For many, prom is one of the defining moments of high school and finding the perfect prom dress is just a few steps below finding the perfect wedding dress.
Luckily, numerous businesses in San Jose and Silicon Valley carry a variety of prom dress styles. Here’s a guide to some of the best places to fulfill prom dress needs in Silicon Valley.
A hidden gem tucked away in Santana Row, Penelope Boutique boasts a few distinctive qualities for its prom clientele. Sometimes they sell their dresses cheaper than online options, which is great because shoppers can try before they buy—a concept that is sometimes lost in the digital age. And if you're worried about showing up to prom in the same dress as 23 other girls, relax—Penelope Boutique will mark down the dress and event to insure that no one else leaves the store with your edgy style.
For years, the Princess Project has been providing girls in the Bay Area with the dresses of their dreams—free of charge. Donation centers usually arrive in shopping malls early in the year, and the donations are up for grabs by springtime.
The clearance racks at Macy’s are great for finding prom dress deals. If you’re not one to concern yourself with what’s in season, the sale and clearance racks in the junior’s formal wear department can yield some major scores, with deals that can climb as high as 50 percent off.
Trudy’s is a longtime supplier of formal wear for women in Silicon Valley. Trudy’s carries a vast selection of one-of-a-kind dresses and gowns, from the elaborately detailed to the simple, sleek and elegant.
If you're crafty, you can always pull a Molly Ringwald and make your own prom dress. Fabrics R Us on the east side is a cult favorite among professionals and hobbyists. It carries sturdier fashion fabrics that can’t be found at the average craft store, and at a decent discount to boot. When you’re done lugging your loot back to the car, you can stop at King Eggroll across the street.
Prom queens come in all shapes and sizes. Torrid fills in the gaps left by traditional dress sizes and with a larger selection of party dresses for girls who need an inch or two more. If you’re fearing shapeless sacks, don't fret—the dresses Torrid carries are just as flattering, if not moreso, than your average department-store dress.
Park Place Vintage, a favorite vintage clothing shop on Lincoln Avenue always stocks a handful of vintage and vintage-style prom dresses this time of year, and they are always in great condition.
It doesn’t occur to a lot of people to send their old prom dresses and bridesmaid’s gowns to Goodwill, just like it doesn’t occur to a lot of people to shop for their prom dresses there. But at any location, there’s usually a small selection of gowns.
For those shopping for prom on a budget, Eleanor's Fashions offers the dazzling dress that one desires for a reasonable price. In an effort to be more eco-friendly, there is a great variety of gently-used dresses some of which have the vintage style that can prevent running into the same dress at the prom.
For an exclusive style to impress friends, Designer's Corner provides a wide array of elegant styles. From long sparkly, eye-popping dresses to shorter flirty ones, one can work with a hands-on stylists to determine which dress works best for the perfect night.
