Going to prom ain’t cheap.
There’s the dress, the shoes, the makeup with lashes, the accessories and that’s just for the girls. According to a 2015 national survey from Visa, the average cost of prom, including the promposal, is $919.
But going to prom doesn’t have to be so pricey with options like Charlotte’s Closet, an online shopping site for renting items for prom, graduation, homecoming and other special occasions. Think Rent the Runway for teens.
Jen Forman, the company’s CEO and founder, launched the site in 2016. It’s named for her daughter, Charlotte, now 16, who at the time was making the social circuit and needed a dress for each event.
“As a working parent, I never saw the need to buy a dress for everything. But I realized that this Generation Z (ages 12-21) wants the experience of the dress, then they take a photo and move on,” Forman said.
Charlotte’s Closet has some 500 dress styles from 30 brands and come in sizes 00 to 24. Based in New York, the company also has a storefront there and hosted a pop-up shop in Houston in March. Teens can select three dresses for $30 plus $12 shipping to try on for 24-48 hours. After they pick their dress, rentals range from $29 to $200, with most less than $100.
When it comes to trends, Forman said lace gowns, particularly in sapphire blue, have been the most popular. There are also metallic hues, cut-outs and bold color.
At Macy’s, glitter and sequins are in season for prom. Color trends include cool blues, metals like rose gold, gold and ivory and different hues of pink from pastels to fuchsia.
Macy’s also offers a free personal stylist service, which lets promgoers and their parents arrange a consultation with a Macy’s style expert to help find that perfect look for prom. Consultants can be scheduled online or in-store at many Houston area locations.
When it comes to guys, a simple tux for prom just won’t do.
Seventeen magazine suggests guys step up their game, with more pizzazz this prom season.
Trends are inspired from the Hollywood red carpet, with crushed-velvet suits or trendy printed blazers. The classic tux, in a bold color or even a leopard velvet tuxedo jacket (theblacktux.com), is also a young, fun statement.
For the super-confident date, there’s the skinny black and cream sequin tuxedo suit or the pink floral print skinny suit, both from Asos.com
After all, you only go to prom once, or twice.
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