;) Ladies or Gents - Where to buy cheap but cheerful Prom Dresses???

Lady_E

What about BHS in the bridal section . They have lovely bridedesmaids stuff and as the size required is small , something in the teenager range might be just the job .

Lovaabargain

My niece got hers from EBay last week, it's lovely & cost under £50.00 brand new - she's a size 8 too!

nappentass

If you're in a University town or city - how about trying the charity shops?

When I used to live in Cambridge, the charity shops had some amazing clothes there, often expensive designer labels and such like including a lot of Ball Gowns and full Dinner suits. :rolleyes:

Oh yes and I think it sound much better - we have Balls not 'Proms' lol

J

jobbingmusician

Monsoon is good and there is at least one seller on Ebay who has loads of this sort of stuff in their Ebay shop, rather than on the main auction site. Just do a search on Monsoon and then look at the seller's shops once you find a seller who is selling a lot of new Monsoon stuff.

Hope this helps (no association with seller!)

kittiwoz

How about Debenhams childrens department for your teeny sister? I am small and often buy children's clothes because they're cheaper (no VAT). Debenhams have some ball gowns in children's sizes that would probably fit her and their adults size dresses are lovely too.

My mum made me a ball dress using a classic Vogue pattern. She got the bodice fabric from John Lewis and the lining and skirt fabric from Watford market. It's a beautiful dress, just a shame I don't have more balls to go to really! Only a solution if you have enough time and are good with a sewing machine, mind.

You could also consider hiring but that's not cheap either. Maybe worthwhile if you want to get a really spectacular dress and never wear it again though.

susanc05

Plenty of lovely patterns around - for about 8 quid - material can then be as cheap or expensive as you like - and you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you're wearing an original which is made to fit exactly!:rotfl:

Skyhigh

The cheapest place you'll tend to find is TKMaxx, both my girlfriend and her friend are size 8.

Yes TK Maxx don't always have a huge amount of the smaller sizes in, but you have to go back now and again to see, I've also found that while the store in Wakefield never tends to have any size 8's, the one in Hull where I go to Uni usually has a fair few.

Also try and find out when they may be getting a delivery of dresses in, or when in the year they tend to get more ball gowns in.

Most of the stuff in TK Maxx is Monsoon and similar, many of them with nothing (or little) wrong with them.
I've bought the girlfriend five dresses and they all look great, BUT we go into a TK Maxx every time we see one, - you have to improve your chances of finding a bargain dress.

Also Debenhams and sometimes BHS aren't too bad.

:!:

tawnyowls

Another vote for TK Maxx - they have gorgeous dresses, and they're usually only £30-40. At that price, couldn't you get a local seamstress to take them in?

jojo2004

You could also try vintage/second hand places. Unless they are uber-trendy they can do really cool stuff very cheaply - there's a place in Liverpool that sells by weight (so avoid beading...) and I got a fab silk dress for £2.

Careful_girl

Try dress agencies. They are second hand but one wouldn't wear one's ballgown twice would one!! One I knew in Bradford Upon Avon but moved to Beachamp Place in Knightsbridge was called Bertie Go Lightly. She was a wonderful lady who had samples of designer dresses. I bought a lovely Frank Usher one. Still got it!!
Good luck.