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Rose Stoebner

There are a variety of places to purchase a prom dress for students to buy a prom dress in the Stillwater area. The most popular place to go is the Maple Wood Mall. "I bought my prom dress at the mall because it has the most options. There are a couple stores that sells dresses for pretty decent prices there," Junior Emma Roslin says.

Many students are choosing to buy versus renting a prom dress for a cheaper price. Prom dresses on average, range from $100-400 and most students choose to buy their dresses instead of renting a dress for the night.

When buying a prom dress, there is a huge selection of dresses to choose from. Every new color, style, and trend are available to buy. There are often a variety of local retailers who offer a large selection of dresses near by. Where as there are very few dress rental shops and a student might have to go online to rent a dress they want. Dress rentals are not always up to date on the latest trends and might only have a select few with newer trendy styles.

“I feel that a lot of students buy their dresses so they can alter it, so the dress fits properly. I think it is also a sense of ownership like, that is my prom dress,” junior Emma Roslin said.

Purchasing a dress also gives students the best options in terms of fit. If the student owns the dress they are free to alter it in any way in order to make it the best fit possible. With renting a dress the selections is based on size and if a student orders it online and the dress does not fit the student may be out of luck.

“I never seriously considered searching  for a prom dress through a rental place. I knew it was a option if I wanted it, but I didn’t really know what the selection would be like if I did. I decided to buy a prom dress so I could ensure that I was getting the dress that fitted me the best, both to my style and my size,” junior Kaylee Payne said.

The main advantage of renting a prom dress is the price. Many high quality prom dresses can be well above $ 300, but when renting a prom dress you can have a similar quality for a much lower price. On the site Rent The Runway, you can rent a Rebecca Taylor gown for $80 when the retail price is over $1000.

“Prices from prom dresses can get insane. Sometimes you can find an okay dress for around $100, but if you want a high quality dress and have to get it tailored it can be upwards of $500. I think that is a little too spendy for a dress you are only going to wear once,” junior Molly Junker said.

Another option for getting a cheap prom dress, is buying a used dress. Many people sell their dresses after prom because they are only going to wear the dress that one time. Students can often find good prices for prom dresses from other students who are selling their prom dresses from last year. They are usually in great shape because they have only ever been worn once.

“Renting dresses is a great option that a lot of people do not know about. There are quite a few places that rent high quality prom dress for a low price. That way you do not waste all your money on a dress you are only going to wear once,” senior Hannah Ebersole said.