Yep! One down, one to go. We found DD18's on a prom swap on Facebook. While we were in the city to meet the girl, we also stopped at Dillards, and three specialty shops, so DD wouldn't feel like she bought the first thing she saw. Fortunately, DD18 didn't find anything else she liked better, so she has a Tony Bowls dress for $130.
Unfortunately, DD15 found a dress at one of the specialty shops that she LOVED and it was $629. So we've been hunting the swaps, promgirl.com,
Amazon, and Dillard's for similar dresses. Right now we really like one on promgirl. It is $299 which is pretty much my upper limit. I wanted to stay under $200, but if it means the drama is over, I might go up to $300. We contacted a girl with a used dress but weather kept us from meeting and then she sold it to someone else. There's another used one she likes but it's 1.5 hours away and $250 so we haven't gone to try it on. You can spend a lot of gas money running around after the used ones too. (We're rural, so not very many close by to us.) We checked 3 Goodwills on Sunday and only found one dress that was reasonably fashionable and good shape, but wasn't her style at all. We look at formal dresses at thrift shops year round, though, and have not found much. DD did get her Homecoming dress at Salvation Army. I think most girls try to sell them rather than donate.
I am leary of buying online as it hasn't worked out in the past for DD18, but DD15 has more standard body proportions and the size guide on promgirl for that dress has a size that matches her measurements. So if we don't find anything after a while, I may try ordering it and return if needed. I really do love it and think it would be wonderful on her.
The other thing is once we get into February, Dillard's will add a few hundred more styles and they can have some reasonably priced ones. Since we have a Dillard's nearby, she can try on there, or I can order and return at the store. So I might wait for them to load more dresses to their site. DD18 got her dress at Dillard's last year for $229.
Macy's has some reasonably priced ones too, but we don't have one near us.
As far as alterations, my mom does it so it doesn't cost me. DD18's dress probably won't need any. We need to have her put it on again and make sure everything's good. DD15's dress will almost certainly need hemmed, as she is 5'1".
DD15 is looking for a navy dress, not strapless, with a full satin skirt. Pockets are a plus. If we get one without pockets, I'll ask my mom if she can add some, using material taken off the bottom.
