For most young women, our prom night is our first opportunity to get seriously dressed up. Ok, so you might have been a bridesmaid at some point in your life but this time you get to choose your own outfit and the occasion is all about celebrating you and your achievements - hooray!
My own prom is already 10 years ago (will someone please tell me how that happened? Seriously, I’d like to know) but I remember gleefully spending days hunting for the perfect occasionwear and sparkly accessories; for both my high school and sixth form parties I opted for brightly-coloured, strapless, floor-length gowns worn with intricate and romantic up-dos (that my Mum and I dotted with sparkly gems). Nope, no ironic “Ghost World”-style geek chic outfits for me, I wanted glamour all the way and I was fully-prepared to milk my prom night for all it was worth!
Talking about, shopping for and trying on prom dresses with your girlfriends is all part of the fun but I have to say I find the amount of money spent on prom outfits these days totally bewildering; isn’t prom night supposed to be about celebrating with your friends rather than competing with them over who is wearing the most expensive, imported-from-America dress? I don’t plan on spending four-figures on a dress unless I’m walking down an aisle in it!
Thankfully our wonderful British high street comes up trumps as always and offers an abundance of stylish and reasonably-priced alternatives; New Look in particular has a really varied selection of cheap prom dresses that is likely to have something for everyone.
Prices start at just £10 for printed cotton dresses, like the car print strapless mini (inspired by Prada’s SS12 collection) which is super-versatile and could just as easily be dressed down for a walk in the park or a lunch date with the girls. It also features an A-line skirt, my favourite cut as it is just so flattering for pretty much all body shapes. As far as cheap prom dresses go, you can’t get cuter or cheaper than this and from a practicality point-of-view it can be thrown in the washing machine so you’ll save money on dry cleaning too!
At the pricier end of the scale, Ruby Prom’s Alexa dress makes my heart skip a beat - who doesn’t love a feathered skirt? Worn with classic patent stilettos (the Louboutin Pigalle in my dream world) or ankle boots for any edgier look, it would also work well for weddings, Christmas parties or a day at the races and so offers great value for money if you are looking for something that bit more special.
Which of these prom dresses catch your eye? I’d love to hear all about your own prom outfits, or what you plan on wearing if your prom is yet to happen! To those of you attending your prom soon, I really hope you enjoy your magical night (and a massive well done on your achievements)!
Images from New Look
