Prepping for prom: Dress shops talk trends, spending

Brittany Madden, a senior at Sauquoit Valley High School, hasn't decided what dress she'll wear for the prom yet. But like many other girls, she's already got her feelers out.Madden, 17, began looking at The Princess Shop's website in mid-January. But when she went to the New Hartford store to see dresses up close, she got an unexpected surprise: Owner Denise Houck approached her about walking in the store's fashion show.
The show, which took place Feb. 5 at the Radisson Hotel-Utica Centre, showcased dresses from a variety of designers in all different styles, colors and lengths.Madden is shopping for a dress in the $400 to $500 range – not unusual for prom dresses these days – and is looking for a pink or purple mermaid-style dress with lots of sparkles."I just want to find something that's fun and kind of different," she said.Houck and Wende Maliani, owner of MeMe's Formals in Utica, both said that sequins and beading are very "in" this year, and Maliani said that she's been seeing girls buy a lot of vibrant-colored dresses.
"It's been really eclectic this year so far," Maliani said.Traditional pastel-colored ball gowns are still a big part of the business, but are not as popular as they once were, they said. In addition to changing color preferences, short dresses and slim-fit dresses are also in demand now.Localized Appreesh: The Yellow Dress.Even though most proms are in May or June, Houck said that many girls start looking at dress styles online in October, and many start shopping locally almost immediately after the holidays."They shop early because we register everything," she said. "So if they see a dress that they really want, and they determine that that's a good style for them, which is what we help them do, then they want to register it so nobody else gets it.
Both Houck and Maliani said that the dresses they sell range from $200 to $500. The average, Houck said, is probably around $360.But both stores try to make the prom experience more affordable, as well.MeMe's Formals, for example, has a sale rack with more than 100 recently marked down dresses, Maliani said."We have a $50 rack for prom girls that are on a budget,"she said.At the end of each season, The Princess Shop donates most of its unsold dresses to various organizations and schools that give them to girls who can't afford to buy their own. Recipients include Sauquoit Valley Friends and Neighbors, Cicero-North Syracuse High School, and Thomas R. Proctor High School.The store also gave away a free prom dress at the end of last weekend's fashion show.