- Ask your friends and family if they have any dresses you can wear to your prom. Chances are, someone has a formal dress stuffed in the back of her closet that doesn't fit anymore. Women who travel often purchase dresses as souvenirs and never wear them, especially if they travel to Asia or other exotic locations. Imagine wowing your friends on prom night in a slim-fitting, silk Chinese dress that you got for free.
- While many girls may initially cringe at the thought of looking at a thrift store for a dress, this is a great place to start. Thrift stores always have formal dresses at very inexpensive prices. You might even find one that still has tags on it. Take it to the dry cleaner for a good cleaning, then make it your own by adding lace to the hem (you can do this with simple fabric glue) or by adding other special touches.
- At first glance, a bridal shop may not seem like the place to get a cheap prom dress. Many bridal shops, however, end up eating the cost of modified or custom bridesmaid's dresses that were never paid for or picked up. Therefore, they end up selling these dresses at a steep discount. Call your local bridal wear shops and ask them if they have any bridesmaid's dresses for sale in your size.
