Your guide to finding that dapper suit or elegant dress for school formal in 2024

Students are ready to glam it up at their mid-year school formals. Here’s your guide on how to dress to impress and ride in style while keeping it affordable.

Your go-to guide for the most cost-effective school formal.

Students are ready to glam it up and dress to impress at this year’s fast-approaching school formals.

The rush has started to find a dashing outfit in time for the special evening, boys have booked in fresh fade haircuts and girls are snapping up spray tan appointments.

But with the cost of living crisis, parents and teens alike are searching for cheaper ways to fund the big event.

Dress Hire AU owner Ellie Dunstan said formals brought in a lot of students looking to hire the latest look dress.

But when it comes to boys, her suggestion was to purchase a suit.

“If it was my son, I’d be making him get a suit you would get multiple wears out of,” Ms Dunstan said.

“If they want to be a bit more out there, they could do something with the tie or bow tie, the three piece suits, or for something a bit more not-so-out-there, lose the vest and just wear the jacket.

“You can sort of jazz it up a bit.”

Meanwhile, the Eltham hire company’s customer service manager Allie Rains urged teens to not be set on what they wanted to buy before they started looking.

“It certainly helps customers if they’re not sure what they’re after,” Ms Rains said.

“(There are) things from super plain to a little bit more bold in terms of sequins as well — it depends what they’re looking for and how loud they want to be on the night.”

Students are ready to glam it up at their mid-year school formals.

The Dress Nook owner Jessica Mulder, who serves the Melbourne area, recommended girls should find a dress that is on trend.

“And something that also at the same time is conservative and not too out there, being a school environment,” Ms Mulder said.

“Most girls really want to stick with something on trend and hence why hiring comes into play there.

“They don’t want to pay $500 for a dress when they can hire that same dress for $100 to $150.”

Ms Mulder said if someone is only planning on wearing an outfit once, then hiring is the option.

“It’s definitely more sustainable as well — trying to move away from fashion waste and the world of fashion and how it’s moving,” she said.

“It’s more cost friendly, not only for the students but for the parents as well.”

Limousines can make an affordable way to get to the school formal when the cost is divided between students, High Horse Limousines owner Michael Osborne says. Picture: High Horse Limousines

But it’s not just the outfit that has parents handing over their credit cards.

Since opening just seven months ago, High Horse Limousines owner Michael Osborne has already delivered about 20 groups of teens to their school formals.

“I’ve probably got a least (another) five to 10 booked in at the moment,” he said.

He said students booking a limo with their friends not only gave them an exciting experience to remember, it was more cost effective.

“Our limousine can take 12 passengers so it works out quite affordable for most school students,” he said.