Designer Year 12 formal dresses on a budget in North Sydney

LOCK up your credit cards, mums and dads — it’s peak school social season and it could cost you thousands. But there is a way to prepare without breaking the bank ... if you’re savvy.

Summer Harrison and Rosie Licence with fashion queen Roxy Lehmann. Picture: Phillip Rogers

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IT’S formals season and that can only mean one thing — shopping.

Finding the perfect designer dress is the main focus for the teen debutantes but it’s only the start.

To complete the look they need fake tan, make-up, styled hair, shellac nails, shoes and jewellery.

While many parents of Year 10 and 12 girls are watching tears roll across their credit cards these two HSC students have taken a savvier approach.

Rosie Licence and Summer Harrison decided to hire dresses for their big nights.

Rosie and Summer hired dresses for their big nights out. Picture: Phillip Rogers

Rosie, 17, attended both her own formal at Queenwood and Shore’s celebrations on Monday night. She wore hired gowns from Dress for a Night in North Sydney to the delight of her parents.

“I don’t think they would have put up with spending lots,” she said. “I wouldn’t have felt good about that.

“I just think there’s more important things to spend money on. It’s a dress you wear once.”

The Year 12 formal is a night to party. Picture: Supplied

Rosie, from Mosman, knows of girls who have spent $1500 to buy their dress but that most spend about $700.

She reckons the average spend for everything is about $1000.

Summer, from Pymble, has attended four formals over the past week, including the Shore event.

Perfecting the formals look. Picture: Tim Marsden

Rebekah Sharpe, Bianca Italiano and Brittany Di Fazio at St Leo's Catholic College’s Year 12 formal. Picture: Heather Rollo

She hired dresses for two occasions, borrowed for another and wore one of her own. She also got her friends on board to help style her hair and make up.

“My parents are quite happy with me,” she said.

Summer, 18, described the formals as “almost like a wedding but not as intense”.

Roxy Lehmann, owner of Dress for a Night, has been taking bookings for formals for the past five months.

She said once everything is added up girls can spend about $1000 if they buy a dress.

“The dress hire is a way for them to have the latest fashion at a fraction of the price,” she said.

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