When Should I Start Shopping for My Prom Dress?
It’s probably one of the questions we’re asked more than any other at Catwalk Club:
When should I start shopping for my prom dress?
The truth is, there are advantages to shopping at every stage of prom season. Some girls want to be through our doors as soon as we open in September, while others would much rather wait until Christmas is out of the way. Some don’t decide they’re going to prom until March or April – and every year we meet plenty of last-minute shoppers in May and June too!
Our prom season runs for most of the year, and the experience changes slightly depending on when you visit. So, if you’re wondering when to start looking, here’s our guide.
September – for the early birds
If you’re the girl who likes to be organised, September is for you.
We open for the new prom season at the beginning of September, which means our rails are full of dresses and you’ll be amongst the very first girls to see them.
There’s another big advantage to shopping early at Catwalk Club too. We only sell one of each dress style to each school.
Once a girl from your school has chosen a particular style, we won’t sell that same dress to another student from the same school. It’s something that gives our girls a little extra peace of mind when they find the one.
So if having the widest possible choice for your school is important to you, September is a brilliant time to come and see us.
October & November – the golden months
October and November are such lovely months for prom shopping.
By this point, even more deliveries have usually arrived from our designers, so there is so much choice in the shop. And although prom season is well underway, you’re still shopping nice and early.
This is a great time to visit if you want plenty to choose from without feeling as though prom is suddenly just around the corner.
You may also have more options when it comes to ordering a dress in another available size or colour, depending on the designer and their availability.
December – our quieter little secret
December is often one of the most relaxed months in the shop.
With Christmas parties, presents and everything else going on, prom dresses aren’t necessarily at the top of everyone’s December to-do list.
Which can make it a rather clever time to shop!
If you prefer a calmer atmosphere, December can be absolutely lovely. You can take your time, try different shapes and colours and enjoy the experience while the shop tends to be a little quieter.
Then you can head into Christmas knowing that your prom dress is sorted. Quite a nice feeling!
January & February – prom season is in full swing
Once January arrives, things really start happening.
January and February are traditionally two of our busiest months of the entire prom season, with February half term being particularly popular.
There’s a brilliant buzz in the shop at this time of year, with lots of girls finding their dresses and prom suddenly starting to feel very real.
It’s also an important time to shop if you think you may need us to order your chosen dress from one of our designers.
If you fall in love with a dress but would like it ordered in a different available colour or size, January and February can be around the last opportunity to place certain prom orders. This varies between designers and dresses, of course, so we’ll always talk you through the options available to you.
March & April – late prom season
March and April are still incredibly popular months for prom dress shopping.
This is often when we meet girls who perhaps weren’t sure whether they were going to prom, have only recently decided to go, or simply hadn’t found the right dress yet.
We continue to keep the shop fully stocked throughout these months, so there are still lots of gorgeous dresses to discover.
Our biggest tip at this stage of the season is to come with an open mind.
Because of our school exclusivity policy, some styles may already have been taken for your school. But that doesn’t mean your dress has gone – quite often it means trying something you hadn’t originally considered and discovering that it looks amazing on you.
We see that happen all the time.
May & June – last-minute prom shopping
Think you’ve left it too late in May or June? You might be surprised!
These are the months when lots of our girls are coming back to collect dresses they ordered earlier in the season, but we still welcome plenty of new prom shoppers too.
There are always girls who decide to go to prom at the last minute, plans change, or they simply haven’t found a dress they love yet.
So yes – we are still here, and we are still helping girls find their prom dresses.
Your choices for your particular school may naturally be a little more limited than they would have been at the beginning of the season, but there are still beautiful dresses to try and our team love a challenge. Sometimes we have something out the back that is just sat there waiting for you…
So, when should you start shopping for your prom dress?
It really comes down to the kind of shopping experience you’d like.
If you want first pick, come and see us in September. If you love having lots of choice while still being early, October and November are fantastic. For a slightly calmer experience, December is a lovely time to visit. January and February bring all the excitement of peak prom season, while March and April still offer plenty of gorgeous options.
And if May arrives and you still haven’t got a dress? Come and see us. We’re not going to tell you off for leaving it late!
Prom dress shopping should be one of the really exciting parts of getting ready for your prom. Whether you know exactly what you want or haven’t got the faintest idea, come with an open mind, try things on and enjoy it.
Your dress might be completely different from the one you imagined – and that’s often part of the fun. 💕
