How much did your 16yo spend on their prom dress?

[SpongebobNoPants]

I have no idea how much these dresses cost but we’ve been asked to pay £500 towards SD’s prom outfit which seems really excessive?
Her dress alone is £500

When DP expressed some surprise (and announce to be honest) at the cost he was told everyone spends that much?
Are we just old and out of the loop or is this excessive?

About £70 7 years ago. £500 just for the dress is beyond excessive IMO. Of course, people should spend what they want and can afford but I don't think you should be asked to contribute to a cost you haven't been consulted about.

You don't have to spend £££ to look nice and have lovely time

I agree. Imagine how much less weddings would cost if everyone had that mantra.

DD1- First Prom aged 17- £45
Second Prom aged 18 - £150

DD2 First Prom - £45
Second Prom - £68

All totals as far as I can remember, DD1 bought her second prom dress herself out of her part time job's wages.

We're in Scotland so kids here get a prom at 17 and one at 18, end of SS5 and SS6 respectively

£15 on DeePop. She paid for it herself.

the girls in my dds school paid up to 800!!!!! dd1 was 600 and dd2 was 475

In 2007 I wore an 18 pound dress from New Look that I already owned, my crush who had previously rejected me was all over me, I got drunk and ate 6 kit kats, all was good.

@saveforthat

I must be very old and out of touch. I am absolutely gobsmacked that anyone would spend £500 on a dress for a teenager or believe that spending £500 on a dress would help the recipients mental health

Me too. I am absolutely shocked by this thread as I would never have guessed than anyone other than a small minority of the exceptionally wealthy would spend this sort of amount on clothes for teenagers.

It actually makes me feel slightly sad that some people will feel the pressure to do this, especially as for the majority of kids spending this sort of money must be totally impossible.

And it isn’t that I am being a “competitive underspender”. I love designer clothes and have evening dresses from brands like Theory, Max Mara, Mui Mui, Chloe etc. But I tend to buy at outlet or sample sales, so even none of these cost £500.

Dd didn't have a year 11 prom
as they weren’t leaving, there was just a bbq and a bit of daftness. A while ago now.
Her leaving prom dress was about £200; she did her own hair and make up. DH drove her; very few had fancy arrivals. Her dress was strapless, cocktail length, quite full. She got a lot of use out of it at Oxford, cocktail parties et.
My friend spent over £300 on her year 11 DD and around £550 on year 13 DD, last year. Neither prom went ahead. She had paid half on the dresses when Covid hit and had to either pay the rest or forfeit what she had paid.

@Pedalpushers

In 2007 I wore an 18 pound dress from New Look that I already owned, my crush who had previously rejected me was all over me, I got drunk and ate 6 kit kats, all was good.

6 kitkats!

I didn't go to a prom of any kind. £500 is madness, OP, unless you are very wealthy.

@GorgeousNightingale

This thread makes me sad as I always think of the Class of 2020 kids - a whole year group who missed out on their prom and still have unworn dresses knocking around.

You are being extremely dramatic. They missed a dance, they didn't go down on the Titanic.

Hahaha I totally agree! Of all the hardships people faced in 2020, I don’t count missing out on prom as one of them!

@speakout are you in the US?
Proms in England take place after GCSEs when the students are 16, then they have another one at 18 after A levels. A lot of schools don't have 6th forms so the students leave school at 16 to go to 6th form college.

I sold DD's year 13 prom dress on Facebook last week.

Good grief. I can't believe how much people are spending on a one off dress for a 16 year old and I live in flashy land!

DD had a budget of £100 for her dress but spent £40 in TK Maxx. She got silver sandals and a bag for about £120 which I paid for because I may borrow them. She did her hair and make up herself.

£105 with hair and accessories

The main lessons are:

• spend whatever you think is reasonable and worth it
• don't spend more than you can afford
• don't get into competitive over or under spending
• comparison is the thief of joy

Spent 60 on DD1s for her primary prom which didn't go ahead, she wore it on her birthday instead. I think 500 all in between both parents is just about okay if both agree but 500 on dress alone is utterly ridiculous

@TeenMinusTests

The main lessons are:

• spend whatever you think is reasonable and worth it
• don't spend more than you can afford
• don't get into competitive over or under spending
• comparison is the thief of joy

Spot on

I am exceedingly surprised at the amount people are spending! I'm getting married in September and I spent £175 in a half-price sale in January. I would think £100 would be more than enough for a very pretty dress. I feel bad that people think they need to keep up with £500 spending on one dress, you could have a weekend away for that.

Not excessive. Obscene amount.

@whiteroseredrose

Good grief. I can't believe how much people are spending on a one off dress for a 16 year old and I live in flashy land!

DD had a budget of £100 for her dress but spent £40 in TK Maxx. She got silver sandals and a bag for about £120 which I paid for because I may borrow them. She did her hair and make up herself.

Strangely, when I was a secondary school teacher, the girls who came from well off, middle class families would have a budget of about £60-£100. It was the poorer families who spent £300+

£500 for a dress to wear once?? You could get a really pretty evening/occasion/bridesmaid dress for under £100 from a high street shop or department store. No need to go to a bridal shop.

You can get heels and a clutch bag from shops like Asos, New Look, Next or Debenhams. Some salons have prom deals eg. Hair and makeup for £30. Can’t she just paint her nails?

one daughter about £45 - went in the sales quite a bit before, floor length dress, down from £100

other daughter £10 from Zara, she wanted a short dress

We have just spent £75 for dress, £20 for shoes £? on dressmaker to fit dress properly. Average here seems to be 70-150 for a full length dress.

Am slightly taken aback by how much some people have spent on this thread but at the end of the day if you can afford it then go ahead.

It should have been discussed beforehand and a budget set, no way can one parent present the other with a £500 bill.

I imagine there will be wailing and abuse over this. A lot of these shops don’t offer returns unless faulty so if she has paid for it there is not much she can do.

Eldest DS didn't want to go and had an UnProm night with friends playing video games and eating pizza

DS2 borrowed prom shirt, suit and tie from his best mate who is a year older, we only had to buy shoes.

DD prom is next year. She and I have WILDLY different budget expectations, so I suspect there will be some difficult conversations.

@TeenMinusTests
*The main lessons are:

• spend whatever you think is reasonable and worth it
• don't spend more than you can afford
• don't get into competitive over or under spending
• comparison is the thief of joy*

I absolutely agree. I was just a bit shocked that’s all! I wasn’t expecting it to be so much!