Prom is arguably the most stressful yet exciting part of my school year. From planning a house, date, party bus, and dinner plans, the last thing many people want to spend more money on is a dress. While the dresses below are not dirt cheap, they will surely be promtastic. As an avid shopper myself (you can look at my past articles) I consider myself an expert prom dress shopper. From having tried on dresses in person, to ordering them second-hand, to renting, and getting a customized dress, I have seen it all.
Check the sales section
Having bought not one but two dresses for sale, I personally think this is the best way to purchase your dream dress. Brands like ALC, Amanda Uprichard, and Bronx and Banco have some high price tags when it comes to dresses. But, if you keep an eye out for new collection releases or just frequently check the sale section you might get lucky. For example, this year I bought my dress from ALC for sale. Because I frequently checked the sale section I was able to get my dress (the Aires dress that everyone thinks is basic) for $320!!! What a steal. Also here are some sales going on right now that I recommend checking out; Bronx and Banco, Amur, and Delfi Collective.
On sale for $199
On sale for $414
On sale for $235
On sale for $328
On sale for $122
On sale for $215
On sale for $197
On sale for $230
On sale for $320
Rent!
Don’t want to spend $300-$700 on a designer dress, try renting. Coming from someone who has rented from two different companies I highly recommend this option. While I have yet to rent a prom dress from a rental company I have rented tons of other dresses. The one negative of renting dresses is that you are taking the risk of them not fitting you, so if you’re on the shorter side I would lean more towards dresses labeled as midi. Most reviews will show that on people whose height is 5’0 – 5’3, those dresses turn into maxi dresses. Also, if you’re a little worried about renting on a website I would recommend renting off of people’s selling accounts on Instagram. I know tons of people (including myself) who have accounts on Instagram and are renting out their past dresses. If you’re thinking about doing this with your closet I highly recommend; it’s a great side hustle. If you’re looking for more companies to rent off of I recommend Nuuly, Rent the Runway, and Fashion Pass.
Rent for $75
Rent for $145
Rent for $105
Rent for $70
Rent for $90
Rent for $105
Rent for $50
Rent for $90
Rent for $50
Rent for $70
Rent for $75
Rent for $45
Not too expensive
While most of the dresses I have shown are on the pricier side, I also think there are a ton of dresses that are super cute and are not as expensive. I am warning you some of them might be a bit thin, compared to the more expensive option, but you are only wearing the dress for one night so it does not matter. Also, if you find a dress you like on sites like Lulus or Selfie Leslie I recommend buying it right away because a lot of these sites take a while to ship and will sell out incredibly fast. Here are some websites I recommend looking at Lulus, Selfie Leslie, Zara, Lucy in the Sky, and Meshki.
Buy for $90
Buy for $75
Buy for $120
Buy for $80
Buy for $75
What’s popular this year
Every year there are a few dresses you see pop up nearly 200 times on Instagram because they are so popular. Personally, I am in full support of dresses getting bought a ton because it’s obviously for good reason. For my dress this year I bought the dress that everyone was tired of last year because it’s so comfortable. Below are some repeat offender dresses we will see this year. I am not discouraging you from buying them; they are obviously popular for a reason. While some of these dresses are on the pricier side, trust me they are worth the money.
Buy for $273
Buy for $698
Buy for $495
Buy for $295
Buy for $557
Hidden Gems
Ah, the hidden gem prom dresses. These are dresses at either look similar to more expensive dresses or have yet to be discovered by the American influencers and Pinterest fanatics. Having a hidden gem prom dress is particularly surprising because no one has seen the dress before. Also, a way to find some hidden gem dresses is to look at Australian tiktoks of dresses. You are probably thinking, why Australia? Well, they are currently in the peak of their summer right now and are all overall much more fashion-forward than most if not all of America. Eloise Mummé and Georgie Hansen are my personal favorites they show tons of really cute dresses.
Buy for $98
Buy for $277
This is my favorite they have so many other colors too.
Buy for $235
You’re going to have to break the bank for this
These dresses below are definitely on the pricier side and may require you to get a second job to afford them. But I personally think they are justifiable because you can rent them out to your friends to make a profit. For example, my prom dress from last year is now being worn to two other proms this year, think smarter, not harder. Also, you can always re-wear them in college or at weddings!
Buy for $650
Buy for $462
Buy for $560
Buy for $595
Buy for $698
Overall I hope you enjoyed my dress ideas, as much as I enjoyed finding them. The list below is of websites and brands I recommend looking at I also linked my prom dress interest board, that’s where I have found all of mine so far. Have fun shopping!
Rental Places:
Bipty
Rent the Runway
Fashion Pass
Nuuly
Websites:
Amur $$$$
Acler $$$ (My favorite)
Retrofete $$$$
Alice and Olivia $$$
ALC $$$$
Lulus $
L’idée $$$ (My favorite)
Lovers and Friends $$- $$$
V. Chapmann $$$
Amanda Uprichard $$-$$$
Lucy In The Sky $
Selfie Leslie $
Saylor $$
Shonya Joy $$-$$$ (My favorite)
Bronx and Banco $$$$
Katie May $$
Bardot $$
Susana Monaco $$
For Love and Lemons $$
Loveshackfancy $$$
Sau Lee $$$
Simkhi $$$$
Bash $$
Sabina Musayev $$$
