“The ball gown should be chosen like sports equipment”

With the closure of numerous European and American brands, the task of purchasing dresses for a graduate has become seriously complicated. Among the popular Russian brands, 12Storeez, 2Mood, TopTop, Studio29, I am Studio include evening and cocktail dresses, as well as go-out wear. However, the cost of clothes can shock parents first of all. The average price is 25 thousand rubles. And that’s probably for a one-time wear dress.

When choosing a ball gown, a good alternative to the reserved Zara, Asos, Stradivarius will be other local mass-market brands – Zarina, O’stin, Lime, So Simple Store. In brands you can find relatively affordable options for dresses that can be worn later in everyday life. For example, the cost of a combination dress starts from 3,000 rubles, midi dresses with slits and asymmetrical cut – 5,000 rubles, semi-adjacent maxi dresses – from 6,000 rubles.

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“The best way to save money is to buy something that will be worn multiple times,” says stylist Katya Panch. But it depends on the format of the event and the dress code, if the graduation is Oscar-style, then at most you will wear the same dress to your classmate’s wedding.”

For the prom, the stylist recommends choosing a classic and concise dress without intricate curtains and a large number of decorative elements.

Many parents and children are not convinced by such arguments: from year to year girls in lush “princess dresses” pose for graduation photos. But is it worth spending money on a floor-length evening dress?

Psychologist-image maker Lana Volokhova gives a clear answer: “No, it’s not worth it.” Not only will it be expensive, but it will likely be inconvenient. A real evening dress – with a train, embroideries and a crinoline – can only be rented.

“It will be a ridiculous dress that mom and grandma chose according to their sense of beauty and old morals,” warns Lana Volokhova. – It would be ridiculous if he was uncomfortable. Graduation dress should be chosen like sports equipment – sit, lie down and move all limbs.

Suits and overalls will cost several thousand more than dresses. However, later they can be worn separately, for example, a jacket with sneakers and jeans, trousers with a trench coat and a T-shirt, and overalls with sneakers and a coat. Katya Punch sees suits as a great alternative to dresses and recommends choosing white, black and red colors.

Trendy three-piece suits can be purchased from You, loose-fitting jumpsuits from Miditi, and classic pantsuits from Charmstore. There are many options for similar products in Shein and AliExpress online stores. True, it is much more difficult to find a suitable model there than in an offline store. In order not to be mistaken, you should be guided by customer reviews. They write about the condition of the items, the fit of the sizes and the quality of the fabrics.

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A separate point when choosing a prom dress is the problem of possible conflict between parents and children due to the choice of clothes. It happens that children refuse to go to a solemn event in appropriate clothes and declare that they will receive a diploma in only jeans and a T-shirt. In this case, Lana Volokhova offers to find a compromise with the teenager. For example, ask the child to go to the official part in festive clothes, and to the informal part – already in a casual outfit.

Sometimes graduates want to go to a celebration in an overly revealing and, according to their parents, “adult” outfit. “Three triangles and a ponytail are risky, but you do not need to completely close yourself, especially if you do not want to,” says Lana Volokhova. She recommends looking for the middle ground: choose a revealing dress, then throw a jacket over it.

Well, the final factor in a dress-choosing relationship is where the event will take place: it would be appropriate to appear in an evening dress at a school ball, but not so much to an out-of-town restaurant.