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AIBU?

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Original poster

To say the price of prom dresses is absolutely ridiculous?!!

160 replies

BLUEcups · 12/02/2025 10:13

So DD is in year 11 and the school prom is coming up and so the pressure is on to buy a dress….. so I start having a look on line and the price of them is astronomical! WTF!

I see all over SM photos posted by bridal shops saying “She said yes to the dress” and giving you options to book your time slot to find it 😳

Then there is the links to hairdressers, make up artists and limousines! 😭 I mean it’s clearly a money making scheme but Jesus wept, in the current climate, it must be so difficult for some parents to be able to afford it.

The dress’s I seen either didn’t have prices on and the ones that did, were between £220-£500 and I was gobsmacked.

What a joke, especially considering the dress is unlikely to ever be worn again.

So my question is, what are your tips for finding a cheaper one? I can’t afford £250 plus the rest and I can’t be the only one.

OP posts:
2chocolateoranges · 12/02/2025 10:18

set A budget and stick to it, if she wants a more expensive dress then she needs to save her own money too.

my dds dress was beautiful and it cost £100. We didn’t go to a boutique or a fancy dress shop, she ordered it online from coast and it really suited her.

some of her friends dresses were so expensive, much more than my wedding dress, I just couldn’t have justified spending that money on a dress for a prom.

Lisa593 · 12/02/2025 10:19

I guess the answer is to get a dress that isn't officially a 'prom' dress. Get something that she will wear again. Do her make up yourself or get her to do it, and she can do her own hair. If her friends are all going in a limo then they might all share and all pay towards it, otherwise just drop her off yourself or with a friend.

CerealPosterHere · 12/02/2025 10:20

Second hand
or somewhere like Quiz? Is that still going? Was a decent cheaper option when dd was dress hunting.

NebulousDogwhistle · 12/02/2025 10:20

I went to a charity shop sale last week and could have bought 8-10 prom dresses for £10 in total, two with tags still on.

There are loads of dresses in charity shops, on Vinted, on Ebay. Quite frankly once you've paid for hair, makeup, accessories and a limo why would you splash out for something she'll wear for a few hours and never again?

CerealPosterHere · 12/02/2025 10:21

Since school prom dd has also had dresses made to measure and shipped from china for like £80 a dress. Not sure what company. Possibly found somewhere on eBay. The dress was nice though.

ThighsYouCantControl · 12/02/2025 10:21

I agree the cost of going to the prom for girls at least, is bloody insane going by what a lot of my friends on SM are saying as they all seem to be buying them now. My daughter got her prom dress from vinted for £20 about a month before her big night. I paid for her ticket, nails and shoes which together cost nearly £100. Which is nothing compared to what some parents spent- limos and flash cars were popular ways to arrive.

Cynic17 · 12/02/2025 10:22

You don't have to buy a "prom dress". My niece wore a very stylish jumpsuit, cost around £30, and she looked fab.
Don't fall for the hype and marketing, OP!

TeenToTwenties · 12/02/2025 10:22

You don't need to spend that much.

For a start there is preowned via Ebay or boutique second hand or charity shop.

We got 2 from Ebay and paid for alterations, both came in at under £150. ( We would have needed alterations for anything due to height of DDs.)

Dontjudgeme101 · 12/02/2025 10:22

Quiz is still around, here in Brighton in Churchill Square Shopping Centre. Tkmaxx is worth a try.

jellyfishperiwinkle · 12/02/2025 10:22

I've seen loads online for £50-£100. You don't have to spend that much.

Even with my wedding dress I got it ready to wear but paid a tailor to alter it to fit perfectly.

carkerpartridge · 12/02/2025 10:23

That's a lot of money for one night. Have you looked on Vinted? We have sold similar types of dresses on there. Having been worn once they were in great condition and a bargain. Would hiring a dress be an option? I am glad we are past the prom stage in our family but I remember the plan becoming more and more elaborate whilst I desperately tried to rein it in!!

CerealPosterHere · 12/02/2025 10:24

This was her china dress

To say the price of prom dresses is absolutely ridiculous?!!
Worldgonecrazy · 12/02/2025 10:24

Charity shops are definitely worth a look. Some have specialist gown areas.

Also SHEIN have some cheap options. If you are comfortable purchasing from them, you can get a really lovely evening dress for less than £30.

jellyfishperiwinkle · 12/02/2025 10:25

DD1 bought her own as she had a part time job. I think it was around £100 and it was a full length, princess skirt, satin etc.

Zae134 · 12/02/2025 10:25

Don't feel pushed to buy a bridal shop dress. The amount of people selling their prom dresses on Facebook and Vinted is astronomical- people spend £100s on them and they're only worn for 1 night so second hand could be a good option. Get her to have a scroll through vinted and pic out some ones she likes. Alternatively, look at somewhere like Monsoon or (if she's a bit gothy) Disturbia do some great alt-dresses.

Nanny1983 · 12/02/2025 10:25

My daughter had hers from Stacees online and it was absolutely stunning!! You wouldn’t have known it was so cheap , honestly the quality was like an expensive bridal shop.

SJM1988 · 12/02/2025 10:25

Vinted and Ebay. Also Facebook marketplace is a good place to look.

There are quite a few online places that are around £100 for a dress but you have to search. Not specific prom but basically that style.

TalkingShop · 12/02/2025 10:27

Isn't there a bit of a risk that the boys will run a mile? My DS definitely would. I wondered if it's okay to just turn up in clothes and have an actual conversation with a nice chap and go home?

I'll get my coat...

MonkeyHarold · 12/02/2025 10:29

Try Ebay and Vinted. Asos always has huge reductions. Get an idea of what styles and makes your daughter likes to help narrow your search. As PP said, set a budget and bear in mind that there are likely to be other expenses.
You absolutely can get a great dress for far less £250.

SmallTownLife · 12/02/2025 10:31

My daughter has chose a dress from a high street store for £150. It’s a lot nicer than the ones marketed as prom dresses. Most of those look really cheap and tacky.

toomuchfaff · 12/02/2025 10:33

If you have time, consider a cheaper dress, China site such as Solo Brides will also do Prom dresses, once you search you'll find, there's also places like Shein that can buy prom dresses (and wedding), JJ House is another one that's a lot cheaper.

If you don't have time, consider a used dress, there are multiple services on Google to resell ergo buy used dresses.

NeedWineNow · 12/02/2025 10:34

Blimey, thank God this wasn't a thing when I was at school many years ago!

My friend's daughter got her dress from ChiChi London, and did her own hair and makeup. She told her mum that she didn't want her spending a lot of money on an outfit and all the other bits and was more than happy with the dress she chose. She got her bag and shoes from the charity shop.

HeidiWhole · 12/02/2025 10:34

Vinted is your friend...DD bought a £140 dress on there for £18, had it dry cleaned and taken up as it was a bit long and it looked fabulous!

Pyjamatimenow · 12/02/2025 10:34

They’ll be expensive if you go to a prom dress shop. It’s like buying a wedding dress. You’re paying for the experience really as well as the dress. There will be tons from such shops on Vinted. You could get one and get it altered if it’s not quite a fit. Otherwise as others have said there are lots of online retailers you could use

madaboutpurple · 12/02/2025 10:36

Some time ago a lady posted a message that she put her limit at £10 and got her daughter to choose from eBay and apparently the dress was beautiful. I got a lovely dress myself for my mum's important birthday party and that was £4. There really is no need to spend a fortune .Also charity shops are worth checking.

From what i hear from friends the prices are really high for prom dresses. Vinted is worth checking .I would not want to spend a lot myself.