With prom season fast approaching, students are exploring and considering different options for acquiring their dream prom outfits. Although many prom attendees often buy their prom attire there is little benefit in owning these extravagant items.
One of the biggest reasons that customers choose to rent clothing as opposed to buying it is the pricing. Large events like prom demand extravagant, high-quality attire, costing hundreds of dollars, but renting can be up to 10% less than the buying price. This reduction in price makes more options available on the same budget and allows attendees to acquire a more lavish ensemble than they could have bought.
“I couldn’t find many in-person boutiques that were in my price range, so I searched through a lot of online stores,” junior Aditi Adapala said. “Some of my favorite dresses were in the $400 to $700 price range and I couldn’t justify it for a one-time use.”
A large part of prom’s appeal is that the event is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most high school students. This mindset pushes most attendees to go all-out for their prom, but there are little to no other events where such flamboyant clothing is required. As the dress or suit will likely only be worn once, buying the outfit to keep for future use is unnecessary and illogical. Owning the attire and leaving it in a closet for years has minimal benefits over renting and only proves to be a waste of fabric and money in the long run.
There are, however, situations where customers desire to personalize or tailor their purchase to bring their prom vision to reality. For example, many students seek out personal adjustments for comfort or style, and this cannot be done on a rented piece.
“I was looking at different dresses online but none of them were quite what I wanted and a lot of in-person stores were above the budget,” junior Gabrielle Kashper said. “I had a lot of fun altering the dress and I’d recommend it because it was cool wearing something that expressed my own style.”
Thus, many students can also consider reselling their altered pieces if they are looking for ways to reduce the overall cost of prom attire. To prevent the piece from never being used again and reducing clothing waste in general, many students have put their old prom dresses and suits on sale, utilizing platforms like Instagram to advertise their clothing. While saving a sentimental item such as a prom dress could seem like an unburdening keepsake, hundreds of students’ clothing waste accumulates and reselling is an eco-friendly middle ground to renting and buying.
“My dress was $75 with a coupon, but I think renting is a great option for senior prom,” Adapala said.
