An earlier version of this story originally appeared in the Spartan Shield.
Students wait excitedly for prom season every year — not just for a fun-filled night of dancing, but for the chance to dress up in fancy fare complete with flowing silk, tuxes, and sweetheart necklines. This year, as teenagers and their families gather to look at outfits, they may experience some sticker shock.
Rising inflation in recent years has made the cost of basic living expenses difficult to manage for many families.
Those higher costs have trickled down to student life—including attending milestone events like junior and senior prom. Students and event organizers alike have noticed how much more expensive it has become to prepare for and attend the yearly night of revelry.
Prom has always been an expensive affair. A single dress can cost hundreds of dollars, a figure that’s risen over time in part because of fashion and social media pressures, as the event has become flashier. That’s before you include paying for alterations and other expenses like event tickets, accessories, and shoes.
Rising costs have only put more pressure on students’ and families’ wallets, as inflation and other factors have hit the prom sector. The price of dresses alone has seen a rise of 10 percent within the past year — in part due to inflation and in part due to tariffs on imported goods. Inflation for services like prom hair, nails, flowers and transportation has ticked up at least 5 percent.
Some students and families have written on Reddit this spring that it has been difficult to find dresses within a reasonable price range that also match the style, color, and size they’re looking for.
Other students have noticed how much outfits cost, even if they’re opting into paying higher prices. Emma Volkstorf, a senior at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa, attended prom last year and plans to attend her senior prom this year. “Last year, I spent around $500 on my prom dress. It was my junior prom, so I definitely wanted to save the best for senior year,” she said. “This year, I spent around $800 for my senior year prom dress.”
Volkstorf said she and her family agreed they were willing to spend more on her senior prom dress to make it a memorable night. She believes that prom can be expensive, but she still thinks it’s worth shelling out to look good for her big night.
“I honestly don’t think there is a ‘right’ amount to spend on prom. Everyone is different and has their own preferences and budget,” Volkstorf said. “I think what matters most is you finding what you feel comfortable and confident in.”
Although Volkstorf’s family decided this spending was something they could do, not all students can take on the high and rising costs — in fact, some are finding ways to spend less. Pleasant Valley senior Juha Kim also attended prom last year and plans to attend this year. “I spent about $75 on my dress and I bought it online from a store called Peppermayo. And then last year I spent maybe $90 and I bought it from Beginning Boutique online,” she said.
Kim explained that for her and her family, spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars was not realistic. She has tried to keep her entire prom spend at $150 or less, but acknowledges other students enjoy going all out and spending more money. “I think the expectation can be a little expensive,” Kim said. “Which I think is kind of a stigma around prom that can be worked on and can be changed because prom doesn’t have to be super expensive. It can be made affordable.”
For students and families who can’t fit a prom dress into the budget at all, there are Iowa-based organizations and programs that can help. Dress for Success, and Prom ReRun, for instance, allow students to come pick out outfits for prom free of charge, meaning more students can still experience a magical night with friends—without the overinflated price tag.
Students and families aren’t the only ones noticing the rising costs of prom. Pleasant Valley’s Social Committee, the group in charge of planning the dance, has also seen prices increase. Creating a festive experience for students includes booking a venue large enough to fit all of the attendees; planners also have to make other purchases like food and decorations that set the mood.
Kathyrn Buchter, an advisor for the committee, explained that lowering costs is not as simple as having the event at a budget-friendly location if it can’t accommodate all of the people attending.
“With the prom venue, we are limited in choices due to our large class size. We have researched many venues, but find the River Center can offer us the size of space and the price point that works for PV,” Buchter said. “Decor is where we will see the most inflation from year to year, but we are already researching and comparing what we are hoping to purchase with our budget.”
She also explained that the school tries to use money from other events to help cover some prom-related costs. For example, the Social Committee uses leftover money from the homecoming dance to help pay for the venue and decorations.
“We do have a budget in mind. Our goal is to always make the ticket cost and the price of prom hit as equal as possible,” Butcher said.
