British parents are spending as much as £300 on their child’s prom outfit, according to new research.
Almost one in six (14%) parents confessed to coughing up £300 or more on their child’s prom outfit, while 44% of parents admitted to spending over £100 dressing their prom king or queen, according to research of 2,000 UK parents by Spartoo.co.uk.
The average parent spent £112 on suiting and booting their offspring for the school event of the year, on items such as dresses, suits, shoes, bags, and jewellery.
The annual event, which originated in American universities in the 19th century, held for the school year’s graduating class has risen in popularity over the pond in recent years, with proms held following secondary school, further education and university academic years.
Less than one in five (19%) parents said their child had contributed to the cost of their prom outfit, with two-thirds (66%) not expecting them to.
14% admitted to organising transport such as a limousine or supercar to arrive at their prom in style. However, not all prom-goers arrived in the same style, with more than half of parents (55%) taking their child to the ball.
April Buchanan, marketing manager at Spartoo.co.uk said, “Celebrating special milestones such as prom doesn’t have to break the bank and can be done on a sensible budget. Shopping around for affordable clothing options, and wearing dresses, suits and shoes for other occasions means that the cost is spread across multiple wears.
“It’s surprising to see just how much some parents are willing to spend on a single outfit for their children, however the research shows a large percentage (26%) also spent less than £100 on their outfit for the special event.”
Unsurprisingly, parents spent more clothing girls than boys, spending £119 versus £105 respectively.