With graduation day and upcoming winter ball right around the corner, it seems like everyone is in search of the perfect outfit to wear. Graduation is one of the most special days of your college life – after all the blood, sweat and tears (not literally) you put in to get your degree, this is the time to reap the rewards and have a great time with family and friends while you are at it.
While everybody wants to look their best on this special day, most college students do not have the budget to splurge on an outfit they are only going to be wearing for one day. Thankfully, there are lots of great ways to find an outfit that will have you looking your best, without requiring you to rob a bank.
Read on to find out how you can find a beautiful outfit for graduation day at the lowest possible cost.
- Shop for your dress when there’s a sale
When you are aware that you are going to need two special dresses during the year – one for prom and one for graduation – It is better to start preparing for it in advance and looking out for sales and discounts whenever you get the chance.
Whenever you are at the mall, keep an eye out for potential graduation dresses you like and then wait for sale seasons to buy them. You can shop on discount days like Black Friday, Boxing Day or January sales, Mega Winter and Summer Sales to find the best deals on ball gowns and suits. Student discounts can further help cut down your costs. Additionally, instead of just relying on local boutiques, make sure to also check out online websites for affordable graduation dresses.
- Rent an outfit for the night
If you are really thinking of spending a huge amount of money on one dress that is going to sit in your closet unused for the rest of the year, consider whether it is really worth it. Think of all the other useful things you could do with your savings instead such as buying tons of other clothes you could use on a daily basis or perhaps those trendy gym shoes you really need but haven’t bought yet because of being short on funds.
Everybody wants to look good for their graduation or prom night but the pros and cons need to be considered. Unless you have loads of extra money to throw away on a gown you will be wearing for a single night, a much smarter choice can be to rent an outfit. If you do your research, you can even find big designer names available for hire and no one will even know that it’s not yours!
- Reuse an existing outfit
Take this advice from us – nobody will notice, care or even remember what you wore to the prom last year. Yes, we are referring to that dress you have worn only once a year which is currently buried at the back of your closet because it is too fancy to be worn otherwise.
Wearing a fancy dress you already own is a great idea and one that is sure to save you from unnecessary stress. Before fashion changes and your existing dresses become outdated, it is only reasonable to use them instead of letting them go to waste just because they are from last season!
So, take your old dresses out from the back of your closet, try them on once again and pair them with new accessories to give them a new look.
- Borrow clothes from friends and family
Is your sister a senior who happened to wear a gorgeous dress on her graduation day? If this is the case, you know where to look for your own graduation dress. Nobody would have seen the outfit and you wouldn’t have to repeat any of your outfits either.
The next place to look could be your mother’s closet; you can recreate your mother’s prom look in a vintage dress, spicing it up with trendy accessories and high heels. No other day is more perfect to give your mother nostalgia of her own graduation day. And the best part is that you can get suited and booted for free! If both of these places are not an option for you because you moved away for college, ask your housemate, roommate or your friends if you can borrow their clothes for a night.
- Get a used piece
If you are on a tight budget and do not want to reuse an old outfit, second-hand clothes are another option to consider. You can find some beautiful vintage dresses and classic designs at shops that deal in used clothing. Pair them with those super trendy designer heels you bought recently and you will end up with a killer look!
The best thing about vintage dresses is that they can always be reused, no matter what the current fashion trends are. You will be able to reuse them at birthday parties, on a girl’s night out or you can even pass it down to your little sister for her graduation day.
- Keep it simple
Now, we know this is not the kind of advice you were looking for but do give it a thought. Have you realized that you will have your graduation caps and gowns on the entire time, which means that your outfit will not really be visible in any of the pictures? So why go all out on spending your savings on a dress that won’t even get noticed? Even if you decide to wear a great dress you already own, you probably won’t regret it. Simplicity is not always such a bad idea, even on a day as big as graduation.
The last piece of advice we can give you is to not fret so much about what to wear on your graduation that you forget to have fun. Do make sure to look your best within your given budget but focus more on enjoying this special day. Take lots of pictures and make some amazing memories which the people that matter. At the end of the day, that is what graduation is all about.
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