Once prom night is over and some of your best high school memories have been made, you may be asking yourself what to do with your prom dress.
Prom dresses, even affordable ones, deserve to be worn more than once! However, it can be hard to see when you’ll have another opportunity to wear it again.
There are many, many ways you can actually put that beautiful dress to good use, so don’t think of the purchase as being at all wasteful. Even if it made you feel beautiful for one night, it was absolutely worth it!
If you want to get more value for money, you can keep this in mind when buying the prom dress itself. Look at it as an investment piece rather than a once-off purchase.
Search for a timeless design that is simple, elegant and presents the possibility to be worn again. That means choosing a dress based on what suits you and your sense of style, rather than just buying an obviously trendy piece.
A simple dress with a flowy but not A-line shape, without many details, is the easiest kind of dress to transform and wear again, as a maxi-dress or special occasion outfit.
If that seems too plain and boring for your prom, you can jazz it up by adding a brooch, statement jewelry, and daring accessories.
What to do with old prom dresses
Here are a few ways you can think about re-purposing your dress, or ideas to at least put it to good use for someone else.
- Have it altered into a cocktail dress. Shorten the hemline of your dress to give it a semi-formal look that will suit future parties, attending weddings, etc. This can be quite simple if the dress isn’t a complicated design. Just take it to a knowledgeable seamstress to make sure no mistakes are made.
- Wear it as a maxi-dress. You can wear the dress as a maxi-dress for parties if it’s a simple, not too formal look in the first place. Experiment with different touches to transform the look – try it with flat sandals or a biker jacket and see if it’ll work as a casual or dinner outfit.
- Sell your prom dress online. This is an obvious one! Make an eBay listing and sell it off if you’ve fallen out of love with the dress or just don’t want it anymore. You probably won’t get all of your money back, but if its in perfect condition and only worn once, you may make back most of the money you spent.
- Sell your dress to a store. There are some stores that buy and sell used prom dresses. Search online to see if one of these stores is located near you, drop in with the dress and get it valued to see how much they could potentially offer you.
- Sell it to friends and followers. If you use Facebook or Instagram, post a photo of the dress to the Marketplace or your stories. Ask around to see if anyone you’re close with is looking for a second-hand dress. This is often the quickest way to sell your old prom dress to someone new.
- Donate your prom dress. There are lots of girls who are less fortunate and can’t afford a brand new prom dress. Take the opportunity to give back by donating your prom dress. There are many charities, initiatives and stores set up for exactly this purpose and specialize in passing on your dress to someone who specifically needs one. By donating your dress, you get to give another girl the enjoyment of a great prom night!
Where can I donate old prom dresses?
All across the USA, there are many organizations set up to accept prom dress donations. One of the most well-known charities includes Becca’s Closet, which has ‘chapters’ set up where you can donate your dress in many different states. The Fairy Goodmothers organization has similar locations where you can visit to donate dresses, bags, shoes, and prom appropriate accessories. There are many more amazing charities out there with similar aims who will put your dress to good use and appreciate your amazing donation!
Where can I resell my prom dress?
Besides eBay, there are many more options for re-selling your prom dress. Poshmark is another great site to use, while there are many other Apps that allow you to sell or exchange dresses. Facebook Marketplace is surging in popularity and makes for an easy way to sell your dress and accessories if you no longer need them. Always be wary of shipping any item before receiving payment – make sure you have a Paypal or other money receiving account ready to transfer funds after the sale is made.
How can I re-wear my prom dress?
Here are a few quick styling ideas for re-wearing your dress. This is assuming its a neutral, simple dress that isn’t a very formal gown. You can try:
- Wearing it to a wedding. Team it with heels and a shoulder bag, with a great up-do to wear your dress again as a wedding guest. If you look too formal, try to dress it down with midi-heels and loose hair instead.
- Wear it to a party. Perfect for birthday celebrations and dinner dates, just wear your prom dress with flat shoes or sandals and an on-trend bag. Add a biker jacket or blazer for an instantly chic party outfit.
- Wear it to another formal event. Re-style it with fresh, on-trend accessories and a formal hairstyle to attend a military dance, black tie gala, etc.
- Wear it casually. Add a denim jacket, trainers and your usual day-to-day bag to even wear your dress as a day-time or festival ensemble.
