Inexpensive petite long evening dress - where to buy?

[ifonly4]

DD has a scholarship and bursary at a private school. She's just told me parents go the sixth form leavers ball. Just wondered if anyone can recommend where to look for a mid calf/long evening dress that isn't too expensive. I'm 1.55m and size 8. I know I've got ages, but I tend to wear casual clothes and don't often have long to look for clothes.

John Lewis have some good sale offers.

Are you sure they'll wear full length dresses? I've been to some of these things and ime the parents usually go for more of a cocktail look. Any chance you can see pictures of past balls (is she friends with any older girls) to have a look?

Do you have any decent charity shops around. Our hospice has an upmarket shop which stocks evening clothes and designer stuff. I look in there for long dresses and they are not badly priced. They often have very small sizes of formal dresses. We also have a couple of good second hand shops which stock formal wear as well.
if you have ages, it might we worth a regular look .

ASOS have a good petite section would be worth a look.

Precis petite

eBay, you've got time to keep an eye out for something you like. An evening dress is unlikely to have had much wear.

Monsoon have some dresses for shorter women iirc.

I was going to say ASOS too.

Definitely ASOS. Enormous petite range and some very cheap dresses. And an excellent filter.

Thanks for your messages, will look into all options and keep my eyes on them. Ravenwings - thanks for the feedback over dress length. Yes, the parents seem to be in mid/mainly long dresses.

I'm 5 foot , just get a dress she likes and find a local seamstress who can shorten it . It will only add about £20 on to th cost but will widen up more options .

Lipsy do petite evening dresses though , look at the through the next website as you could pay over time if necessary

ASOS, Dorothy Perkins and New Look petite ranges.

You might find you still need to use a seamstress to take up length, adjust shoulders, take in waist etc but at least it will be a nearer fit if its petite to start with.