Entertainment - Entertainment News

POSTED: Sunday, Apr. 19, 2009

High school students find creative solutions for prom on a recession-stressed budget

Lynda Fell might not remember her prom date or the details of all her high school dances. But nearly 30 years later, she hasn’t forgotten the dresses she wore or the way they made her feel.

“One in particular was a beautiful periwinkle blue gown that I had borrowed from a friend,” Fell recalls. “It was taffeta — as most gowns were in those days — but I remember feeling very glamorous and elegant, so much so that I felt more confident, which was such a great feeling.”

It’s the dress that makes the night for Fell, but she also knows the dress can break the night’s budget.

Fell doesn’t think girls should have to choose between beauty and a budget when they’re planning prom night. In early April, she opened her Ferndale store, Gems & Jewels: The Little Green Formal Shop, where gently used formal dresses are available for rent or purchase. She offers anything from bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses to homecoming frocks and all number of numbers for prom. She takes pride in carrying designer names and handmade jewelry at a low price point.

“There’s a huge mark-up in the formal world,” the Ferndale mom says. “I’m trying to offer an alternative. I love helping girls get dressed up. They don’t have to plunk down hundreds of dollars on prom night to make it memorable.”

Formal consignment is good news for budgets and the environment. Instead of wasting money and materials buying an expensive dress to wear once and shove in the back of a closet, girls can rent a dress for a fraction of the price and return it to the store for another girl to use another weekend.

“In today’s economic times, it’s put (consignment) out in the forefront. It’s always been there, it’s just becoming a need for more people,” she says. “Prom is something you’re always going to want to remember. We have very few times in our life where we get to dress up. I think it’s really important that we have good inexpensive options.”

Ferndale High School junior Lorigene Eriksen says she and her friends are finding creative ways to save for junior prom. Eriksen is shopping at Gems & Jewels for a dress, and if she doesn’t find one there, she’ll likely shop through her friends’ closets.

“I’m looking for a job right now, so I don’t have my own money,” she says. “I don’t want to have my parents spend $150 on a dress I’ll probably never wear again.”

Other friends are going online or to discounters like Ross Dress for Less in Bellingham to find dresses on the cheap.

“They’re all just being careful where they look for dresses,” she says. “All of my friends are worried about the price tag of prom. They don’t want to spend all of the money they’ve made on prom.”

To keep costs low for the night, Eriksen’s group is forgoing the limo, the dance pictures and the fancy meal. Instead, they’ll have pictures taken on a beach on Lummi Island, go to a moderately priced restaurant and have a girly sleep-over afterward.

“I’m just looking to go have fun with my group,” she says. “Getting all dressed up and the dinner and seeing everyone all dressed up, it’ll be fun.”

BEAUTY ON A BUDGET

Another option for girls whose prom budgets are thin or non-existent is the Bellingham YWCA dress boutique. The organization saw about 40 girls in 2008, when it inherited its prom dress boutique from Blue Skies for Children. The boutique now has about 275 dresses and is always accepting more.

“Prom is a big deal to a teenage girl,” says YWCA operations manager Janet Marino. “If the only barrier preventing them from going is the money it costs to get the clothing together, that shouldn’t be a barrier.” The prom dress program is set up for low-income families, but there is no proof of income required for girls to set up an appointment and get a dress they can keep.

“My family was fairly low income and I think it would’ve been awesome. It would’ve been great for us,” Marino says of the prom dress program. “I wish we would have something similar for the guys, but tuxedos, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Eriksen is glad to know that a tight budget won’t keep her from having fun or looking glamorous this year or next.

“It’s prom. I’ve heard about it in shows and movies and from older friends forever,” she says. “It’s just one of those high school things you do. When I’m older, I don’t want to look back and not be able to talk about my prom. It’s an important milestone for me.”