How I Got a Designer Prom Dress for Less Than $50!

Don't be jealous, but I found my prom dress this weekend! (Yes, even though I'm 23, I go to prom too, as Web editor of MyPromStyle.com — in fact, we host the Ultimate Prom, but that's a story for another time.) And guess what? It's a Betsey Johnson evening dress — sequined canary yellow with a light pink satin band around the waist (it ties into a big bow in the back). This dress, which retails for nearly $400, only cost me $42.50!

What's my secret? The Buffalo Exchange. This is my favorite thrift store, and if you live close to a trendy city, like New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Portland, Minneapolis, etc. you can find one to shop.

I love the Buffalo Exchange not only for the deals ("guilt-free fashion", as they call it), but also because it's eco-friendly to recycle clothes. And with the money I've saved on a dress, I can buy an even nicer pair of shoes or a clutch that I'll use forever, brand new.

Thrift shopping is all about luck of the draw — the store inventory is always changing and each item only comes in one particular size. But you can still be smart about how you shop and plan ahead. Flip through prom magazines and look at the MyPromStyle.com Dress Finder to see which prom styles are trendy this year and get an idea of whether you like short or long, or a solid color or printed dress.

What do you think of my dress?

Fashionably yours,
Tammy
Editor of MyPromStyle.com

p.s. Don't forget that if you have extra dresses lying around, you can donate them to a chapter of DonateMyDress.org!