Planning Prom: Dresses

Written by Anna Heim, Editor-in-chief, e-edition

Over the next ten weeks, most juniors and seniors will be getting ready for prom. Already, whispers of limousines, tuxedos, and gowns fill the hallways. But with the economic recession, people are trying to find ways to cut back their spending. I have a few tips for finding the perfect prom outfit without breaking the bank.
First, you need to realize that everything you buy is an investment. For prom, you’re investing in the belief that what you buy will contribute to making prom the best night of high school. Setting a budget with your parents (if they’re the ones paying for your evening) is the first thing to do. Sit down and make a list of the things you want that will cost the most, like your dress, tuxedo rental, limousine, etc. Then you can plan a realistic budget for your outfit.
Girls, don’t be afraid to look online or at magazines for your dress. A lot of them may be super expensive but if you find something in a book you like, it’s much easier to find a dress that appeals to you that is within your budget. Plus, many of the designer dresses can be ordered from local dress shops.
When you find your “dream dress,” order it as soon as possible. Most designer dresses that are not local do not ship directly to dress shops. To simplify orders for the manufacturers, they will ship all their dresses to a middle man. After the dresses are shipped to the middle man, they are delivered to the shops who place the orders first. And believe me, those dresses go quickly. If you have a dress in mind, you should think about purchasing it as soon as possible. I recently visited Annie’s Room, a dress shop in downtown Kingsport, and discovered that when ordering a dress, you have to pay half of the cost of the dress upfront. However, if you decide later that you do not want that dress, the money you put down can go to another dress they have in the store. This is great if you end up changing your mind.
If you’re leaning toward the less expensive dresses, Deb Shop is not your only choice. Whitney’s Closet, on Eastman Rd. by Sloopy’s, is a seller of used prom dresses and many boutiques have sale sections with nice dresses. If you don’t want to spend more money on a dress, chances are, you will end up spending more time searching for one in your budget. But it is not impossible! There are some places in the tri-cities that even rent out dresses for prom. This is an excellent solution to the age-old problem: Why pay this much for a dress I will only wear once?!
Whether this will be your Junior or Senior prom, it should be a night to remember. Planning is the key to a worry-free night. So start early and plan thoroughly!