As the months progress, we inch closer to what is arguably the most important school event of the year… PROM!
Prom is a long-awaited event that stirs excitement right from the planning and preparations. However, the total cost of prom preparations and the ticket itself can certainly feel like an investment. Depending on the person, these expenses can include photo sessions, dinner plans, transportation or beauty services. Regardless, the focal point of all prom preparation is what you are going to wear. But with prom dresses often ranging from $300-$700, not to mention the price of alterations costing anywhere from $45-$150, the pressure of choosing the right dress or spending more money than you are comfortable with can feel discouraging. There are many stores and websites that offer dresses for a more reasonable $100-$200 price range, but even that can be unrealistic.
Nonetheless, it is entirely possible to have your perfect prom dress and feel good about yourself while remaining budget-friendly. As an experienced, overly stingy girl who refuses to buy things at full-price, I have plenty of tips and workarounds for how to get a high-quality prom dress for dirt cheap.
Rentals
I will emphasize the importance of knowing that prom is only for one night, meaning that this extravagant dress will most likely not be worn again. For that reason, consider renting a prom dress! Websites such as Rent the Runway provide a wide selection of gowns that you can rent for as little as $40 while the original retail price is in the thousands. With Rent the Runway, you can rent for either a four-day or eight-day period and receive a free backup size of your choice just in case.
In my personal experience with Rent the Runway, I received my rental much earlier than the actual rental period, providing me the proper time to have made other arrangements if necessary. For reference, I rented a $368 Kate Spade dress for four days and paid $50.
Their return policy is fairly strict though, so I would recommend doing the eight-day rental if you know you will not want to drop the dress off at the post office the morning after prom. Also, for reference, I had to pay the late fee… embarrassing.
DRESSES FEATURED ON RENT THE RUNWAY
Second-Hand
Buying a prom dress second-hand is not only cheaper, but comes in so many accessible forms too. There is absolutely no shame in asking around for anyone reselling or renting out their prom dress. Oftentimes, upperclassmen are desperate to either earn some money back from their purchase or want to get the dress off their hands entirely, so keep an eye out for those sorts of offers on social media. You can also ask family and friends if they have a dress that they would be willing to pass down to you.
Similar to Rent the Runway, websites such as The Real Real will resell luxury dresses for a significantly reduced price. In my experience, you will have to do a little digging to find a reasonable price as these are designer items that you get to keep. On the plus side, you will find popular prom dress brands on The Real Real including Sherri Hill, Jovani and La Femme.
I was able to snag a $400 gown for $54 because it was the final sale with no returns. However, I found the fit of the dress to be inaccurate to the listed sizing, so it was too big for me. But the sizing will definitely vary depending on the person or brand, of course.
Because people do not have many other occasions to wear their high school prom dress to, there are tons of formal wear donated to thrift stores. While the selection is oftentimes outdated styles, you may strike gold and find something that works for you. If you are a crafty person, then you can definitely try to upcycle an outdated prom dress by altering it, taking off those tacky 2000s sequins or adding lace and ribbon. The options for how you would want to upcycle a dress are truly endless. You can customize your thrift store prom dress or even a wedding dress by dyeing it a flattering color. If you are thinking about taking this route, look into synthetic-targeted dyes rather than a dye meant for natural fibers. Rit Dye’s DyeMore is a great option for synthetic dresses and their website also provides a detailed color chart on how to make practically any color you want.
Check in with your School
Some schools may ask for prom dress donations that they will later rent out for free! For example, Adams is hosting an event on April 20 in the weight room for those who want to check their prom dress selection. I had a wonderful experience when looking through the dress selection, and was shocked to find a dress that was a well-known brand and fit me great. If you have any formal wear lying around, consider donating your dress to the school to help your fellow peers out!
