Prom Dresses, Long or Short and how much?

[973beachbum]

My DD has her junior prom in May and we have been shopping for dresses.  She wants a long dress.  Her opinion is that prom is a really big fancy event and she doesn't want to walk down the red carpet, they really have one , wearing a dress that she could wear to dinner or a wedding type event.  The problem is that the stores have decided that she is wrong.  Almost all the dresses are short, actually very short.  They look more like dresses you would see twenty somethings wear out to a bar to pick up guys, or at least free drinks.

So what type of dresses do you see young people buying and secondly because it is YM how much would you pay for a prom dress for your daughter?

[milee]

How tall is she?  If she's shorter and not overweight, she'll probably look best in shorter dresses.  Taller girls can pull off full length much more easily.

[Wisconsin Beth]

My niece (senior in hs) has been wearing short dresses for the last couple of years for the assorted proms.  And I think she's swapping dresses with some of her friends.  She's on the short side though.  My Mom hems things and takes up straps. 

Is this her first prom?  And does she know what her friends are wearing? 

[thyme4change]

Project Runway declared that all the girls want to wear a short-dress for prom.  

I thought the whole point of prom was to wear a long dress, but I'm old, so what do I know.  Two years ago we were out and dinner and 20 kids came in on their way to prom.  Of the 10 girls, 9 of them were in fairy princess, little bo-peep, long, huge dresses.  One girl was in a short dress, more of a cocktail dress, that was short and tight.  She looked very, very uncomfortable - obviously aware that she did not look like the rest of them.  We just laughed and said she would be the only one not hideously embarrassed when looking back at the pictures. 

But, that was 2 years ago.  If this year everyone is wearing a short dress, then that is what it is.  Your daughter can easily find a long dress - look for a consignment store, I got one for $20.  There was a 30 foot rack full of dresses.  But, she might be the only person in a long dress at the prom.

[973beachbum]

Mar 20, 2013 12:35:43 GMT -5 milee said:

How tall is she?  If she's shorter and not overweight, she'll probably look best in shorter dresses.  Taller girls can pull off full length much more easily.

She is 5'2 and I would say mid size not skinny or fat.  She wears the short ones for the regular dances.  She just wants the long one for prom because it makes it special as she walks down the red carpet.  Not only do they have one but actual TV stations and news papers cover it.  The rest of the crowd are families and some of the local businesses.  Most of the students at one point worked at them so everyone actually knows each other. 

I did make the point that a short dress is easier to dance in.  The long gowns she tried on would have to be hemmed.  The one she liked best was a ball gown.  Even she was shocked that she like it so much.

[thyme4change]

I googled prom dresses 2013 and got this page

www.missesdressy.com/prom_dresses_2013.html#pp1

plenty of long dresses.

[973beachbum]

There is a big spread in the local paper every year, maybe 8 pages long with pics of the kids in their prom dresses and tuxes walking the red carpet.  Last year it was probably 80% long ball gowns and 20% super tight coctail dresses.   The guys were all in tuxes with the occaisional pair of sneakers.

This would be her first because she is a junior but the proms are together.  I think she would have more fun in a shorter dress but who knows if she would be the only girl in a long dress this year.  She does have the same attitude as Thyme had.  She feels this is the occasion to wear the long balg gown and she has the rest of her life to wear slinky coctail dresses.

She did see that project runway.  She was surprised to be called old fashioned at 17.

[973beachbum]

This is the one she tried on that she loved how it looked although the store only had them in size zero through 7 so it didnt fit.  I should say online they have more long dress than in the stores.  I wanted to try them on first to make sure it fit.

 www.jcpenney.com/dotcom//strapless-glitter-ball-gown/prod.jump?ppId=pp5002311050&catId=cat100630329&subcatId=cat1002370002&deptId=dept20000015&N=1402&topDim=Color&topDimvalue=blues&dimCombo=Color%7C&dimComboVal=blues%7C&currentDim=Color&currentDimVal=blues

[thyme4change]

That is super-cute!  I love that for a young girl.  Go for it!  Even if everyone is short and tight, that one will fit in just fine.

[zibazinski]

I wish we'd have had the option of short dresses when I went to prom. I'm short so formal long gowns look ridiculous on me. Yes, I'd WANT to look even shorter-NOT.

[thyme4change]

Even though she is short, I think that dress will look okay, because it is narrow.  If it was a true ballgown, she would look as wide as she is tall:

[thyme4change]

P.S.  In general, I think Nina Garcia is on-top of the industry, but I don't think she has any idea of what "normal" kids are wearing to Prom.  Maybe in NYC, the daughters of the rich folks that have a lot of money and participate in cutting edge fashion go a different direction, but people who earn $50k per year and live in Topeka, Kansas - they still want to the BFD (big f***ckin dress) experience.  

[Sharon]

My DD graduated from HS in 2011.  Most of the girls wore long dresses.  If you have access to a David's bridal they have a good selection in lots of sizes/colors/prices.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I like the color on both of those but Thyme's skirt makes me think of the poofy/scrubbie thing I use on me in the shower instead of a washcloth....

[973beachbum]

I'm not sure she would care if most were wearing short dresses.   Our main problem this year was that the stores didn't stock much in the way of long prom gowns just the short dresses.  I know other people who buy clothes online and we do for somethings but I have a hard time knowing what will fit and look good without trying it on. 

This is the short version but she doesn't think it will have quite the "prom feel".

www.jcpenney.com/dotcom//my-michelle-pleated-dress/prod.jump?ppId=pp5002290975&catId=cat100630329&subcatId=cat1002370002&deptId=dept20000015&N=100630330&Ns=PLH&pageSize=96&extDim=true&topDim=Categories&topDimvalue=dresses&dimCombo=Categories%7C&dimComboVal=dresses%7C&currentDim=Categories&currentDimVal=dresses

[973beachbum]

Mar 20, 2013 12:59:45 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

P.S.  In general, I think Nina Garcia is on-top of the industry, but I don't think she has any idea of what "normal" kids are wearing to Prom.  Maybe in NYC, the daughters of the rich folks that have a lot of money and participate in cutting edge fashion go a different direction, but people who earn $50k per year and live in Topeka, Kansas - they still want to the BFD (big f***ckin dress) experience.  

You just discribed her feelings on a prom dress perfectly except we are at the Jersey Shore.

That second ball gown looks like something out of my Gypsy wedding.  She would be wider than she is tall!  

Nobody dresses up for almost anything here.  Even weddings and church it is closer to what used to be work clothes than super fancy.  Her homecoming dances everyone wore the short dress that the stores have for prom.  Maybe Nina Garcia lives around girls that dress up more often and don't care as much.  After next year I will be out of the girls dresses dept.

[steph08]

I graduated from high school almost ten years ago *gulp* and everyone wore long dresses to prom. Short dresses were for homecoming and other various dances.

Mine was similar to the one thyme posted, but cut down on the poofiness by about 95%.  Purple, strapless, beaded fitted top, and poofy, but not too much, bottom.

[973beachbum]

Mar 20, 2013 13:14:23 GMT -5 steph08 said:

I graduated from high school almost ten years ago *gulp* and everyone wore long dresses to prom. Short dresses were for homecoming and other various dances.

Mine was similar to the one thyme posted, but cut down on the poofiness by about 95%.  Purple, strapless, beaded fitted top, and poofy, but not too much, bottom.

My DD would love that!  There just weren't any purple ones in the store here.

And Steph don't complain!  Mine was 30 years ago.

[Bob Ross]

My advice is to get the one that most easily facilitates the term "off like a prom dress". 

What?  I was in HS once, and those things can be a real bitch.

[michelyn8]

Mar 20, 2013 12:31:22 GMT -5 973beachbum said:

My DD has her junior prom in May and we have been shopping for dresses.  She wants a long dress.  Her opinion is that prom is a really big fancy event and she doesn't want to walk down the red carpet, they really have one , wearing a dress that she could wear to dinner or a wedding type event.  The problem is that the stores have decided that she is wrong.  Almost all the dresses are short, actually very short.  They look more like dresses you would see twenty somethings wear out to a bar to pick up guys, or at least free drinks.

So what type of dresses do you see young people buying and secondly because it is YM how much would you pay for a prom dress for your daughter?

Around here we don't have Jr Proms, we have Ring Dances (ceremony to get class ring and dance to celebrate) and Proms (Sr. year).  My DD's wore long dresses to both as did many of their friends but like Thyme, this was a few years ago.  I was able to get each of their dresses for under $100 at JC Penney and they were more than happy with them.  Some girls go all out and get dresses from a place that registers you so they don't sell the same dress to someone else going to your event.  To much in my book but then its not my money so that's between them and their parents.

I haven't paid much attention but as far as I'm concerned, if my daughter wanted a long dress when the current style was short, I'd hunt the stores until I found her one she liked.  Both of mine went in wanting one thing and came out with something slightly different once they saw what was out there.  Our biggest issue was size and length.  Both had to have their dresses hemmed but my mom was able to do that for us.  DD1's prom dress had lots of vertical ruffles on the skirtthat I had to tack back under after Mama did the basic hemming but in the end both were happy with what they wore and had a great time.  And IMHO, looked much nicer than some of those wearing the more expensive trendier dresses.

[busymom]

My DD just graduated from high school last year.  She & all of her friends wore long gowns.  (Not that JCPenney, & other retailers didn't sell the short dresses.)  I second Sharon's motion to scope out your local bridal store.  That's where DD found her dress. 


DD's high school had the formal "prom parade" too, including walking down that long carpet.  The long dresses really looked elegant.  (Special note:  if your DD doesn't wear heels very often, have her practice so she doesn't trip.  I saw a couple girls stumble down the runway.)

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Did you try Lord and Taylor?  They are known as "the dress store".  I was in one recently and the prom section was HUGE with many, many long gowns.  Short ones too, but I agree with your daughter -- the prom is a long gown event.

[zibazinski]

Dillard's also. Even though Jessica McClintock is spendy, they have a lot of sales and the dresses are so pretty. Then she can ebay it afterwards!

[bean29]

Beach,

It sounds like the store did not have the dress in her size?  Since it is JC Penney's I would go ahead and order the dress in her size and a size bigger and have her try it on.  I think JC Penney's has a stricter return policy on special occasion dresses now too.  I bought a dress there at Christmas time I was thinking about using.  I think it had to have tags on and I think it was a 30 day return limit but don't quite remember.

DD and her friends like this store - I know they sell lots of Prom and Homecoming dresses. 

www.debshops.com/prom-dresses/1301,default,sc.html

Their prices are reasonable.  Returns are strict.

DD bought a dress there for her 8th grade grad.  I loved it it looked like a tinkerbell dress (short skirt but poufy).  She decided not to go to grad but the dress is still in her closet.  DD is a Sophmore she has scorned most dances but she now has a boyfriend so maybe she will want to go to prom this year.  My kid and her friends would probably do the short slutty dress - idk.  Her dress for my parent's 50th was tight and short  with super spiked high heels - they cost at least as much s the dress.  I didn't think it was too slutty.  We bought it at Macy's.  Her friend was Miss Teen WI and she borrowed it to wear to an event.

DS went to prom twice, his girlfirend wore a long dress both times.  I think they were from Deb too.

Beach...I meant to mention you should order right away to be sure to get your size, and when I cataloge order I like to order my size and the next size so it does not go out of stock in the meantime.  I did not listen to myself last time I ordered from Eddie Bauer and then they were out of stock when I wanted a petite sweater in a certain color.

[bean29]

I am short.  If her daughter is more than about a size 9, I would be careful with a short dress.  They might just make her DD look dumpy.  Make her try on dresses and she should try on a variety of styles - I know sometimes I don't think something will look good and it ends up working out.

The short version of the dress beach showed us would look horrible on anyone who is not a stick.

[Deleted]

junior prom is usually short dresses I think (DD didn't want to go to hers) and then long for senior.  DD always wore short dresses for homecoming dances.  senior prom dress was $300 plus $50 for hemming.  short dresses were usually had for under $50 (helped that she was a size 0 although sometimes that size was hard to find).

[formerroomate99]

I was at the mall last weekend and saw plenty of long prom dresses in the stores. 

[973beachbum]

I just went ahead and ordered the long blue one I posted and two other ones online.  She can pick the one she likes best and we will return the others.   Hopefully they will fit.

[Deleted]

The long blue one you posted looks lovely and will be fine for dancing.  It looks comfortable, elegant, and will move well.  

I would get her the long dress she wants regardless of the style.  My DD got a 70s retro dress for one of her proms & has gotten the most complements on that particular dress (which I think was about $20) of any she has ever worn.  It wasn't about long/short or whatever, it was just the dress she liked and felt comfortable in.  I think it improves the evening when they feel good about what they are wearing & it isn't too fussy.