8th Grade Dinner Dance Dress

[RUDisney]

My DD's 8th grade dance isn't until next May, but we've been looking at sale racks all summer for a dress.

My DH's cousin had a sale at her store last week and I expected to buy jeans for my DD, but never a dress.

This was a fabulous sale. All jeans were $30, marked down from $145 - $200. The dresses were $50. The one I chose for her was a damask printed strapless number that was originally $440!

So, the moral to the story is... always be prepared for a fabulous sale! You never know what you'll find!

Oh, and DD is crazy about the dress! Plus, she can wear it to her semi-formal dance in 9th grade, too, if she's asked.

 

[Angelhalo]

$145-$200 for jeans???????

 

[klj27]

Great find! Your school may be totally different, but you may want to see if there are any clothing guidelines. My daughter just graduated 8th grade in May and their dresses had to have at least a 2 inch strap and had to be a certain length above the knee also.

 

[golfgal]

It's nice to be able to take advantage of sales like these when your kids stop growing-DD grew a LOT in 8th grade so we would not have been able to do that. Make sure they carry prom dresses so when you get to those days you can find one cheep too .

 

[pyrxtc]

And everyone laughed and asked why I bought my DD's 8th grade dress ........... I bought not only that one but also one for her to wear to my brother's wedding in July. Gorgeous dresses and cheap prices at 75% off.

Good job on your deal !

 

[RUDisney]

$145-$200 for jeans???????

Yeah, that's why I waited until they were selling for $30.

My DD received a pair of these jeans last year from her GM. They are the only jeans that she's ever ripped. We laughed about it because the hand-me-down Route 66 jeans from K-Mart are still intact. I sewed the hole in the jeans and they look like they were meant to be that way since so many jeans come pre-torn.

Great find! Your school may be totally different, but you may want to see if there are any clothing guidelines. My daughter just graduated 8th grade in May and their dresses had to have at least a 2 inch strap and had to be a certain length above the knee also.

I've been working on the dance for 2 years so far and I'm president of the PTSA this year and last year, so I'm safe on the dress. The dress I bought for her is very tasteful... probably erring to the side of being too fancy for the type of dance it's supposed to be, but it's also to the same level of fancy that most of the dresses will be, if you KWIM.

It's nice to be able to take advantage of sales like these when your kids stop growing-DD grew a LOT in 8th grade so we would not have been able to do that. Make sure they carry prom dresses so when you get to those days you can find one cheep too .

Luckily, my DD hasn't grown in 2 years, so I feel pretty safe. If anything, she'll grow taller and slimmer. If we have to alter the dress, we will.

 

[java]

oh Good point! I should be looking for that as well. I have an 8th grader who will need a few dresses. She luckily was handed down a dress from some fashionistas we know and she loves it. So that will be one down for graduation. But she still needs another for the dance. Great buy!

 

[TLuvsD]

For anyone who may have to add straps: 2 inch ribbon from JoAnns or another fabric store can be basted in place and later removed. Or wide bias tape, if that matches the dress. I've done both for DD...it's inexpensive and you can fit the straps exactly where you want them to be.

 

[2Kds2K9]

Speaking from experience, I'll put down money that she only wears the dress once. I have 5 dresses in my DD's closet that "Mom, I swear I'll wear it more than once!" Yep, all have been worn once. "Mom, I can't wear that AGAIN!"

Congrats on the great deals!

 

[RUDisney]

Speaking from experience, I'll put down money that she only wears the dress once. I have 5 dresses in my DD's closet that "Mom, I swear I'll wear it more than once!" Yep, all have been worn once. "Mom, I can't wear that AGAIN!"

Congrats on the great deals!

I come from a long line of frugal people ahem, cheap, ahem. I wore my Mom's prom gown to my prom and my sister wore my Mom's wedding dress. I borrowed the other dresses that I wore to dances in HS and college.

So far, my DD isn't all about fashion, the way some girls are. Hopefully, she'll realize that different people will be at the different functions, so she'll wear it again. But, for $50, I won't mind so much if we sell it on ebay or donate it to someone else.

Heck, I have a sister in college who may even be able to wear it since she and my DD are the same size.

 

[DVCLiz]

Speaking from experience, I'll put down money that she only wears the dress once. I have 5 dresses in my DD's closet that "Mom, I swear I'll wear it more than once!" Yep, all have been worn once. "Mom, I can't wear that AGAIN!"

Congrats on the great deals!

I hear ya, sister...

Thank God she had a younger sister who is the same size now, so some of them are getting a second viewing. And some have been borrowed by friends for one thing or another.

But it really hurt to see the "had to have" prom dress that was going to be worn over and over again worn once and then used as a costume in the school play...

 

[NHdisneylover]

Speaking from experience, I'll put down money that she only wears the dress once. I have 5 dresses in my DD's closet that "Mom, I swear I'll wear it more than once!" Yep, all have been worn once. "Mom, I can't wear that AGAIN!"

Congrats on the great deals!

Your DD sounds more like I was (though I never promised to wear one again in HS) but my DD13 has worn the same dress that we bought at an amazing price ($450 silk dress that was a sample for The Wooden Soldier Catalog sold at their factory for $16) about a dozen times. DH and I are trying to talk her into a new one because we have so many photos in THAT dress--but she loves it (and it does look really nice on her). So you just never know with teenage girls