The hair, the shoes, the makeup, and the nail appointments are all a part of prom, but the most important part is the dress. With dozens of different styles and endless color choices, the dress is a complicated decision for a teenage girl. With several prom dress shops around, it is easy to find different shopping experiences, prices, and quality of what you wish to find in a prom dress. My newsgroup and I explored various prom dress stores around Bucks County for the prom dress shopping experience.

Country Bride and Gent is a local formal wear shop established in 1986. They have suits, bridal wear, flower girl dresses, and prom dresses all available. Our newsgroup was able to walk in without an appointment and choose several dresses we wanted to try on. They had hundreds of dresses to choose from, with various styles and colors. The price range is on the expensive end, anywhere from $200 to $900. The experience was overall very enjoyable, and every worker was more than happy to help you find the perfect dress. The majority of the workers were high school students, one being Kayla Balisalisa. She really enjoys “being able to help other girls find a prom dress that they love, and seeing all the different styles they chose.” Julia B, a high school student looking for her senior prom dress, wanted “something with sparkles and beads, as she has seen on Instagram.” Kayla Balisalisa also shared how “many girls who come into the store have an idea of what they want because of social media and trending styles.”Country Bride and Gent gives a very professional and classy experience when looking for a dress, but this experience comes with a more expensive price.

When looking for cheaper and more affordable dresses, department stores are always great options. We made a second trip to Willow Grove Park Mall, where we could shop in several different stores that had prom dresses available. Windsor is a dress store with popular styles and colors available for all occasions. Immediately entering the store, we found dresses that we liked, all under $100. Windsor has several dressings rooms that make it easy to try on as many or as few dresses as you would like.

After exploring two very different prom dress shopping experiences we learned that you could find similar dresses at retail and department stores to those at high-end formal wear stores. As a whole, our newsgroup enjoyed the experience we had at Country Bride and Gent the most because we felt that we were able to personalize our experiences the most. We had a sales associate help us to find styles, colors, and sizes that best fit us. We also loved how we could walk out in every dress and stand up in front of a mirror and have a moment in the spotlight in every dress. Prom dress shopping can be stressful and hectic in many ways, but our newsgroup enjoyed being able to go out and try different stores and the dresses they had to offer. Our favorite part of this experience was being able to see each other try on unique colors and styles and being able to give each other feedback on every dress.

Sources:

https://www.promgirl.com/collections/shop-dresses-by-style
https://www.seventeen.com/prom/prom-style/a42200617/2023-prom-trends/
https://www.peachesboutique.com/dresses/occasion/prom#:~:text=Average%20prom%20outfits%20can%20range%20between%20%24100%20and%20%24600.
https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/prom-dresses-market-records-high-growth-in-upcoming-years-by-2023-2025-research-reports-world-2023-02-07
https://www.countrybrideandgent.com/