How much to spend on your prom dress?

[jenrose66]

Hi all. I'm just curious about how much you spent on your prom dress if you've recently been to the prom or how much you have spent on your daughters.

The reason I ask is because my cousin is going to her junior prom. Her mom does not get into this stuff so no one was helping her find a dress, shoes, etc.. As a matter of fact her mom and grandmother and even my mom (her aunt) kept saying she should just not go and it's too much money and blah, blah, blah.

Anyway my cousin was having a hard time finding a dress because she's very petite and kinda short, about 4'11". I know she had been going out with her friends and looking so I hadn't realized the situation was as bad as it was.

So yesterday she found a dress at David's Bridal. I don't personally care for David's, but I wasn't the one buying the dress. So the dress was $170, the shoes $55, and the alterations $85. The total was like $326 and some change. Her mom and my mom were having a fit and telling her not to buy the dress. I was so appalled at what I was hearing that I offered to take my cousin dress shopping.

The deal was that I wanted to take her to JC Penny, Bon Ton, etc...and that if she didn't find a dress there that she liked we'd go to look at the dress at David's again.

Well everything is picked over, she didn't find any dresses that she liked, and she said that the dress at David's was "the one". She has a job and she has been saving dilligently for prom. She had $500 set aside.

I told her that even though the dress at David's was nice, that I wouldn't want to pay that much money. I also told her that I would also take her shopping today at a different mall and that we wouldn't stop shopping until she found a dress. No dice, she wanted the gown at David's.

Because it was her money, and her mom didn't say she couldn't buy the dress, just that she thought it was too much...I let her purchase the dress.

Now I'm a bargain hunter I spent about $80 total on my senior prom. So to sum it up, is $326 too much to spend or is that in line with what other girls spend today. I tend to think that girls do spend that much but I could be wrong.

 

[mandy200587]

That's cheap for prom now. Most prom dresses run between 200-800 depending on the company and such. Then throw in alterations. For shoes to save money don't wear heels, go to walmart buy a cheap pair of flip flops that will match the dress.

 

[luvtogo12]

I agree, girls seem to spend too much. I am guilty of doing this as well for my DD. I learned my lesson this year, so next year will be very different.

DD's dress was $328.00. Add in the shoes, the clutch and what ever else she needed, I think it is over the top.

 

[Darcy03231]

Last year DD paid $268 for her dress. It didn't need alterations. Shoes were another $55. Hair, makeup, nails and pedicure ran another $150.

 

[jenrose66]

I agree that it is over the top. It just seems that peer pressure is ridiculous these days. It took a lot of convincing to even get my cousin into JC Penny's or *gasp* sears to look at their offerings. The dresses seemed fine to me. I feel like I did all that I could for her. I offered to take her shopping some more, I gave my honest opinion...I sympathized with her. In the end, she's almost 18...it was her prom and her money. I guess that's how you learn the value of money. She earned every single cent that she spent on those clothes.

 

[jody]

Many girls do spend $300 and up on prom dresses. I just think that's a waste. Kids expect way too much. I know a couple of girls in my daughter's junior class that are spending $800-$1,000 with everything.

My daughter found a dress at JC Penney that she really liked. It was on sale and I pointed out to the cashier that some of the beads were coming loose. It came with extra beads so it really wasn't a big deal but I was given an extra 20% off. It came to $103. She found some cute dressy sandals at Wal Mart for about $10. She admits that once they start dancing, the girls take off their shoes and throw them in the corner. We are going to splurge on a $70 hair-do. She will do her nails herself. She does a good job but doesn't like to wear artificial nails so she will take them off the day after and doesn't want to pay to have it done at the salon. Her cousin will do her make-up.

The group that she is going with (19 kids) chipped in for a stretch Hummer-$1300 for four hours. One girl is paying over $400 so that everyone else can afford it. Way too extravagent in my opinion. To put it in perspective, I told DD that $1300 was enough money to fly her to Florida and go on a cruise for a week.

I think that a lot of kids don't know the real value of money.

 

[CourtasanSatine]

I spent about 50 dollars on my Senior Prom dress(via a resale shop)

 

[pixie dust 112]

At our school the girls donate their used prom dresses so that the next year girls who can't afford dresses can "shop" for a beautiful prom dress for free. When my DDs turn for prom comes up, I'll probably allow her to spend $200 to $300 of my $$$, but only if she agrees to donate her dress the next year. Apparently, it's done very discreetly, no one knows who has a donated gown and they are still in style as they are from just the previous year. I think one of the clubs sponsers this.

 

[Kath2003]

I've always had to buy my own dresses. I'm 22 so now have several (I go t about 7 black-tie events each year). Mine cost:

1. Long: purple - $200
2. Short: white with green/blue spots - $160
3. Short: purple - $50 (bargain!)
4. Short: green - $160 (down from $320!)
5. Short: blue - $130
6. Short: green - $170

I have one pair of silver shoes which cost me $60 which goes with all of them except the short purple dress. With them I wear my favourite vintage brown heels which cost me $50.

 

[Handbag Lady]

I think I am the odd woman out here.

If it is her money, she worked hard for it, she should buy the dress of her dreams. She will either learn on her own later on that it was a waste, or she will cherish the dress for a long time and maybe even get to wear it again to another formal event like a casual wedding of a friend.

My prom was in 1986. My dress was just over $400.00.

My mother was forced to go to the prom with my dad way back in their high school. His family decided she had no taste, and bought her dress for both of their proms, did her hair and make-up and years later she still hated not only how they made her feel, but that she didn't get to wear what she wanted and she hated her make-up.

My sister skipped her prom altogether. Unknown to anyone, mom had been squirrling (sp?) away money so that both of us could do and wear whatever we wanted for our prom.

So in 1986, my mom took me shopping to all of the high-end boutiques of Santa Monica and made me try on everything I even remotely liked. I fell in love with this one dress and saw the price. Mom said it didn't matter and bought it for me.

I still have the dress. I wore it to two more functions as well as in a college movie I made for film class.

 

[babytrees]

My freshman DD went to Prom....we spent $40 on her dress....than we spent $20 on a wrap to make it more "prom"y...$50 for clutch and shoes...$25 for Spanx...and another $20 for accessories. I did her hair and nails. She looked adorable and age appropriate.

There aren't lots of stores in our area other than JcPenney's and David's Bridal (Macy's had none, Dillards had just a few)...we lucked out that a store we had never been in had cute ones.

We were in the process of buying our first house and I am thrifty with what little money we have anyway so Cassidy knew that it couldn't be too expensive...but from what I could tell $300 is about average for the cost of a dress.

 

[babytrees]

I think I am the odd woman out here.

If it is her money, she worked hard for it, she should buy the dress of her dreams. She will either learn on her own later on that it was a waste, or she will cherish the dress for a long time and maybe even get to wear it again to another formal event like a casual wedding of a friend.

I agree with you....it's her prom, her money, her choice!!

 

[nsyncraider17]

My proms were recent, and I never spent that much on a dress. My mom was the one actually spending the money on the first two, and I think her limit was $200, but if I wanted to spend more than that I could pay the difference. I just never thought it was worth it I guess.

In 2004 my dress was $60 from Macy's, but prom wasn't until late May and I didn't know I was going until the last minute, so all of the stores had their dresses marked down, but there was a very limited selection. Shoes were about $40, but they were just black heels that I've worn for many things since then. Didn't get my hair done.

In 2005 my dress was about $170 I think, from Jessica McClintock. Alterations (just a hem I think) were about $35. I got my hair done, which was about $40, but I wore shoes and carried a purse that I already had.

In 2006 my dress was $50 from gojane.com. I bought new shoes for about $40, but again I've worn them for a million other things, so they weren't strictly for prom. I didn't get my hair done.

So the most I/my mom spent was about $250, and that was for my senior prom. Honestly, I think I looked just as good last year when I spent under $100. I get the whole dream dress thing I guess, but I just never thought it was worth it to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress I would only wear once, when I could look just as good in something cheaper.

If you're looking for cheap dresses, I highly suggest gojane.com. They have some really cute stuff and none of it is too expensive. And if you need alterations, find a locally owned place to get them done instead of David's Bridal or something, because they charge way too much.

 

[Saphire]

My DD has bought many a prom gown over the last four years. The least expensive was a beautiful gown at Macy's for 19.99 (deeply reduced). I always told her I would splurge for her senior prom, but until that time we were pretty frugal (shopping at Filene's Basement, etc). Her senior prom is in a few weeks, and we bought the dress at a specialty store for $300. (Most of her friends spent that throughout high school for their dresses.) Add the jewelry, hair, etc., and it is quite expensive. My daughter has worked so hard this past year in school and at her job, and I am glad to finally be extravagant for her senior prom.

 

[sharbear]

My DD just went to her junior prom. She's very tiny and it was so hard to find her a dress. We found a beautiful Jessica McClintock and it was $250. She has a great pair of shoes and hair was an additional $50.

She looked beautiful and it was worth every penny to me.

 

[C.Ann]

DD went to two proms - both times the dresses and all accessories amounted to less than $120..

However, I really blew the budget on her wedding gown.. With alterations and such it was $1200 - but she looked beautiful, it was what she wanted, and hopefully it's the only wedding dress she will have ever worn..

 

[simba928]

I went to my prom like 3 weeks ago. My dress was about $150. Alterations were only about $20. I wore old earrings in my top hole, but my other pair of earrings and 2 bracelets were about $20 total. My aunt paid for my jewelry and nails as my birthday gift as my birthday was a week later. My other aunt did my hair, so that didn't cost anything. I used shoes that I wore for Noel Ball. When we bought them, my mom told me I will be wearing them for every single Noel Ball, my prom, and my senior-semi...we will NOT be buying a new pair for anything. LOL.

Most of my friend's prom dresses were $300 and up + alterations, shoes, hair, jewelry, nails, etc. One friend bought a dress that was like $450. Her reasoning was that her sister didn't go to prom and all her Noel Ball dresses were really inexpensive, so she should get a bigger budget for her prom dress.

 

[BMNABrinx]

DD went to Jr. Prom a couple weeks ago. Her dress was about $300, shoes $9.96 at Wal-Mart, jewelry $43, hair $25, evening bag $15, nails and make up were done at home, alterations were free because my aunt is an excellent seamstress (does it for a living). She looked beautiful and had a wonderful time so it was all worth it.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

aww how awful for your cousin that her family is being like that! at least you're helping out, that's very nice of you!

my dress...well....it was about $350 for the dress ALONE! yeah i know, expensive, but i LOVED the dress.....and i paid for it myself and for the alterations. my mom paid for my shoes, purse, hair, and nails.

 

[juligrl]

I skipped my junior prom since it was just at a local hotel "ballroom" pretty boring setting so no prom dress. For my senior prom I wore a hand-me-down dress so I paid $0 for it!

My sister wore a Jessica McClintock dress from JCPenney to her junior prom - which she also ended up wearing as a bridesmaid in my wedding 2 years later - I think hers was somewhere around $120. For her senior prom she wore a dress that she stumbled across at our local Gabriel Brothers store for $15!

My own wedding gown only cost $99 bucks so I would have a hard time justifying paying some of the prices that they ask for prom dresses.