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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

Prom dresses which hit the floor. Really?

55 replies

Spidermama · 25/01/2015 17:00

Am I really going to have to fork out a load of money for a long prom dress DD will probably never wear again?

They're all getting excited about the prom. Fair enough. Obviously I want her to feel beautiful if that's what she wants and to have a good time but why LONG DRESSES? At least if we bought a shorter dress there's a chance she'll wear it again.

OP posts:

strumpetsack · 26/01/2015 01:03

Yes prom dresses are expensive, but if you were spending THAT much on a long dress, maybe you could consider putting it on ebay, or selling it on to one of the younger girls at her school for the following year (provided it's in good condition)? You obviously won't get what you paid for it, but surely it's about to let your daughter have her dream dress, and you not so out of pocket?

invisiblecrown · 26/01/2015 01:08

You can get a maxi dress for around £40 easily! Shortening it for wear again will cost pittance too

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 10:07

Dd1 had hers long 3 years ago it was only £75 I got it online I think they come from hong kong this is 1 of these things we need to suck up and just go with but it really doesn't have to be expensive places like quiz and oasis have long dresses in their sale atm. Dd2 has hers this year she has my head exploding looking at dresses she is going foofy I think

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 10:09

thea dd is going to go 50s I think she wears dresses like that anyway

Travelledtheworld · 26/01/2015 13:03

I hate all this.
I am old and Proms have come in after my time at school (don't think we even had a leavers disco).

How difficult it is for those of us who have daughters who do not fit the standard definitions of Beautiful, and are plump/spotty/slightly overweight/clumsy/shy etc

Nevertheless my DD is having a lovely time planning it all and browsing unsuitable styles and chatting about them with her friends.

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 13:09

I went and saw dd1 off they all went on a coach they all looked amazing all with their friends it was really lovely I know it seems such a faff to us but its an end of an era for them even if they were not popular or in the crowd they had a fab night and I bubbled like a loon

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 13:13

Dd2 is the same she is very excited about it we have our proms when they are slightly older we still have 6th year here so they are mostly 17 18 and are men and women not boys and girls iyswim

Travelledtheworld · 26/01/2015 13:14

Aaaah Mrsjayy that is sweet.
I don't know why they do it she is at an all girls school and most of them stay at the same school for the sixth form. Only a few of them have boyfriends and they are not expected to take a partner ( as far as I know...)

Still I suppose it's good experience for those of them who want a career in event planning they are organising it all themselves.

Inthedarkaboutfashion · 26/01/2015 13:16

Buy a dress that can be shortened and worn afterwards. Tk maxx always have lots of long dresses suitable for proms for under £100.

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 13:17

Gives them an excuse to put a frock on anyway

specialsubject · 26/01/2015 13:25

charity shops are full of bridesmaid and long dresses, worn once, for not much. She can re-donate it afterwards - win win!

invisiblecrown · 26/01/2015 13:41

Here are 756 floor length dresses at £50 and under:

[[http://www.asos.com/search/maxi-dress?q=maxi+dress&refine=currentprice:0

PeaStalks · 26/01/2015 13:52

Mother of boys here, but I went to watch all the arrivals at both proms.
There was only one girl who did not have a long dress and however lovely her frock was she looked under dressed. One girl wore a tux and looked quirky but not fabulous.
Oh and they all looked gorgeous, tall short, all shapes and sizes

Shedding · 26/01/2015 13:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cocolepew · 26/01/2015 14:11

My dad had a black and white 50s style dress, it was £35 from a local dept store. I got her a petticoat from eBay. She had short hair and wore a feathered and jewelled hair band. There was only one other person not wearing a long dress. She looks looked beautiful , like Audrey Hepburn

HollyBdenum · 26/01/2015 14:16

I hired a fabulous dress for mine.

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 14:24

Your dad coco

TheFairyCaravan · 26/01/2015 14:25

Most of the girls wore long dresses to my DSes' proms. My niece wore a short one to hers as she is very tall and a lot of the long ones weren't lomg enough.

I go to a few balls, I've had four or five dresses from here. The most I've paid is £79. The quality is great and they look much more expensive.

Cocolepew · 26/01/2015 14:40

bloody auto correct

Mrsjayy · 26/01/2015 14:44

Made me laugh. Your Daughter s dress sounds lovely.

stealthsquiggle · 26/01/2015 14:48

One of my deep regrets is that I lost, somehow, somewhere, the dress I bought for my "leavers ball". It was a vintage designer dress which cost me £50, but it was spectacular - floor length, backless, plain black, with more than 360 degrees of fabric in the skirt. The one and only time that I actually managed to outdo the "cool girls" in my life. The dress did then go to innumerable college balls and the like, mostly not with me, because we all used to swap dresses at university, so even having lost it , the cost per wear was actually pretty good.

I would never fit into it again in a million years, but I could have sold it for a lot more than I paid for it. I am crossing everything that DD will be into interesting vintage rather than off the shelf "label of the moment" when we reach that stage - both because it would be a lot more fun and because vintage dresses will hold their value so that if it doesn't get worn much it really doesn't matter.

ISingSoprano · 26/01/2015 15:20

Dd was very 'meh' about her leavers ball. She found a (long) dress she really liked online for £35 (it was a Ted Baker, several seasons out of date), we bought sandals in New Look for £20 and for her birthday I bought her a beautiful handmade bangle from Etsy. On the day itself she went to the hairdresser for her long overdue hair cut so that her long and very thick hair could be tamed. In the end she actually enjoyed the evening much more than she expected to and was glad she had gone (very nearly didn't bother).

My point is that investing a bit of time and fun in looking around it doesn't need to be expensive.

ArabellaRockerfella · 26/01/2015 17:50

We got one off E-Bay for £25 from China! It was amazing!! It did takes ages to come though. I decided it was worth a try and she looked amazing in it.
See the link
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Long-Chiffon-Evening-Formal-Party-Ball-Gown-Prom-Bridesmaid-Dress6-8-10-12-14-16-/301041036294?pt=UK_Women_s_Dresses&var=600179825906&hash=item461771ac06

stayathomegardener · 26/01/2015 18:04

Ohhhhh I can tell you lot all about DD's prom dress as obviously in real life dresses are all kept secret.
Having looked everywhere she is having it made by a local young 25ish designer,they have come up with a design together based on DD's mood board and it is being tweaked on her at each fitting.
Brilliant for DD who wants to do textiles A level next year.
It is teal green silk jersey,floor length with a split, and backless.

That feels so good to tell someone.

BirdintheWings · 26/01/2015 18:28

Gosh. Round here short dresses are much more popular than long. There were only a handful of full-length ones at either of the last two proms, to judge from the arrivals and photos afterwards.

One prom was 50s-themed, though, so maybe that influenced the choices.

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