West Sussex school to put on ‘pre-loved’ prom dress sale: 'a new gown could cost up to £800!'

With financial costs and environmental impact in mind, the PFA at Bishop Luffa in Chichester are putting on another prom dress sale.

Naomi Godfrey, who spoke on behalf of the Bishop Luffa PFA said: “Our last event was a huge success, selling a record number of gowns, and we are making it bigger and better this year, opening longer hours and hopefully being offered even more gowns for sale from across Hampshire and Sussex.”

The event will raise funds for the school, but it’s also being put on as an affordable alternative for the community and families as opposed to buying a prom dress from the high street boutiques.

Naomi Godfrey added: “Prom has become bigger over the years, not like when I went to an end-of-year ‘ball’ as a kid where we were dropped off by parents and bought a black dress!

“A huge part of prom is the arrival and of course the glamorous evening wear.

“However, these beautiful gowns are costly, and while we applaud businesses for filling this gap in the market, there are many families who cannot access these prom gown boutiques for a variety of reasons.

“The most prominent reason being finances.

“A gown alone from a boutique can cost anything from £300, upwards to dizzying heights of £800 or more!

“Post-prom, many beautiful gowns are left tucked away in wardrobes across the land and rarely used again. They can be very hard to sell on using online platforms as many 16-year-olds will want to try the gown on.

“There is also a huge environmental impact of these gowns being single-use. Styles also change from year to year so dramatically, that once you’ve sat on your gown for a few seasons, it will have reduced in re-sale value.

“Our pre-loved sale opens up an avenue for sellers and buyers alike to clear out wardrobe space and make a little bit of money back on prom gowns.

"For our buyers, it’s an opportunity to pick up a wonderful gown for a fraction of the price while still enjoying the shopping for a gown experience as a family.”