makeup. She looked stunning and since we attend an annual ball for an organisation we are involved with, it will be worn again.

My dd is only 8 but if she was 16 and going to her prom I'd expect dress, shoes, hair, make-up and accessories to come to no more than £350.

Dd bought hers for £90, then I spent the same on bag and shoes which we spotted as an exact match. With hair and nails we’re looking at another £70, then there’s the odd bits - flared petticoat (50’s style dress), halterneck bra, shoe liners.......and if she changes her mind and does the after prom - tough, look in your wardrobe!!!!!

That’s crazy! I went to proms in 2005 & 2006. One dress I found on sale in Debenhams for £5, the second was from TK Maxx for £30. Both I paid for myself, I also paid for my hair, shoes, transport, etc. I think all my friends spent under £100 on their dress.

Nothing! She had a rummage through my old dresses from the 90s and has taken a black bias cut silk dress, a friend will alter it. Will grab some shoes from New Look (fab wide fittings) so will only really costs us those and a hair do.

£180 for the dress. We haven't bought shoes or bag yet. She'll get her hair done on Prom day, but do her own makeup etc (she's looking at sharing a limo to prom with friends so we'll be paying a portion towards that too)

My niece picked one that was £125 off ASOS. Her friend picked one from ASOS that was £28. They both look equally beautiful!

DD1 bought her own dress for her first prom from her part time wage, it cost £35

For her second prom at 18, she also bought her own from her part time wage, a lady came to the school selling dresses and it cost £150

DD2's first prom dress also cost £35, she saved up money from her EMA to buy it, it cane from BHS

Her second prom dress a year later also cost £35 from Very

DD1's hair was put up at the hairdresser, can't remember how much it cost but about £30 I think, for her second a friend did it.

I did DD2's hair both times for hers, she didn't want anything fancy. Both of them did their own make up, neither were or are interested in spray tans or getting nails done.

For all four proms, the cost of the limo was shared between about eight of them each time, so that cost very little

Last year DD dress cost £360 and then alterations on top were £40, shoes £30, bag £20. Thankfully MIL happily paid as I wouldn't of paid anywhere near that!

My 18 year olds was £30 half price from House of Fraser

The 16 year old choose one which was down to £20 in the sale

£0.00. DD wore my wedding dress which was a gorgeous raspberry colour. She looked stunning and loved the fact that she was wearing it.

Have a look on eBay. I got a gorgeous Jessica rabbit style dress for £65 for a ball I went to recently.

I was wary about how the quality would be but it is amazing!

£55 from Debenhams website (wasn't their brand though)

Thank god that the "prom" hadn't yet been imported from the USA when I was a teenager! My embarrassment would have been complete, because there's no way that my parents would have even considered buying me a dress for the occasion.

When I left school, I simply walked out of the school after sitting my last A-level, having said cheerio to those of my classmates who happened to be there that day - and that was that!

My DD's school had a prom. I made her dress myself.

Some of our staff even get make up artists for prom! 🙄😂 Some kids pay hundreds for dresses, others look equally beautiful in less expensive ones. 8 years ago I paid £90 for my own dress.

The dress I'm wearing, as a teacher, this year was around £50 and worn a few times.

80smum

My school had a prom from at least the 1930s. It was called a final year formal. The boys from the boys school joined us. And we went to theirs.

DD's dress cost £65 from Debenhams. She did her own make up. She isn't a narcissistic Instagram selfie type at all and thinks that spending £££ on a dress that will never be worn again a complete waste of money. (No influence from me of course )

My DD's prom outfit cost a LOT ... but it was worth it in cost per wear.

She wore a tux suit.
Made to measure.
Every detail her choice.

The trousers are plain and the satin collar on the jacket is subtle. It's her therefore her interview / prom / formals / weddings / etc suit. It's fab & worth every penny.

And it has epic man-sized pockets!

I said upthread that I didn't have the heart to say no
I could have said no ,but I could afford it and it is a one-off and I don't grudge the money
Each to their own

BringOnTheScience

That sounds really cool