Lucy in the Sky, Oh Polly, Windsor, Hello Molly, Beginning Boutique — all are some of the most visited websites from April 1 at 11:59 p.m. to May 1 at 11:59 p.m. The four letters of the word prom cause more chaos than they should: maxing out website traffic, pushing the limits of express shipping and triggering mass dress-borrowing crises among girls everywhere.
When it comes to dresses, the unspoken rule is simple: there must be a new one for every occasion. Repeats? Absolutely not. Once a dress has made its debut on your Instagram grid, it is over. That dress is sentenced to life in the back of your closet, never to be seen again.
Sure, we all try the excuses:
“Mom, I know it is expensive, but I will wear it to another event.”
False.
“My younger sister can wear it after me.”
Also false — siblings are even more brutal. Anything that resembles something you wore is automatically rejected. So, what happens? You buy another dress.
And you would think the chaos ends after high school prom, but no. It simply evolves into something more mature and more expensive in college: formal. It is basically prom’s older, classier sister. Think silks, soft pastels and elegant cuts. But the price? Still sky-high. The stress? Still overwhelming. The spiral? Still very real.
And then there is Greek life. At Alpha Delta Pi SLU, for example, we have six events, including formal. Each one comes with a theme: crush, duck calls, coastal cowgirl, senior event, all girls and the list goes on. At the time of writing this, I own 27 dresses and counting. Society has normalized this cycle of consumption: hundreds of dollars spent on clothes worn once, maybe, twice. Sure, you can try reselling on Poshmark or Etsy, but you rarely make your money back.
So why do we feel the need to buy a new dress for every occasion? Do we actually need to?
As someone deep in this dress-wearing, event-attending lifestyle, I still do not really know — but I have a few theories.
- The fear of judgment
There is an idea that everyone will remember if you repeat wearing a dress. As if somehow, in a room of 100 girls, someone will clock the red halter you bought on Windsor’s sale rack months ago. Reality check: people cannot even remember what they ate for dinner three days ago. They are not keeping tabs on your outfits. If they are, take a cue from Lizzie McGuire’s iconic comeback to Kate Sanders: “You are an outfit rememberer. Which is just as pathetic.”
- The Instagram grid
Social media remembers everything. A photo posted lives on forever unless you delete it or hit “archive.” This permanence makes girls hesitate to repeat outfits. In the digital world, repeating a dress reads as lazy, unoriginal or, worst of all, lame.
You have to keep up the three Fs: fun, friends and fits. Each one is one-third of your social media relevance. But if you repeat a dress? You risk dropping down to an F that does not stand for fun or friends — it stands for fail.
There is a loophole, though. Style it differently: wear the same dress as a top or a skirt, change the shoes — cowboy boots, heels or sneakers — play with accessories, switch up your hair or lean into a different aesthetic. Social media only flags duplicates when they look the same, so get creative. Mix, match and make it new.
- A new dress = status
Let’s be honest — sometimes it is not about the dress, it is about what the dress represents. A new dress says, “I can afford this lifestyle.” To many girls, that is everything. Looking good is not just about fashion; it is about power.
Repeating a dress does not mean you are poor or boring. Celebrities do it all the time. Angelina Jolie has even passed down her dresses to her daughter Zahara. She could have bought her something new — she is Angelina Jolie — but she did not. Why? Because fashion is not just about consumption, it can be about connection, memories and sharing moments, too.
So borrow your mom’s dress. Raid your best friend’s closet. Share the moment, but make it your own.
Here is where I am at
I have been that girl — buying a new dress for every theme, event and photo-op. Now, I am challenging myself to stop and do more with what I already have. To borrow from friends, dig through the back of my closet or rework what I once thought was a one-and-done piece.
Believe it or not, there is so much you can do with a single dress if you just give it a second chance.