The hunt for a prom dress can be unbearable, tiring and most of all, stressful. Not all girls find themselves as lucky as sophomore Kate Ridoux of Wall. Ridoux fell in love with the first dress she tried on: a Tiffany blue two-piece gown from Castle Couture.
“I just felt like myself in it, which is the most important thing when picking a dress,” Ridoux said.
Two-piece gowns have become much more popular since last spring. Seventeen named the style one of the biggest prom dress trends of 2016. The price of two piece gowns is around, but not limited to, between $150 and $2000.
While two-piece gowns are rising on the prom charts, sparkles are taking a backseat, said junior Rebecca Cleffi of Manasquan. Cleffi embraced a more understated style this year as she opted for a strapless navy blue classic gown.
“I picked my dress because it was plain and simple,” Cleffi said.“I am not a big fan of the glitz and glam.”
Like Cleffi, some other girls have leaned toward a less extravagant style this year. One of Sherri Hill’s most sought-after prom lines this year was white lace dresses – a perfect combination of simplicity and elegance.
Freshman Kate Dickenson of Spring Lake Heights described her prom experience as “absolutely priceless.”
In reality, it’s anything but.
According to a prom spending survey conducted by Visa Inc., Americans spend an average of $919 on prom, including attire, makeup, accessories, a limo, tickets, flowers and pictures.
For senior class council member Sarah Takash of Brielle, prom got a bit overwhelming.
“Going to prom is one thing, planning it is another,” Takash said. “We were crunching numbers and doing little tasks all month leading up to it… I was definitely relieved when it was over, but so happy how everything went.”