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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:
Sunat45degrees · 12/02/2025 11:17

What exactly do prom dresses entail in this day and age? We definitely all went a little crazy back in my day but I just don't think I can get my head around that, not least because certainly it seems to me that lots of stores do dresses that are pretty formal at not-insane prices.

I think I'm going to have to take a look on instagram or something.

Comefromaway · 12/02/2025 11:23

My daughter bought hers from Quiz. It should have been £80 but she got it in the sale for £40. It didn't look out of place amongst all the designer dresses others wore.

The quality of stitching probably wasn't as good and it wouldn't have stood up to repeated wears but you could not tell.

HappydaysArehere · 12/02/2025 11:25

Just the word Prom annoys the hell out of me. I’m old and nothing like that when I was young thank goodness. It’s just another American idea imported to make money.For goodness sake have a leaving party and everyone puts on what they wish and gets there by car, taxi or whatever is needed. Have fun, dance and eat. Enjoy what an 11 year old should be enjoying. If they want make up then let them put it on themselves if they think it adds to the fun. As for a limousine - well that is ridiculous. As for cash strapped parents having to fork out that money in case their children feel left out - well the answer to that is more should make a stand and children can be allowed to be children for longer. I’m awaiting the outcry!!!

Seeline · 12/02/2025 11:26

HappydaysArehere · 12/02/2025 11:25

Just the word Prom annoys the hell out of me. I’m old and nothing like that when I was young thank goodness. It’s just another American idea imported to make money.For goodness sake have a leaving party and everyone puts on what they wish and gets there by car, taxi or whatever is needed. Have fun, dance and eat. Enjoy what an 11 year old should be enjoying. If they want make up then let them put it on themselves if they think it adds to the fun. As for a limousine - well that is ridiculous. As for cash strapped parents having to fork out that money in case their children feel left out - well the answer to that is more should make a stand and children can be allowed to be children for longer. I’m awaiting the outcry!!!

OP is talking about Y11 - end of GCSEs, not primary school!

Comefromaway · 12/02/2025 11:26

KrisAkabusi · 12/02/2025 10:38

Who goes to a bridal shop for a prom dress? You're just asking to be ripped off.

The prom shops market it as being the absolute worst thing in the world if you turn up at prom in the same dress as someone else. They keep lists of schools and refuse to sell more than one of the same dress to someone from the same school.

It's hysteria.

SillySeal · 12/02/2025 11:33

I would recommend looking on places like vinted or even Facebook marketplace. Lots of people sell their dresses after prom. My daughter friends all did. Whilst I did spend £600 on a dress, it can be altered into a stunning evening gown that she will get multiple wears out of as she didn't go for the blingy or tackier ott dresses.

If you want new, places like Quiz, Chi Chi London, Monsoon, Coast and Club London. You will find there's such a big selection on prom night from the extravagant to the simple, expensive to cheap.

Wexone · 12/02/2025 11:34

You can rent a dress, you can buy from EBAY Vinted, Depop, Facebook marketplace on on sale from any shop or website( without having to buy cheap shite from Shein) or charity shops. there are loads of second websites specialising in those types of dresses. Its no longer a specific type f dress either you can wear anything you want

jolota · 12/02/2025 11:35

I keep seeing second hand prom dresses come up on FB marketplace and was in absolute shock at how much they were selling for because it indicates the original price must have been £hundreds!
My prom dress was in the sale from monsoon back in the day, was like £50. We couldn't have afforded more than that. A family friend lent me a nice hairpiece and I did my own hair and makeup.
Its an absurd amount of money for one day and it seems to like everything else become very commercialised. The expectations in this generation are wildly different to what everyone had when I was growing up.

discdiscsnap · 12/02/2025 11:36

Dd1 we left it a bit late and Vinted wasn't a thing so had a dress made but it wasn't great and cost £130. Dd2 we went to a prom out let store the autumn before prom and got an amazing princess style dress for £200 reduced from £800. Shoes £20/30 from new look or similar. They both went in on limos /carriages with friends so paid about £30 for dd2 and £50 for dd1 . Hair had a regular cut and got hairdresser to curl it. They paid for their own /make up/ nails. So around £200-250 each

Crikeyalmighty · 12/02/2025 11:37

I find the whole concept very Americanised and utterly nuts- just another big money making racket that parents are expected to buy into -no doubt if I had a daughter I would go along with it- but reluctantly I admit

JasmineTea11 · 12/02/2025 11:37

No need to buy new though...I certainly wouldn't.

KrisAkabusi · 12/02/2025 11:38

Comefromaway · 12/02/2025 11:26

The prom shops market it as being the absolute worst thing in the world if you turn up at prom in the same dress as someone else. They keep lists of schools and refuse to sell more than one of the same dress to someone from the same school.

It's hysteria.

Show quote history

I'm now going to turn into my mother and blame the parents for allowing such nonsense!

LiquoriceAllsorts2 · 12/02/2025 11:40

Look at different shops. Next Lipsy has lots of dresses for a lot less.

summeristhebestseason · 12/02/2025 11:40

The whole prom this is absurd, totally agree. I was determined not to get too sucked into it, though i did still get more sucked in than I'd hoped. The peer pressure amongst the girls can be insane. I took my daughter to two seperate prom dress shops and we tried on tons of dresses, she wanted that experience, but I was quite clear that the price tags of many of the dresses were not what I was prepared to pay. We did buy a dress in the from a prom shop, however we brought a sample dress off of the sale rail. Was still expensive I think around £150 (instead of £350 +) but more bareable. It was a a sutnning dress, but you also have to factor in alterations (wasn't cheap) plus a bag, shoes etc. My daughter wanted the whole experience of hair make up etc....she paid for some herself from her part time job. It was still all too much, she couldn't wait at the end of the night to leave the prom as it was lame, change into to different clothes to head off to an afterparty....
The shoes have been re worn, I doubt the dress will ever be worn again.

Honestly I think the whole prom thing is crap and way too mcuh pressure on families...
So so many once worn prom dresess for sale on facebook etc....

BigSilly · 12/02/2025 11:40

They all buy from shein at dd's relatively posh school

Notgivenuphope · 12/02/2025 11:42

It has gone mad. No, they do not need a dress from a bridal shop. There are many stunning long dresses in the high street (or online, although many girls like to try on to see what they're getting) and get something they could wear again. They can do their own or each other's hair and make up, paint their own nails. You look at some pictures and drag queen springs to mind rather than prom queen!

Princesspollyyy · 12/02/2025 11:43

Oh dear, did you not know before now that there would be a prom in year 11? (Not having a go, just if you did, you could have put some money aside).

I would suggest second hand, ive seen quite a few for sale, they look beautiful.

ChloeCannotCanCan · 12/02/2025 11:44

Vinted have some great dresses - we bought one off there for £50 and then spent another £60 on getting it altered to fit perfectly by a local dressmaker.

Another good website is Hebeos - my neice had a lovely dress from there for £120. Just check the measurements carefully for each size and allow about 6 weeks for them to make and deliver it.

5foot5 · 12/02/2025 11:44

When DD went to hers we got her a lovely dress from Next that was definitely an "occasion" dress but not specifically "prom", if that makes sense. It cost about £60, mind you that was 2012. IIRC the shoes cost nearly the same.

A group of her friends all met up at one of their house (where they were having a sleepover after) and did their makeup together.

The posh car thing wasn't an issue as the venue had a turning circle that couldn't accommodate stretch limos or similar.

Digdongdoo · 12/02/2025 11:47

Buy used or high street. There's really no need to spend hundreds. You could easily spend £50 all in from vinted, or even the sale section of somewhere like Quiz.

sixtyandfabulousofcourse · 12/02/2025 11:49

what with the dress make up hair dresser spray tan shoes bag transport which seems to be a competition who can arrive in the most unusual mode of transport, my daughter tells me you can spend £1000 plus.
my daughter took her daughter to prom dress shops to try on dresses see which styles she liked and suited then looked online. there are a lot of discount places not just Shein also try Bridesmaids sites as they can often be quite fancy too and cheaper.
I am just glad I never went through this with my daughter or myself. to help I did buy the shoes and handbag she sent me the link and I just paid that was just over £50, unfortunately I realised I have another granddaughter this year having a prom so I shall have to pay the same for her.

Ariela · 12/02/2025 11:50

Local charity here collects them up and recycles them by having prom dress hire, it's free if you get a referral too, so caters for all even those that cannot afford it. They also sell off surplus for about £30.
If you're near Wokingham it's www.thecowshed.org/

Mysteryfemale · 12/02/2025 11:50

Coast and Monsoon sales online - ordered loads, returned the ones that didn’t work. Shoes were Boohoo. Nails, hair, makeup all done at home. I dropped off a load of girls in my Honda.

I know it’s easier if your school doesn’t have a culture of limos etc (ours doesn’t!) but you really don’t need to go to one of these shops which costs £100s and promises no one else at your school will be sold the same dress etc.

greatfrontage · 12/02/2025 11:50

Find a style and/or brand she likes, and get onto Vinted. I got my DD's prom dress for £50 this week from a fancy brand that would have been over £500 new. It's very "romantic" and she is over the moon.

We're miles out, but it's nice to have it bought and sorted.

Negangirlxx · 12/02/2025 11:53

My prom was way back in 2009. I wore a £25 dress from Matalan, and a £20 pair of shoes from New Look. We didn’t hire transport, just turned up in my parent’s car. Don’t bow to the peer pressure. It’s not worth it for one day. It’s literally just a glorified school disco. I didn’t understand the hype back then, and I certainly don’t understand it now! 🙄

Also lots more options for cheap clothing these days e.g. Vinted etc. you don’t have to spend a fortune to look good.