Pennyless Prom

Dear Cassie,

My crush invited me to prom & I couldn't be happier!! Except that I don't make enough allowance for the prom dress of my dreams & money's tight with my family right now. How can I still look gorgeous on a budget?

Tanisha

Dear Tanisha,

First off: Congrats on getting asked to prom by your crush!! That's super exciting :) Now, let's get down to business. You can TOTALLY do prom on a budget. Let's start with shoes. If you buy a pair of dyeable shoes, you can wear them again by dying them for another occassion. Also, you can maybe wear shoes you already have, or buy less expensive shoes that aren't that fancy, by dressing them up with shoe clips. You can clip rhinestones, pearls, whatever you want to dress up your tootsies! The thrift store is the prom gal's best friend. Search thrift stores & vintage shops for old glamour jewelry. That will save you TONS of money on accessories you most likely won't wear again. And while you're there, look for the centerpiece of your prom look: THE dress. The possibilites are endless. You can shorten a dress to make it more modern, you can take off sleeves, add embelishments, take it to a tailor to get taken in. And you will be sure that no one will be wearing the same dress as you on your special night. You don't have to blow the bank to look gorgeous. The best accessory, after all, is a sparkling smile ;)

Because after all, what's important about that night is the fun you're going to have, the memories you will make, not the brand name tag on your dress.

xoxo,

Cassie