Heather Martinson
Economics
Mr. Reuter
2/7/17
Is Prom Too Expensive?
For teenage girls, what are the two most looked forward to days of their lives? Prom and their wedding day. You know why those days are so important; because they are two of the very few days in a girl’s life where she can put on a dress, get her hair done, get her nails done, go tanning, finding the perfect makeup technique and put everything together in just enough time to feel like a princess. Every girl pictures their prom going a little something like this: find the perfect dress, get her hair and makeup done so she looks like a princess, find the perfect shoes, get the perfect date (and getting asked in a perfect way), and twirling the night away. Well let me be the first to tell you: that is not how it works.
Finding a dress can be a nightmare. You go from store to store trying on what feels like a billion dresses until you find the one. You fall in love with it because it fits perfectly and the color looks great on you. Then you look at the price tag and slowly back away. After weeks of searching through stores, I finally found my dress at a little boutique that was really hidden and hard to find. I found a dress that wasn’t as expensive as some others. It was still $400; however, it was a very well known designer. Dress stores during the prom season are estimated to bring in $2.7 billion during the prom season. That includes the department stores like Macy’s, Boston Store, and Sears. As well as specialty prom dress stores like Peaches, Amilition, and Savvy Seconds.
On the day of prom, the girl usually gets up around 8 am and goes to her nail appointment, then immediately after she spends an hour or 2 in the nail salon, breathing in those harsh fumes, she goes to a hair appointment and gets stabbed by what feels like 100 bobby pins and breathing in more hairspray than what goes in her hair. Then she goes home and puts her brand new makeup on. She wants it to look perfect so she spends extra time making sure she does it right, just to mess it up in the end. She doesn’t even have her corset back dress on yet and then she hears the doorbell ring. She tells her dad to answer the door while she frantically calls her mom to tie the dress on her while she’s tying her shoelaces. She finally gets everything on and looks good enough. She goes to the top of the stairs and sees her date standing there. She is now starting to realize that she should’ve gotten her dress altered because now she can’t walk down the stairs.
The price of prom is progressively getting higher and higher. Pretty soon families won’t be able to afford to send their kids to prom. The opportunity cost of purchasing a dress that is a little cheaper and maybe not your dream dress is being able to spend more money on makeup, hair and nails so that there is something in your appearance that will distract from the dress.
This year, there is expected to be 20 million students that attend prom. The average 17 year old is expected to spend $638 with each couple spending $1,200. Prom is getting so expensive that students are starting to choose to not attend, which is depriving them of a fun experience.
Works Cited
- CNNMoney. YouTube. YouTube, 24 Apr. 2013. Web. 07 Feb. 2017.
I was surprised to find out that dress stores alone make 2.7 billion dollars every prom season. Which is crazy because there are so many other cost that go into prom. Also these days everyone goes to prom regardless of the cost. I think that the prom experience outweighs peoples opportunity cost of other uses of their time and money. This is because people will want to go to prom regardless of having a date or not. Prom is hyped up to be fun and apart of the high school experience that everyone goes to even if it does cost a lot of money.
ReplyDeleteI agree that prom is super expensive. However, I disagree with your point about the opportunity cost. I think if you do find a dress you love, you should buy it even though it may be expensive or over what you were hoping to spend. I spent way more on my dress than I wanted to, but I wouldn't want to settle for a dress that I just think is okay. I think most girls when they are older want to look back at their prom pictures and not cringe at the dress they wore. Also, I'm not surprised at how much each person spends for prom, considering the price of tickets and extras such as limos or photographers.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to see how much money the average girl spends on each aspect of prom: the hair, the makeup, the dress. It would also be interesting to compare this to other major events, like a wedding. I agree that prom is expensive, but I think it would help put it in perspective if we had something to compare it to. I liked that you put the estimated amount that stores selling prom dresses expect to bring in during this season because I think it's crazy how much money they can make on these dresses that are only worn once.
ReplyDeleteI liked the main concept of your post and I felt it was a very interesting subject to read about. However, I felt you could've actually spent less time discussing the "perfect day", and more time discussing the statistics you included in the last two paragraphs. I think there is a lot to be said about the huge cost of an event like this during high school, and I think discussing those costs earlier would've helped you to build an even more solid argument. That said, great job overall!
ReplyDeleteI knew that prom was expensive, but the amount of money being spent is way over my price limit, meaning: I'm not going to be able to afford prom. It's just as you said, it's becoming so expensive that students are turning down the experience. That means that the opportunity cost in this situation would be the experience of prom, since the student must decide between money spent and having a good time. For many, they would choose the money since it could be put towards more beneficial things, like college, for instance, or having money to treat themselves throughout the year. They would rather do that than spend it all on one night, only for the (seemingly) high possibility of things not going according to plan.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with some of your main points. I don't think finding a dress is that hard. As a girl who went to prom last year, I do have experience with his. Maybe I was just lucky, but I found a dress I wanted at the first store that I went to for only a little over $100. I think you just have to know where you're going to find the best deal and something that fits your personality and what you're looking for. I also think that some girls are self-sufficient and do their own hair/nails. Only one of my friends went to get her hair done, and it looked just as elegant as everyone else's. In my opinion, the cost of everything is not worth it, so in that case I agree with you, but there are other ways to address the problem if you're not looking to spend $638 for prom. I don't think this cost would be depriving attendees of their fun experience because it's a personal decision to spend that much. You can look just as great as someone who spends that much money by spending less than 1/3 of it.
ReplyDeleteIt is disappointing for the fact that the cost of prom over-weighs the experience. Most girls worry about the amount of money they are spending, trying to look perfect, while they are forgetting about the fun time they will soon have at the dance. I am not surprised of the fact that dress companies are making $2.7 billion during prom season and with every girl spending on average $638. The opportunity cost of buying a dress, getting hair professionally done, and purchasing the tickets overthrows prom night itself by causing unwanted stress on a day that is supposed to be exciting and bring lasting memories. Prom is starting to get too expensive, however it is hard for it not to be.
ReplyDeleteI agree prom is getting out of hand. It's weird for guys too because a tux rental runs you between $200 - $300 and you have to give it back the next day, at least you can keep your dresses. Prom is one of those things where it will just get more and more expensive to go as companies create more ad campaigns saying "You have to have this at prom". The sad thing is most people believe them too because with it being a one time thing you've never done it before and so you'll just listen to what the companies say on how to fit in. I'm glad prom at our school is just a one year thing, it's a fun day, but it's not worth all the time, money and stress.
ReplyDeleteAs a girl who went through the prom process, I completely understand how intimidating finding a dress is. You go to every store and think you're either spending $200 or going to prom in a sweatshirt and jeans (trust me, I considered it). That very surprising statistic of 2.7 billion dollars being brought into store makes a lot of sense after thinking about it. A lot of the times it's the parents willing to spend so much money on their child for the experience they never got to have. However, being a girl who found her dress, shoes, did her own hair and makeup (with items I already had), prom only cost me about $60. Like you said, it's the opportunity cost that can get us to spend as little money as possible because, well who wants to give up money? While I didn't spend as much money as you did for prom, I agree that the prices for this event are going sky high.
ReplyDeleteI think prom is too expensive; especially for girls. It was a waste of my money to get dressed up and take pictures for 3 hours. The worst part was the dinner, because we payed the chefs a lot of money for some mediocre food. I think prom is something that might have been fun 50 years ago, now most people would probably rather go to a house party.
ReplyDeleteI think that no matter the price of prom or getting ready everyone wants to go to prom for the experience. The price may vary peoples decisions but I don't think it effects them wanting to get ready so that they look like a princess. But on the other hand I never realized how much money stores were getting or how much money people were spending on one night, which is crazy to think about.
ReplyDeleteAfter going to prom last year, I was not surprised about how much on average each couple spent. But I would have to disagree with the opportunity cost of buying a cheaper dress, because the dress I had gotten for prom was cute but also really cheap being only around $250, and my date rented his tux which was only around $100/150 for the night. So I do believe that you can find a dress that you are absolutely in love with for a lot cheaper. Also many people don't go out and get their hair and makeup done, which will also save them a lot of money. So, I feel like it is not prom that is getting more expensive, but the extra services that are not a necessity are making prom more expensive.
ReplyDeleteI am a junior this year and I am really looking forward to prom, but the prices scare me. To me finding the perfect dress is my main priority, but when it comes to opportunity cost, I'm not sure what to do. I realized that prom is expensive, but I didn't realize I will be spending $638 alone. Prom is expensive. It is unfortunate that students are missing out on attending prom due to the price.
ReplyDeleteI liked the topic you chose however I think it would have benefited our article to maybe show the numbers of the average prom price a few years ago and the average prom price today. It would have really helped build up your evidence and make people think it was really too expensive for prom. You should have also added some more statistics through the whole piece to give it a nice flow. I enjoyed it a lot.
ReplyDeleteI have had my own experience with struggling to find the perfect prom dress at a reasonable price (and a dress that ACTUALLY FITS!) so I can understand that prom dress stores make a lot of money from this event, but I never realized that it was 2.7 million dollars! I can definitely see the different opportunity costs to this, because one could be that you could save your $638 from prom to put towards buying yourself a car. But I still feel like the whole experience of prom does outweigh the cost, because I know of a lot of people who went as a friend group and not with a date. So many people wanted to spend a wonderful night surrounded by their friends that they almost didn’t care about the price tag.
ReplyDeleteI can also see that even the price of the ticket to prom is growing significantly because the cost of the venue, music, and food keeps getting higher! It’s not even just girls who go to prom that have to struggle with coming up with the money to go because guys tuxes are crazy expensive to rent as well. I understand why prices are getting so high, but I still wish that there was a better alternative than spending so much.
Since I'm going to prom this year myself, I'm starting to notice how the dress hunt is becoming difficult, especially because some dresses are very expensive. It's crazy to think that 2.7 billion dollars are spent on dresses every prom season. While I see the possibility that people may slowly stop going to prom, I doubt it will happen. If prom and our weddings are really the days we look forward to the most, then prom will still be well attended despite costs that may come with it.
ReplyDeleteI remember trying to find my prom dress last year and how difficult it was to find a dress that wasn't too expensive and yet I still liked and looked good in. Also the price for tickets is also quite expensive which makes the price of prom go up even more. Yet it is just as difficult for the guys having to rent tuxes almost as expensive as the dresses. Sometimes the guy is also then expected to buy the tickets which would raise the price for them even more. Therefore I agree with how the price of going to prom is increasing more and more each year. Especially for most girls since they want to look perfect for prom night spending a lot of money on there nails and hair being done and the most expensive of all the perfect dress.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very interesting topic, that is relateable for girls in high school who have experienced prom as well as who are going to. For me, I know I would never attend prom again, due to the price. Although it is an experience, for me the price of it was not worth what I recieved. You think that you are going to love your dress and the hair and your makeup, but it never looks exactly like you want. I think if you would have added in how much it is for dinner, limos, and other things it would have helped you prove your point even more. The amount that prom costs for a single night is ridiculous, and the fact that dress stores alone bring it 2.7 billion dollars is crazy, and in my personal opinion the prices should be lowered.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting piece to read on. Being able to see the girls side of prom and how difficult it is to really achieve the perfect night was very interesting. Many guys (including myself) don't really think of the cost that really goes into it and the cost of everything that you guys have to pay for. We only worry about the tickets and tux, while you guys have to worry about hair, makeup, nails, and your dress. I found this as very intriguing to read and am waiting to see how many people in my grade have a struggle with the cost and everything that goes into this year.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that prom is very expensive, and that finding a dress is a nightmare. It was by far the best thing in high school. The prices of everything add up to be way to much money. Yes the school tries to do fundraising, but that only goes so far. It there isn't enough money raised, the price of tickets sky rockets. I do feel like less and less people will go to prom every year, the price just isn't worth it. You can spend hundreds of dollars on a beautiful dress you only wear once, so whats the point?
ReplyDeleteAfter going dress shopping last year, I can see how girls spend 2.7 billion dollars a year on prom dresses. Most of the boutiques I went to only sold dresses that were $400 or more. Prom is such an important part of a girl's life that I don't think a lot of girls will refuse to attend. Even if a girl finds a dress for $150, it doesn't look "as good" as everyone else's. The harsh expectations that a lot of girls think they have to live up to will keep them spending more and more money.
ReplyDeleteFor me, my only hope was online shopping, which is what I'd recommend to most girls in the coming years. I was able to find my dress for under $200 as well as many other options that were priced a lot lower. I think boutiques are able to charge more because you not only get the dress, but the experience of trying them on and looking through the racks. Just that experience can cost girls hundreds of dollars.
After attending prom and going through the whole experience I was kind of surprised at how much on average a teen spends. I luckily found me dress for a great price and got my makeup done by a family friend for cheap. I think how much money you pay to go to prom all depends on what you are spending money on and your tastes. Some people went for more brand name fancy dresses that end up being more expensive. I wore a black pair of flats but others bought brand new heels. I think one of the most expensive parts of going to prom is the prom ticket also. If we could fund raise more and maybe have more or the community help pay for the dance then it wouldn’t be such a financial stress and the student and their family.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about all the money that I had to spend on my prom last year. This article made me think about how much I actually did spend. After looking back on the prices, makes me wonder if prom was really worth the cost to go.
ReplyDeleteI agree that blowing away more than $600 on one overrated festivity is absolutely ridiculous, when that money could be saved and put towards college tuition, car payments, etc. While prom tickets alone are extremely overpriced, the various preparations students must make before the big day just add to the cost. Although people are aware of how costly prom is, I don't think that in the near future we will see a large decrease in the amount of students attending prom, seeing as most teenagers look forward to their prom night and think of it as a traditional right of passage.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the cost for prom is at a fairly upsetting increase. The demand for dresses will definitely go down as people decide it's not worth the price. Less people going to prom, the more the cost will be. Though it is an expensive experience, fundraising is always the go-to option and I believe that there should be more of an attempt to lower costs for both girls and boys. Having prices significantly lower might increase the amount that want to go. That way, there isn't a hesitation between people deciding to go or not.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with prom last year made me realize how expensive it actually was so seeing the total cost doesn't really surprise. This is one of those topics where people will complain but nothing with really change. The parents and girls will continue to complain but they will also continue to go to prom and spend the money. The price may be high but the happiness and the experience the student has is totally worth the money. I do totally agree that the amount of money and the time spent getting ready and preparing is honestly worth the amount that is spent.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me sad that Prom has become a competition, and every girl is fighting to be the tannest, have the perfect dress, or have the best updo. I am not super shocked that dress companies generate $2.7 billion during prom season, which evens out to about an average of $638 per girl. The opportunity cost of spending all this money just creates so much unneeded stress, and on the day of Prom, girls are more obsessed with how they look, rather than trying to have a fun time with their friends and their date. Prom is supposed to be one of the most memorable nights of High School, and is supposed to be something you look back and smile on, but now it has just turned into a giant critique as we judge ourselves and others on their appearance. I think the cost of Prom will always be high because there will always be people spending upward of $700 total and then other girls get pressured into doing the same in fear that otherwise they will look bad. If you really calculate it, you buy your dress for say $400 and then you take pictures for about an hour. Is that really worth it? I think it’s a lot of unnecessary money to be spent, but since teenagers don’t fully grasp the concept of money yet, they have no problem having their parents spend that much on Prom. I bet when we are older and in college we will look back on Prom and wonder why we thought the opportunity cost of tanning, getting your nails done, getting your hair done, buying shoes, and purchasing Prom tickets was worth the 6 hours we actually spent in our dresses taking pictures and at the dance.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I haven’t finished any of my own planning for prom, by just beginning to look at things and having watched girls in years past get ready for prom it is very clear that this is one of the most expensive days for a teenage girl. While I like every other girl want my perfect dress, hair, makeup, etc., it is crazy to add up how much everything cost. Because the dresses usually are designer brand it makes them hard to find cheap, but there are several ways to lower costs when it comes to hair and other details about the night. I don’t think that attendance rates will necessarily go down, but I think that it is possible that the amount of girls who go to a salon for all the beauty pampering or buy their dress new, and not resold, may go down. I think by doing so the cost definitely may be lowered, but in the end no matter what prom night will still be expensive.
ReplyDeleteI agree that prom has most likely gotten more expensive. From my experience last year, it was expensive buying a dress,getting hair and makeup done, paying for the party bus, and everything else. It was interesting to read that dress stores during prom season make $2.7 billion. I think it would have been helpful if you provided a graph or picture of how the price of prom has increased or the increase in prom dress sales over the years. Overall, I agree with your point. Prom is too expensive for just one day.
ReplyDeleteAfter going to prom last year, I relate and am frustrated by the prices of prom. Prom was an amazing experience but finding anything at a reasonable price. I was lucky enough to run across a beautiful dress that was just my size at goodwill, which I got for only $40. Without that, I would have been paying anywhere from $400-600 for a dress. Aside from that makeup and hair cost quite a bit for me to have it done as well. I can't imagine what I could have spent or what others spent. But all of this I think was worth it for the experience, so much so, that I'm going back again this year. I think because of the experience, people are willing to spend that much and in all honesty, I definitely think it was worth it.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of times people express their excitement about prom without fully understanding the overall price they will end up paying. Many teenagers do not comprehend the amount of money that is spent on prom because to them prom is one night of their life and why limit themselves. I can speak from experience. Last year I wanted the perfect dress, perfect hair, perfect limo, and everything else but the truth is prom is what you make of it. Although I did love my dress and hair the fun part about prom was the part that was least expensive the actual prom, the dance. I think if I were to do prom all over again I would spend less money on my dress because as much as I love it I could have used the money towards college funds. However, I think the dress stores and other prom related businesses are clever because they know people are willing to pay a lot for this day.
ReplyDeleteAs stated, there are 20 million students are projected to go to their prom. People know prom is going to be expensive and are willing to pay these high costs. Thus, the businesses who sell prom attire or offer services for prom know people are going to pay these high prices no matter what. However, I knew about these high prices, but I was willing to pay them to go to prom last year. Spending a lot of money is part of the prom experience, even though it’s just for a one time event. The opportunity cost of money versus the experience definitely plays a role in prom planning. I didn’t go out for hair, makeup or nails because I wasn’t willing to spend that kind of money for one night.
ReplyDeleteJust as she had said, prices are going to increase for prom. Dress companies, limos, nails, hair, and more are all things that you need to pay for. People are willing to pay for this night because after examining their marginal benefits, they realize that the benefit of going to prom (and the experience that is gained from attending) is definitely worth the cost. However, one issue that may begin to arise, is if students decide not to attend. Sometimes this isn't their fault if their parents can't afford it. The benefit of going to prom would be outstanding, but maybe it just isn't possible. As companies are gaining more money, they eventually need to draw limit unless they don't want to sell dresses anymore. Although some people will always still purchase these items because it is definitely worth it in the end.
ReplyDelete2.7 billion dollars? Like wow, that's a lot of money. I totally agree, getting ready for such an event such as prom, is way over the top expensive. I think that the consumers are definitely spending more than they should just to have a good time for only one night. I wouldn't forget all the other money that the guy himself spends too. his suit, cologne, ride, super expensive dinner at a fancy restaurant and orders the most expensive food on the menu (thats from experience). The reason why businesses charge so much money is because they know that teenage girls especially will spend the hundreds, if not thousands of dollars to make themselves feel like cinderella. Personally I'd rather not spend that much money for prom, I could put the money towards more dates and for other occasions too. But if you got the money to blow, yeah sure, go for it.
ReplyDeleteThere are SO many kids that go to prom. Going into the day students are aware of the expenses going into prom and are fine with the costs they have to pay. The businesses that sell things such as dresses, corsages and other necessary prom things know that people will buy them at whatever price necessary. For people like me, I know that I had to cut costs wherever I could. This is why I did not have my makeup or nails done. However, I did buy a 500 dollar dress which is the price I had to pay to get what I wanted. The people that go to prom go for the "experience" are willing to suffer the opportunity cost. Even if it means spending your life savings!
ReplyDeleteI understand where you’re finding the data that totals to $638, but there are a lot of ways to cut back on spending for prom. Personally, my dress was slightly less expensive, and some of my group for prom had friends do hair and makeup to limit spending. That being said, I STILL found prom to be incredibly expensive, and I don’t believe the experience truly outweighed the cost. As prices increase over the years, I’d imagine the number of students attending will start to go down.
ReplyDeleteI do agree prom is pricey. The tickets themselves are expensive. However, how much of the "prom process" do you actually need to do? You say you spend 2 hours getting your nails done. Who's going to be looking at your nails? The dress I understand, that's the focus of it all. But if you're spending $400 on a prom dress, your expectations in my opinion are a little too high. Even if you wanted that dress, maybe you could have rented it for the night for a lot cheaper. It's a dress you'll wear for one night (assuming you get the stereotypical big sparkly poofy dress) so you have no reason to keep it. Sure you could say you want to keep it for the memories, but isn't that what pictures are for? You could do your hair yourself or get a group of friends together and all do your hair, so getting the hair done and paying for that too is also really unnecessary to me. Honestly, you and a lot of other people could be saving a lot of money on prom if you just buy the ticket and the dress, but it's you who's choosing to spend so much money on everything else. Is prom expensive? Yeah. $70 tickets are pretty outrageous. But it's you who's really choosing to spend more money. It's all about budgeting and finding out what's really worth spending money on and what you can actually find a way to save, do yourself, or get for free.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Prom is extremely expensive, especially if you get your hair, makeup, and nails done on top of buying the dress and going tanning. When I went to prom I spent money on the dress, alterations, got my hair done, got my nails done and went tanning a month in advance. I would say that the amount of money I spent on prom was fitting with the average you provided. However I know you can go way over that average depending on how much your dress is, if you go get your makeup done, or if you get a limo. On the contrary you can also decrease the price by going to a consignment shop and getting a cheaper dress, eliminating extra costs such as hair, makeup, and nails by doing it yourself and skipping the tanning. I agree that prom is getting too expensive, but if you can’t afford it there are ways to eliminate extra costs, so it’s still an option to go if you can’t spend too much money.
ReplyDeleteAfter most of us had experienced prom last year, I know myself that I would not want to go again. The number one reason is because of how expensive everything is. I also think that prom is way overrated and everyone just cares about them self. Most girls care about the way that they look and making sure that everything is perfect that they forget the importance of having fun with their dates and spending a whole night with their friends for a night that will never happen again. I didn't know the amount of money is spent on prom in such a short amount of time at dress stores or boutiques. If I were to go to prom again even though I wouldn't, I would of found a more simple dress that is more reasonably priced and just dress it up with jewelry.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the title of your blog post I was instantly interested to read more because I never truly thought about the over arching effects of the expenses of prom. Prom is something every high school student waits for and the fact that some students are now beginning to not go solely because of the price is astonishing. Being on prom committee, I understand all the behind the scenes cost of prom as a whole, for example the venue, decorations, and DJ. Aside from just the hair, makeup, and attire the prom-goers must pay for, there’s an additional cost for tickets, as well, which is determined by how much fundraising is done to pay for the aforementioned behind the scenes costs. Overall, I thought the topic you chose was unique and connected well with the topic of economics, while giving further insight into how something so common can cost so much.
ReplyDeleteI agree that prom has become an event that is too expensive for its worth. The fact that the girls have to spend a good amount on their dress, makeup, and other prom preparations only to add on to the over priced ticket is unreasonable. Spending hundreds of dollars on an outfit that you will probably wear one or two times is just not right. Along with the stress of costs, the stress of getting ready is just as bad. The amount of things girls need to get done before the dance would definitely stress me out. It is supposed to be one of the best days of people’s high school lives and all there is to it before hand is stress. Although Prom seems to be taking a turn for the worst it is still Prom. Many teenagers will only go to the dance once and then the opportunity will have passed. Would it be worth missing a once in a lifetime experience based on the costs and stress?
ReplyDelete- Jaeger H
Just looking good for prom is extremely expensive and that doesn’t even take into account the amount of money that couples and groups spend on how they get to prom, dinner before prom and any post-prom activities. As people become more and more aware of not only what it costs to go to prom, they begin realize just how much money they’ll have to be spending on their life in the near future. For example, student loans, bills, rent, etc. As people become more educated on the opportunity cost that goes into attending and spending so much money at prom the only logical result of this awareness would be that prom attendance will steadily drop, decreasing the demand for dresses and such during the prom season. 2.7 billion dollars is a crazy amount of money to be taken in even throughout an entire year, but perhaps dress companies could increase their profits even more by lowering their price, increasing the temptation of consumers and increasing demand.
ReplyDeleteI think prices are so high because companies are trying to match what the consumer wants. The market for prom necessities surrounds high end brands. People are willing to spend the money and have shown that through buying $400+ dresses for one night. If they are willing to pay the extra money the company is willing to bump up the prices. Cheaper options are getting lost in the sea of big brands because girls these days worry about being seen in a cheap option vs. a designer name. They want the brand status so they pay extra for it. The same goes for who does their hair, nails, and makeup. There is a lot of hype surrounding the Prom and what it means in highschool, so people strive to look good. The market will continue to match this consumer trend if sales continue to look as good as $2.7 billion each year.
ReplyDeleteProm is getting more and more expensive every year. This isn’t even taking into account the amount of money it takes to rent out the hall, and buy $70+ tickets. With all the fundraising that has to be done too, more money is coming out of our pockets. It might hurt us, but it benefits the economy. Like you had said in the blog that the season is expected to bring in $1,200 per couple, and 20 million people attending. It turns out to be a hefty price. The economy goes up slightly in comparison to other things. Prom is a great way of showing how opportunity costs work. You give up about $1,000 all to just experience a night of dancing with classmates. In the long run though, it is worth it, because you will forever remember that night.
ReplyDeleteI would totally agree that prom can be stressful even though it's seen as this wonderful night. As you stated though, you only get to experience this once. Yes, you are spending a ton of money on this one night, but there are ways to reduce the costs. For example, you don't have to get your nails done or your hair, you can do it yourself. Instead of buying a new dress, you could buy one that has been wore already. There are so many ways to reduce the cost if you don't want to spend that much money. For those who want to overindulge in this experience and spend a bunch of money, that's up to them. People are choosing to spend more for prom, but there are still people out there who choose other ways to attend prom without blowing an abundance of money. It is mainly about the experience, not how you look.
ReplyDeleteI agree 17 year olds have been spending way too much for prom. Families are spending on average over a thousand dollars for prom. Also when you put together how much more it costs for a girl than boy in total to go to prom. Just to give you an idea an average boys tux for rent is about 60 dollars. At average a girl's dress is around 400 dollars for the whole look. That’s around 340 more dollars girls spend on prom than boys. That is insane. The opportunity cost is huge when it comes to prom, especially for girls.
ReplyDeletePeople now a days have this very socialistic mindset when it comes to Prom, that they have to buy the most expensive things to make their prom night the "night of their lives". The amount of money that girls have to spend on prom, way more than guys, is ridiculous. The hair appointments, the shoes, the fittings, the makeup, the nails, everything is so crazy now a days that often times people have to save and not do fun things in High School just to save up for Prom. This is something, I agree with you, that is absurb and needs to be lowered.
ReplyDeleteI feel like for most people the experience of prom far outweighs the price. It's really a once and a lifetime opportunity for most people so the high cost can be worked out. However maybe there are better ways to be fiscally conservative like renting a dress instead of purchasing one only to wear it one time in your life. This is what guys do with their tuxedos. We live in a day in age where everything is rising in price so it's going to be hard for some people to afford, but that is just the time we live in.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that you gave an understanding what it is most teenage girls go through. Maybe stating what each individual process costs throughout the piece would help strengthen it overall. Another thing to add would be what a guy also goes through to pay for prom. This also might not be the same for every teenager, for instance I know I might want to go this year and if going means sacrificing getting my hair, nails or makeup done perfectly to afford prom then I am okay with that but that’s just me, I realize everything you have stated is real for most teenagers.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in the post, prices are going to increase. I agree that the cost for prom is at unfair and a bit unnecessary. From an economic standpoint, if dress stores increase their prices, the demand will eventually go down as people way out their cost and benefits. Less people buying dresses will be less people that go to prom. Having prices significantly lower might increase the amount that want to go. This way there will be an increase in prom purchases because they won't hesitate to buy.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't think that the two options are to either spend a lot of money at prom, or not go to prom at all. There are some really good ways to save money, so the opportunity cost can have less riding on it. People just have to decide if the experience is worth the amount of money they decide to spend. There may be a market opportunity for people selling less expensive prom dresses.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the price of prom is continuing to increase, I feel as if there are ways that students are still going to be able to attend. There are always other options that students can choose in order to help lower the opportunity costs of attending prom. If students are choosing between going to prom or not just because of the price, they should still go. They can spend less money by doing their own hair or nails, buying a used dress, or by wearing shoes they already own. Even though the cost of price seems high, the amount of people that attend is still going to remain high due to the large demand for the dance.
ReplyDeleteProm is a multi billion dollar industry which is such a ridiculous concept that so many people buy into, including myself, because it only happens one night. All of the preparation and money that goes into these few hours is staggering. In the moment, and the time before it all seems worth it to feel like a princess, but looking back, it’s not worth all of the fuss. You can have a perfectly good time without spending hundreds of dollars on a dress you will only wear one time in your life. There are constant added expenses to the next year of prom.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jenna as I say that there are definitely more than two options when it comes to cost of prom. You do not need to spend a lot of moeny or not go. Today, many people sell their dresses at lower prices, which takes away some of the costs that come with a new dress, and in return you still get to wear a beautiful dress. There are also way more opportuinities and possibilities for you to do your hair and nails at home instead of spending money and getting them done. For example, my prom will be this year and although I got a new dress, I will be going to a family friends house instead of the salon to limit the costs. I also feel as if the experience you receive from prom will outweigh the costs.
ReplyDeleteAs a student who hardly has time for a job I see prom as a ridiculously expensive event. I know many people who have not gone to prom altogether due to the high cost of prom. Another thing that should be accounted for in prom is for the people who go to two different proms. Considering these costs get multiplied its even more expensive. Fundraising is something that many people do to try and lower the price of prom, but there is still a large expense going along with it regardless. I almost wonder if there is a way to incorporate business sponsorship in to prom to lower the price of tickets for example have a big restaurant in the area be the sponsor of prom and have them cater food for the venue to maybe lower the ticket price. In a combination of different things I think that it will be easier for people to save money on prom.
ReplyDeleteAlthough prom is quite expensive, I think that this is quite over-exaggerated. Many highschoolers get too caught up in the real cost of prom, rather than the opportunity. They spend too much time and money worrying about what they look like which adds even more to the total revenue of salons and dress shops. I agree that prom is a big deal, but people do spend way too much money on it.
ReplyDeleteI like the topic of your blog post. I think that is it good for some girls to realize that prom isn't that big of a deal. Yeah it's fun and a lot of girls have been looking forward to this night. I personally don't think that it is worth it to spend $400 on a dress that you will wear for just one night. Prom is fun but I don't think that girls should stress about it as much as some do.
ReplyDeleteI like the blog post but at the same time I feel like just like weddings the day of prom will always be a huge deal. Everyone knows it is expensive and that is the part they maybe like. Most of the time their parents are paying anyways so I think although very accurate prom will never change and will always be an expensive day for all parents.
ReplyDeleteI think that the reason that prom can be so expensive is that people are willing to pay at these prices. If people weren't willing to pay these prices, it would show insufficient demand and prices would fall. Because the customers lost are not significant enough to lower profits for the people supplying prom-related services, the prices will not lower. Part of the problem could be that teenagers often let the price of prom fall on their parents, so the perceived costs are lower than they actually are. One way to lower costs would be if consumer trends strayed away from more expensive choices such as poofy or corset-back dresses and tanning which are more expensive. Overall, consumers as a whole have to decide that prom is too expensive before the prices will fall.
ReplyDeleteProm dresses do not have to be that expensive. For example, my sister got her dress for around $70, as she realized the item would only be worn on one day, and therefore did not have to be the most expensive thing she could find. In addition she did have hair and nail appointments but she did not go to the most expensive places she could find. These costs in addition to tickets and her part to rent a limo with her friends, totaled around 300. I do not remember the exact costs of all these things but it goes to show, formal events do have a cost, but they can be minimized for a girl if she is reasonable and understands the dress can be just as good for $70 as $700. For men however, a tuxedo rental as around $120, and all they have to pay for in addition is tickets and pre prom expedients. This I would be supprised if not including ticket prices as that fluctuates year to year, this day costs him over $170. For these reasons I question where you got your data of $1200 for one couple to attend the dance.
ReplyDeleteThis piece was very easy to relate to since we all went through prom last year. I would totally agree that prom is stressful even though it's supposed to be a wonderful and fun night. Since you only experience it once, you want the night to be perfect, therefore spending lots of money on this one night seems worth it, but there are many ways to reduce the costs, like doing your hair nails, and makeup yourself. Another way is to buy a used dress, and when I say used I mean buying a dress from the girl who only wore it once last year. Some people might prefer to treat themselves for one night while others would simply avoid the cost and not go. Prom truly is for the experience, which is why the hype and overspending in prom should be reduced.
ReplyDeleteSure prom is expensive, too expensive for some. But it's not like the prices will ever go down. Dress shops and other services will keep their prices high because they know people will pay for it, they don't care if it is too expensive for some others. All they care about is getting paid, and people are willing to pay.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do agree that prom is completely overpriced, I think it the opportunity cost isn't that high. In reality $400 is only on average 50 hours of work. For you to have your perfect night everyone wants, the opportunity costs is only two 25 hour work weeks. That is not a difficult thing to achieve and if you really want to have a good time at prom, it is worth it. Also I think you might of spent a little too much time taking of through your prom experience, compared to what the piece was about, which was "Is Prom too Expensive"
ReplyDeleteI think that in order for prom to continue we have to take a stand against the high standards that everyone sets for themselves. Instead of spending 400 dollars plus on a dress we could all just wear whatever we have lying around. While the ticket price for prom might not go down, we could make it more affordable by throwing proms focused on less fancy attire and making it the norm to not have a rent an expensive party bus out to bring students to the dance. Overall, prom is a fun experience that everyone should get to enjoy. If we can start making it cheaper then more and more people will be able to get involved.
ReplyDeleteHaving prom this year, I am really excited to wear the most beautiful dress and look like a princess, but, the problem here is we all have to give up a lot of money to make the prom day as premier as possible. From my perspective, a typical girl will spend at least $200. All employed teenagers will not have disposable income because they never pay taxes nor get government transfers, but they get wages and they use their wages to pay the expenses. Nowadays, teenagers are not considering the high prices rather they contemplate more on having fun for one day. This process of thinking is a big advantage for Dress stores because companies are confident on consumers, who are ready to buy the high price products. It is interesting on how these dress stores get a $2.7 billion in few months and the demand price is inelastic. Altogether, prom is expensive and we all don't consider as an obstacle because everyone wants to make that day as best in their lives.
ReplyDeleteI think it's super disappointing that prom is becoming so expensive. Personally, buying a dress for $400 that I'm only gonna wear once, is not something I want to do. However prom seems like a right of passage for high school and so it is just disappointing that it has become so expensive that some girls won't attend. The opportunity cost is something that could definitely be prevented and so it is really unfortunate that this phenomenon happens at all.
ReplyDeleteWe also have to remember for our school, it also depends on how much your grade raises from different fundraising events.Yes it's bad that not the best way to pay for a prom, but it was helpful. There are strong feelings about why students should be paying that much in the first place. Renting suits, and buying prom dresses is hard work already and a high priced prom where 94% or your class is going anyways because the other half don't have the right grades or can't afford it.
ReplyDeleteHow do I choose the prom dress for my next homecoming?
ReplyDeleteAlmost every teen girl has a question in mind is that how she become the most beautiful one in the crowd of prom party. In my opinion, Long Most Unique Prom Dress, two piece evening dresses, cocktail style and two piece gowns are all necessary for women's wardrobe because these dresses never go out of fashion. Choose only those dresses which compliment your look & style.