By Amy Byrnes
Thirty years ago, buying a prom dress was a pretty straightforward affair. Moms and daughters took the traditional trip to the local bridal shop to buy the poufy bridesmaids dress to wear to the high school prom.
But nowadays there are “promposals” and Facebook prom pages devoted to girls posing selfie-style in their dresses resulting in occasional “drama prama,” not to mention an endless series of shopping options for the almighty dress purchase, courtesy of the Internet.
But a lot of girls are still going the more traditional route and visiting a brick and mortar retailer to buy their prom dresses.
Diane Kazalski, who lives in Little Silver and whose daughter is a senior at The Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, had just bought two prom dresses at Nordstrom in Freehold when we talked earlier this week. “We can try them on in the comfort and natural lighting at home and make a decision from there,” she said, adding she loved Nordstrom’s hassle-free return policy. “Easy-peasy.”
Belle Bridals in Middletown offered the perfect selection for one of Debbie O’Hern’s twin 18-year-old daughters, who’s a senior at RBR. “They’re so accommodating,” said the Little Silver resident.
Her other daughter, a senior at Red Bank Catholic High School, is still “pondering” her decision, visiting stores like Cache in Freehold and the Monmouth Mall’s Lord & Taylor. “My girls did their research online and then tried to find those dresses in stores,” O’Hern said.
Fair Haven mom Rachel Pavluk drove out to Marlboro last year to buy a dress for the RFH Junior Prom at Castle Couture (who moved to a larger location on Highway 9 in Manalapan in November).
“It is like (the TV show) ‘Say Yes to the Dress,’” she said, explaining that sales associates bring piles of dresses to the girls and then have them come out and stand on a platform. “The girls that work there wear shirts that say ‘Prom Consultant’ in rhinestones!”
According to Colleen Giresi, who’s a buyer and general manager at Castle Couture, “A lot of girls like to touch and feel their dress and see the colors in person.”
This year’s hot trends include illusion necklines, low backs and two-piece gowns, said Giresi.
She said the store, which was in Marlboro for six years before moving, provides customers with a “one-on-one stylist” who is not only trained to find the right dress silhouette but also make suggestions for complementary hair and makeup styles for the big night. “We make them feel special.”
Shopping for a prom dress from an online retailer other than an established department store or tried-and-true retailer could be risky, said Lynn Paradise, who manages Rue Royale Couture on Monmouth Street in Red Bank. “A lot of places are not legit,” she said, noting she’s seen many girls come in after buying what they thought was the perfect dress online only to find it was not the same dress they thought they had ordered.
Suzanne Schissler, who lives in Fair Haven, found that out the hard way when her daughter, a senior at RFH, bought two dresses online from The Celebrity Dresses (thecelebritydresses.com). They cost a lot to ship and arrived – from China – in the completely wrong colors with a 30-percent restocking fee. The site eventually offered $100 off the order if Schissler would just keep the dresses. “The idea of her dress was beautiful,” she said.
Rue Royale Couture, on the other hand, offers 15 percent off in-stock dresses and have customers coming to shop their collection – including popular lace and cut-out styles – from Staten Island to Barnegat.
You’re not going to really find anything too trendy at Mustillo’s, the venerable Red Bank bridal boutique that’s been dressing brides and prom-goers for 70 years, according to owner Nicole Caivano.
“Cut outs and beading are really hot but it’s not what we stand for,” she said. Instead, the store carries modified, “classic,” versions of those prom dress trends from designers like Jovani and Nicole Miller.
“We always stay true to who we are,” said Caivano, adding that shopping in store lets customers touch the fabric and see what they’re getting. “When people come to us they know they are going to find a classic dress style.”
Yet the ease and array of options of Internet shopping tempts many young women. “They don’t even need us to take them anywhere,” said Kathleen Brown, whose daughter bought her poppy-colored designer dress online from Lord & Taylor (lordandtaylor.com) for the Red Bank Regional High School’s senior prom.
But Brown, who lives in Little Silver, said that shopping online really worked for her, too. “I hated the idea of driving all the way out to Freehold to find they didn’t have her size.”
Shopping online lets them order the size they wanted to try on at home with the all-important “right underwear and shoes,” said Brown.
“I handed over the credit card,” said Red Bank mom Elizabeth Mancuso whose daughter, a senior at RBR ordered her dress online from Free People (freepeople.com). “(She) had been eyeing ‘the’ dress for months and bought it when it went on sale.”
Sue Finn of Fair Haven said she shopped locally for her older daughter’s prom dress but is buying online this year for her younger daughter, who’s a senior at Rumson-Fair Haven High School. “Traveling from store to store is a pain,” she said and added that they were planning to buy a dress from the online store Revolve Clothing (revolveclothing.com) and liked the site’s range of prices, designers, free shipping and easy return policy. “There’s just so much more to choose from.”
Most stores suggest girls place their prom dress orders by the middle of March for May and June proms.
