How much does the school formal cost?

[Corey Batt]

I see things like the corsage as purely tradition, whilst things like the limo it all depends. I was not to pleased at my formal when ALL my friends wanted a Hummer Limo, tacky POS. That is going to far imo, however that is merely a reflection of our ENTIRE society nowadays, look at how many weddings have hummer limos etc.

Meh, the event has been about prettying up yourself for a very long time, I don't have much of a problem with it. If it were to the teeth whitening, orange tan stage I would.

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

I see things like the corsage as purely tradition, whilst things like the limo it all depends. I was not to pleased at my formal when ALL my friends wanted a Hummer Limo, tacky POS. That is going to far imo, however that is merely a reflection of our ENTIRE society nowadays, look at how many weddings have hummer limos etc.

Just goes to show that you can't buy taste.

 

[weg]

Why have we let things go this far??

Affluenza. It's not like mums and dads aren't doing the same.

It can be an $800 Formal dress, or a 50K statement kitchen or a 100K car.

 

[Ocean Architect]

as a guy:

bought my suit (mad microfibre suit too, still have it somewhere. Or did I give it away? Eh.): $400 (half price from 800)
hotel room: $150 with wotif.com
roses for the girl (total cow, I'll run over her if I see her then reverse): $40
Ticket to the formal: $45
Condom (unused ): $1
Nibbles/drinks: $20

How long is a piece of string really. Our room was pretty amazing though (when you're 17 everything is amazing. Including the girl. Saw her a couple years ago. Her rear end did a kamikaze and exploded. I LOLed twice )

 

[luckyone]

Including the girl. Saw her a couple years ago. Her rear end did a kamikaze and exploded.

God you're a horrible person! I really hope I never have the displeasure of meeting you. You really sound bitter.

 

[kathryn d]

Since Australia has school uniforms...maybe they should consider Formal uniforms?

 

[rchad]

In the US, it seems the average spend to go to 'prom' is US$807.

I nearly laughed out loud.

http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/16/pf/cost_of_prom/index.htm?iid=HP_River

No different here; my daughter's costs were A$650.00 back in 2006

 

[kathryn d]

No different here; my daughter's costs were A$650.00 back in 2006

My daughter's formal was $37.00
Actually came from the lingerie section in the store. It was a gold liner with blackish/purple irredescent shimmer overlay. It looked like a dress.
My son's girlfriend wore it a couple of years later. Her luggage got "lost" on the flight, and it arrived the day after the formal. Luckily she and my daughter were the same size.

 

[Deena]

Alright I am going to shock you, and no snide comments.

I spent nearly a grand on my daughters ball for year 12. Had no intentions of doing so but it dam well added up. I know there were others who spent far more, damn private schools. Cannot individualise the costs, lol it was nearly two years ago.....

Her dress was cheap, was happy was about $200 or there abouts, but you had to hire the petticoat, it cost big bucks to take the hem up, oh and then more big bucks to take the sides in.

Some how I ended up paying for her wrist flowers and his corsage. Limo hire, ball tickets, think they were about $90 each. Her hair, her make up, her tan. New shoes, bag, necklace, earrings, fancy hair clips for her hair. Think that was it................................. She is a damn princess.

My nephew had his ball last night. My sister struggles financially. I found him a very nice previously expensive good quality suit, at A La Salvos for $25.99, he had his long sleeve shirt, they borrowed a tie from me, bought brand new from the above boutique for 50c with the price tag still attached for $39.95. My sister bought his belt from my favourite shop as well.Not sure about his shoes.

He refused to wear a corsage, nor did the girl he went with want flowers. Boys are so much cheaper

 

[Dazz]

Deena,


That sounds about as close to reality as I've read so far.


It's completely over the top and not necessary IMO. The girls go to such extreme lengths.


When you see the boys - I was a witness to a recent Yr 10 private school dance function with the invited "brother school" along as well - they still scruff around in jeans and top with that stupid shaggy messy gelled hair they all have. I thought they would have grown taller and filled out by now....but they are all still scrawny little weiners.


The big difference since grade 7 is that the boys are now sniffing around strongly. When you here side conversations about what 15 yo boys tell their mates what they want to do to 15 yo girls....it ain't much fun being the parent of a girl passively listening to the frank depravity.


Even though the Mums are dead keen to put their little girls on "display"....I'm sure they are totally unaware about what the consumers are thinking about the product.


I'm not particularly looking forward to the years ahead within this subject matter.

 

[wylie]

It's completely over the top and not necessary IMO. The girls go to such extreme lengths.

We agree yet again.
We have three boys so didn't have to try to argue them down about costs. We bought the two who have been through the formal year a suit. It was only a little more to buy "on sale" than to hire it for a night

We paid for the tickets for the son and the partner and for the girl's corsage. The school has banned limos due to the "let's outdo everyone with a bigger and bigger vehicle" thing that was happening.

I'm not particularly looking forward to the years ahead within this subject matter.

I've also noticed that with my boys, they are mostly still "scrawny little wieners" in grade ten. Many of them are still that way in grade twelve too.

I have friends with only girls, and I hear all the details of their formals from them and say a quiet prayer that this is one area where having boys only is a blessing .

On a serious note though, you do say why do these mothers and daughters (and fathers too) follow the pack. I would say that even if someone doesn't give a rats about what others are DOING, the power of being teased, criticised or being made an outcast are very strong indeed.

I could probably go against the pack and wear something from Vinnies (I do it all the time ), but I have years of experience of dealing with bully and/or obnoxious workmates and bosses. My boys have not had that toughening up and life experience and to be ostracised because you "only" had a dress from lifeline (if they ever found out) would be an invitation to being the butt of jokes, teasing and outright bullying.

I tell my kids they just have to get through school and everything changes.

Of course, there are also LOTS of princesses out there, but I believe many girls join in the whole "shebang" to ensure they are not singled out.

 

[pennyk]

I think we'll find that boys are experiencing a similar kind of pressure in the years ahead.
My son spends hours in front of the mirror perfecting his hair-do. he has his own hairdresser, and refuses to see anyone else in the salon. he is very concerned with what he wears and how he looks.......... he's 13!
alot of his friends are the same, so I think the peer pressure related to appearance is moving across to boys as well.

 

[wylie]

I agree Penny. My 15 year old, until this year, didn't give a rats about what he wore, whether it was clean, crushed or where it came from.

He still doesn't care about most of that, but being a keen skateboarder now, the shorts must be street shorts (no more boardies). He ripped the backside out of three pairs in two weeks, so I bought him denim street shorts because they will hold up in a fall. (He is falling less now .) Getting the shorts "right" nearly had me pulling my hair out. He really worried about what the "king of cool" and the others would think about the shorts being half an inch longer than he would like. I tried to convince him they wouldn't notice, or care.

It all comes down to one particular friend who is seen as the "king of cool" and I have watched as (last year) this particular boy played my son off against his friend, choosing one over the other and teasing the other one.

I have discussed this with my son, and with the mother of the other boy, but the power this "cool" kid has just gobsmacks me. It is because they care about what he says about them. Being ostracised is pretty powerful.

A friend's daughter is dabbling in modelling. She is 14 and beautiful. She is a bit of a tomboy, not into the "boy" thing at all, and with a very strong mind of her own. She is not "up herself" in any way, and very level headed. It has been interesting watching the school "friends" in their dealings with this girl. Some girls are firm friends (very few), others are clearly jealous and have caused her considerable grief.

She and my son are very similar (except she looks 20 and he looks 12).

I think they will both come through these (sometimes) horrible years unscathed, but there are so many girls and boys out there who don't cope and are scarred mentally and sometimes physically due to the need to be accepted. Very sad for many young people.

 

[geoffw]

Formals for daughters (year 10 for both, youngest will have her year 12 later this year) have cost towards the $800 mark.

Youngest just had her 18th party. She got her dress and shoes from the US over the net, at considerable saving. She threw a big party with a lot of guests- cost about $5K all up. She paid half out of her hard earned.

Oldest was so much looking forward to her year 12 formal. Everything had to be just right- including the car she arrived in. But as she stepped out of the car, a girl saw the guy she was with (it was an off again, on again) and was surprised. She was in a relationship with him, which daughter did not know about- and proceeded to tell my daughter. A very unhappy formal for her.

 

[Nikolina]

It can be that expensive. Things add up quickly. I went to a ball a fortnight ago and it all added up to just under 1k. My dress alone was $410. If i could find a cheaper dress to suite the occasion i would have more then happily purchased it.

 

[rugrat]

I done things on the 'cheaper' side then my firends at my yr 12 formal; but even that added up (about 11yrs ago). I got to attend two yr 12 formals (mine and my DH's).

Dress - $300 (still have it, and wore it to many uni functions over the years; definitely worth the money)
Make up - $25 (done it myself with a cheap make up kit)
shoes - $30
Hair - $45 ($90 total for both formals)
Tickets - about $60 each venue

DH didn't spend much less: his outfit cost about the same as mine, his shoes more, he obviously didn't need to worry about hair or make up, but he also bought me a present and coursages.