I cannot believe how much is costs if you want to buy a decent prom dress. For anything that looks halfway good you are spending $300 - up! <!--break--> It is insane. Not to mention everything else you have to buy like tickets for prom, makeup supplies, shoes, some sort of over coat or shaul, limo, jewelry and the list continues. While I believe that you should splurge a little, since it is your big night...how much is too much? We are saving up to go to college next year, and we are going to go ahead and blow $1,000 on one night? I cannot believe the prices of everything. It is insane. So how much are you willing to pay for a prom dress?
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I never went to prom. The point of doing anything in high school was to have fun. I didn't know that many people in high school, so me and my friends did our own things instead. Same fun, cheaper deal.
Fact: $300 is how much you'll spend on textbooks your first quarter in college. Textbooks are not worth the price either, but better than a dress you'll wear only once, methinks.
...it's your choice. O.o The dress itself is probably not overpriced. Nice dresses are expensive. Don't whine about something that's not remotely required.
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It’s all about shopping smart. When you’re buying a dress DO NOT go to little boutiques... they are way over priced. Some places say that if you buy a dress from them, you’ll be the only person at prom with that dress. Bologna…all someone has to do is go to a different store..(It happened at my jr. prom to someone else) Anyways…just shop ahead of prom season when you’re looking for a dress. I got a dress originally for over $700 for under $150, and believe me, this dress was amazing. To me, limos are just wastes of money. You don’t need a coat,…your not going to wear it anyway. Jewlery..whatever, but its not like you need diamonds. My senior prom cost me around 300…if you spend 1000 your just nuts.
I spent a little more than $100 on my prom dress. You just have to shop around a lot. I still have it, and it's a nice dress. I think it's even looser on me now, since I've lost some weight since Prom nearly 2 years ago. We also didn't buy a limo (I drove, since my date couldn't yet). We went to a decent restaurant, and went to a fun park as our after party. So the whole night probably cost $100 for everything, including tickets, and then my dress and his tux rental.
And as the poster above me said, you'll easily spend $300 on books. I spent that much on books, probably more, this semester, and I had already purchased one of the books for my classes.
~C
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Luckily I go to an all-girls school where prom is a LOT more casual but still really fun (yes, of course we bring dates!). Most girls wear short cocktail dresses, and a decent one can be found pretty easily and even pretty cheaply. I borrowed my dress--a really lovely green one--last year.
Prom is about fun, really, not the expense--a girl could spend between $100-150 and be fine. A limo is kind of dumb and a waste, anyway.
Nancy
I agree. You could get out on even less than that if you hit up some consignment stores, thrift stores, or yard sales. Most used dresses are still in good condition, so as long as you can find something that doesn't look like it came out of an 80s movie you should be good!
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Umm... Books may be a smarter buy... but that doesn't matter?
Prom is crazy expensive. Probably more so just because girls have so much more to do than guys.
And sure, not all of it is "necessary" but then again, if you feel that way- neither is prom. So...
Even if a dress is cheap, sometimes alterations aren't. Jewelry doesn't have to be expensive. Makeup and hair... I won't let myself do that for prom. lol. So, I don't know.
Is prom basically practice for a wedding day?!
The point with the comments about the books is that if she's worried about spending all that much money on one night, she'll be in shock when she gets to college and has to fork over $400 for one semester of books.
And as we've said, Prom doesn't have to be expensive. Find a dress that fits you. I've never had to get alterations on my dresses, because I've always found dresses that work well with my body type. And they've always been relatively inexpensive.
And no, you'll have a lot more planning to do for your wedding day, and I assure you, it'll be more expensive. If nothing else, the engagement ring will be. But most girls don't have to worry about that expense. Just planning the reception, and where to get the food from, and sending out invitations... so maybe if you plan your prom it's practice for your wedding day....
~C
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I had a dress custom-made for my prom. The materials alone cost $115, and the lady who made it charged $130 to make it. I also bought the pattern, which was $8. That right there explains why the dresses are so expensive. Keep in mind the materials are not cheap, and the dresses are often difficult or time-consuming to make, thus the price tag. Some, however, charge even more for a designer label.
My dress was the cheapest thing. I got it at a thrift shop for $5 and the place where I got my makeup done did it for free as long as you bought something, so I got the lipstick for $14. And the dress was absolutely beautiful. I'll definitely wear it again if I have the chance. Somewhat unlikely, yes, but still.
When one of my friends went to the 8th grade formal, she wore her mom's old dress. It was very classy, unique, needed minimal alterations, and looked great. So be creative. In neither of these cases did we see someone with the same dress.
I've never paid more that thirty-five dollars for a prom dress, and I've never gotten one thats original price was less than $350. Thrift stores, ebay, cool friends, making your own, all great options.