If you’re someone like me, buying a $500 dress that I’m only going to wear for just a few hours sends me into a MASSIVE panic. So many questions accompany this panic, like will I be dressed fancy enough? Am I overdressed? What if my dress doesn’t stand out? What if someone is wearing the SAME DRESS AS ME!!?
As a girl who adores fashion (but at the right price), I am sure these are all thoughts that we have had at one time or another. When it came time for my senior prom, I found that putting thought and creativity into making my own dress was much more fun than the stress of shopping around for one. Did my mom and I stay up all hours of the night applying fabric glue here and sewing on gemstones there? Yes. But did I absolutely adore my dress? Also yes. And did I still have the best time ever in a dress that cost me $20 at a consignment store and a few trips to Hobby Lobby? ALSO YES!!
If you’re looking to not splurge on this year’s formal attire but still have the best time ever, here are a few places to keep in mind when shopping for your next event:
Uptown Cheapskate
We know her, we love her. You are not a true College Station girlie until you have hit up Uptown Cheapskate. Not only can you sell your clothes here, though; if you have the time to look, they seriously have some really great stuff – including formal attire!! When I had a formal last year, I spent so much time stressing over what dress I should get and ended up ordering a random one online at the last minute. When I walked into Uptown a few weeks later, though, I was so bummed I had not come in sooner. They have entire racks right when you walk in devoted to semi-formal and formal dresses that are in great condition. Some are more expensive than others, but, like I said, buying a cheap dress and making it your own is such a fun project that I highly recommend.
Plato’s Closet
Similar to Uptown, Plato’s is a great way to find gently used dresses and formal attire for cheap. I will say that Plato’s is definitely a great place to check out if you are looking for anything semi-formal. They have a pretty big selection of mini dresses and even some knee-lengths that will be perfect for your next semi. I seriously feel like there is no greater feeling than being so desperate to make a certain outfit work, especially for an upscale event, and walking into a Plato’s to find something that will complete it perfectly.
Goodwill
If you take anything from this article, please let it be this section in particular. GOODWILL, y’all!!!
If you have any inclination of making your own dress, whether that be simply cutting the sleeves off, adding a few gemstones, or even making the whole thing from scratch, Goodwill will be your best friend. I am sure we have all walked into a Goodwill and seen someone’s old wedding dress at one point in our lives and thought “who would ever buy that??”. Now is your time!! But seriously, so many people donate their old bridesmaid or prom dresses, and these provide for the perfect opportunity to take them home and make them your own. A $5 dress with some added rhinestones and gems from the craft store can literally make it look like something entirely different (and you’ll have so much fun doing it).
Facebook Marketplace
I had never realized just how big of an empire Facebook Marketplace was until I got to college. People will literally sell their entire lives away on this app, and that includes old prom or formal dresses. It’s around this time of year that I see a huge spike in moms selling their daughters’ dresses from high school proms or sorority events. So this is your calling to roll up your sleeves and get to scrolling mindlessly until something catches your eye. You can seriously find some dresses that are in amazing condition for less than $50.
Your mom’s closet
As someone who was known for stealing my dad’s old t-shirts from his closet throughout high school, raiding your parent’s closet for something to wear to your next event is never a bad idea. Especially if they are like my mother who still has some of the coolest stuff from when she was in high school shoved way back into her closet. Just when you think you’ve seen everything she has, she’ll pull out this amazing dress you have seriously never seen in your life and ask how or why she has kept it all this time. Not only will it be so fun to wear something of hers, but it’ll make for a great story, too.