Prom season comes around fast and now is the perfect time to find a gorgeous pre-loved dress. Buying second-hand saves you money and protects the environment! In this blog, we’re providing tips on finding the perfect pre-loved prom dress.
Prom is such an important time in your life, and we’re sure that you want to look a million dollars! The good news is that you don’t need to spend lots of money to look great! Whether you’re shopping for your child or you’re attending the prom yourself, we can help!
What are the benefits of choosing a pre-loved prom dress?
There are so many fantastic benefits of choosing a second-hand prom dress, and we’re here to highlight them.
Save money
Let’s be honest: brand-new dresses for every occasion can get expensive and recycling or re-using outfits is a great way to save money. At Regenerage, we accept quality prom dresses and they are available from just £19.95.
Support the environment
Are you an environmentally conscious person? Then you’ll be pleased to know that by purchasing secondhand prom dresses, you’re also supporting the environment! Unfortunately, many clothing items end up in landfills, even when they have plenty of life left in them!
Purchasing from our store directly also helps to reduce damage to the environment. We provide you with just enough packaging to take your dress home safely. In contrast, when you order online, more packaging is usually required, and the delivery process produces more emissions.
Unique prom dress styles with timeless elegance
When you’re choosing your prom dress, you might be worried about choosing the same dress as someone else. When you shop at secondhand dress shops, you reduce this risk. Many of the dresses we receive are one of a kind, and they aren’t made anymore. You might even come across a vintage prom dress in our store.
Feel good about yourself
With a unique dress, a clear environmental conscience and more money in your pocket, you’re sure to feel good about yourself. You can attend your prom event with a huge smile on your face.
By shopping with us, you’re supporting our mission of helping the people of the North West to live and age well. We provide a range of services for older people to help them live fulfilling lives free from loneliness and isolation. We also support those living with dementia.
Where to start looking for a pre-loved prom dress
Finding the perfect dress can be a challenge, which is why it’s a good idea to start searching early. We have the perfect place to look! At Regenerage, we stock a wide selection of prom dresses that are sure to help you feel and look amazing.
We have a huge range of styles and colours to choose from, so there really is something for everyone.
When you visit our Middlebrook Charity Superstore, you can have a truly relaxing try-on experience. We have a helpful team of staff and our own changing rooms, so you can leave feeling confident that you’ve chosen the right dress. Feel free to bring people along with you, whether that’s a parent, sibling, or even a friend!
Find us here:
Middlebrook Charity Superstore
Middlebrook Retail & Leisure Park,
63 The Linkway,
Horwich, BL6 6JA
Tips for finding the perfect fit
When it comes to secondhand dresses, it’s good to have an idea of what kind of fit you’d like. Remember that sizing is not universal across all brands, so you might be one size for one brand and another for something else. You should definitely go with an open mind and choose the dress based on how it makes you feel rather than the size it says.
It’s a good idea to take accurate measurements of your body over a few weeks. Then, you can try on dresses as much as you like! If you don’t want to take measurements, you can just turn up and try the dresses on!
If you’re buying a secondhand dress, you should also be aware that you may need to have adjustments made to it. When completed by a quality seamstress, these shouldn’t cost too much and will likely still work out cheaper than buying a brand-new prom dress.
Inspecting dress quality
We only accept high-quality dresses and do our best to check the authenticity of every item we accept. If you want to purchase a specific brand, we recommend that you complete further research.
We cannot guarantee that we’ll have designer prom dresses when you visit, but it’s always worth a look! Plus, if you don’t fancy a designer option, we have plenty of stunning prom dresses for you to choose from.
Prom dress style and trends
While it’s good to research trends, it can also be great to try something new. When you visit us, you might find a vintage piece of clothing that will definitely look great! Here are some of the prom dress styles that are currently trending.
- Ruffled ballgowns
- Fishtail gowns
- Embellished gowns
- Slinky dresses
- A-line gowns
- Bridgerton gowns
Budgeting and Savings
Whether you’re purchasing your second-hand dress yourself or someone else is helping you out, you’ll definitely save money.
It’s a good idea to assess how much money you are willing to spend as early as you can. Then, you can tailor your search accordingly.
As we said previously, it’s worth putting a little extra money aside when you buy a secondhand dress, just in case you need to pay for alterations. You may also need to pay for professional cleaning to be completed. Make sure that you account for these services within your budget.
Perhaps this is the first thing you’ve bought for yourself, in which case, it’s a great way to see the benefits of saving your money for something special!
How much can I save?
The great news is that you can definitely save money by purchasing secondhand rather than brand-new!
You can expect to save around 50% off the dress, but of course, there are other factors that can impact your savings.
Eco-friendly and ethical considerations
If you want to make the process even more sustainable, then here are some other aspects to consider.
Materials
There are many sustainable materials that you can look for when searching through our pre-loved prom dresses. You can look specifically for more sustainable materials, such as cotton, linen, bamboo, silk and wool.
Certifications and accreditations
There are some certifications that show that a product meets specific criteria regarding the environment. Do some research before you visit and look out for these certifications.
Supply chains
Many brands have great supply chains. All of our items have been donated by the wonderful community in our local area, and we are so grateful!
Recycling the item
Your environmental support doesn’t need to end there. You can continue recycling the item! Either pass it on to someone else to enjoy or donate it to a local charity shop. This helps to reduce the chances of the item entering landfill and also means that you can continue to feel good about your actions.
Testimonials
Mya from Bolton – “I could not believe the range of amazing prom dresses. My mum loved the prices even more. My friends loved my beautiful dress and could not believe the price that mum had paid compared to what their dresses had cost.”
Ellie from Chorley – “My friend told me about the Regenerage superstore at Middlebroook and I went for my prom dress. There were so many great dresses to choose from and none of my friends had the same dress on as me on prom night which was great.”
Natalie from Leyland – “Nana Jean offered to buy my prom dress and told me that she had heard about Regenerage so we went to look. OMG! The choices of dresses were amazing, and Nana ended up buying me two dresses as the prices were so good.”
Emily from Horwich – “I absolutely love my prom dress from Regenerage and the fact I have bought it pre-loved means that I am doing my bit to help to save the planet.”
We hope this guide has been helpful when finding the perfect preloved prom dress. We’d be delighted to welcome you to our charity superstore and help you find the perfect dress. In addition to prom dresses, you’ll also find a wide range of accessories to go with them, such as bags, shoes and even some stunning jewellery.
Do you know someone who is getting married? We also stock preloved wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, and other occasional wear. Take a look in-store today. Read our guide to buying a pre-loved wedding dress.
