Sydney Miller, 17, grew up hearing her mum discuss her year 12 formal. So when her own came around, she wanted to go all out. Add social media influence to the mix – especially from the US, where proms are a significant rite of passage – and the stage was set for a big night.
“It’s pretty big on TikTok. So when you see them doing the big ball gowns and everything, it kind of makes us Australians excited,” the Sydney private school student says.
Sydney Miller in her formal dress, and with friends for their big night. Credit:
Miller started researching dresses in March this year, spending “many hours” on US prom dress websites such as Sherri Hill. She set out looking for a big, colourful gown but ended up choosing the opposite – a simple, black one-shoulder dress. Cost played a part, as did “the nature of what the trends are right now in Australia”, which tend to the more pared back.
She also chose to rent her dress – something that more budget- and sustainability-conscious teenagers are doing. Her gown from Lexi Clothing cost $150 to hire but would have cost at least twice that much to buy. All up, she estimates she spent about $850, including on hair, make-up, shoes, a spray tan and limo rental among 10 friends.
In 2024, the school formal remains a big deal to most teenagers. Last month, Australian music duo Peking Duck appeared at a formal in Victoria, going viral on social media. And while more teens rent their apparel and feel less pressure to take a date with them, many spend up to $1000 (or at least their parents do) despite the high cost of living.
Bernadette Olivier, co-founder of fashion rental platform The Volte, says school formal wear is a growing part of the business, with many mums and daughters ordering several dresses to try on. Olivier says while most teens are concerned mainly about wearing a unique outfit, many still want to look their age.
She says more traditional brands such as Zimmermann and Alex Perry are popular, and newer labels Rat & Boa and House of CB are also popular picks.
Lily Rendall, founder of Mondo, a dress hire and vintage event wear specialist in Brisbane, says more than half of her clients are shopping for formal dresses. The biggest trends this year have been backless and drop-waist styles, she says.
Driving the demand for vintage is “the desire to have something unique for what is such a special event in their life”, Rendall says.
A 1960s brocade dress (left), and a 1990s Carla Zampatti dress from vintage dress hire boutique Mondo.Credit:
While Rendall ships dresses around Australia, she says most of her school-aged customers are Brisbane locals who prefer to try before they buy. Most girls come in a group, but some come with their siblings and mothers, all seeking a personalised experience.
“For many, it’s probably the first time they’re wearing formal wear,” Rendall says. “It’s a really nice communal experience.
“A lot of the mums recognise some of the brands that I have from their prime time. So it’s almost a little bit reminiscent for them as well, which is quite sweet.”
Like Miller, Zoe Tsatsimas, a student at Rosebank College in Sydney’s inner west, has been looking forward to her formal for some time.
“We think of it as a really big thing and a big event in our lives that we want to get ready for and enjoy,” Tsatsimas says.
She purchased her dress – a long, corseted red gown – from British retailer House of CB for about $400. The 18-year-old loved the colour and silhouette, and says it matched her friends’ outfits – an important factor given she chose to attend with them rather than a date. All up, Tsatsimas guesses the night will cost about $700.
Ahead of her big night, Tsatsimas says the main thing she is looking forward to is “having one last night with everybody. I’m not going to see them at school again.”
Year 12 student Zoe Tsatsimas ahead of her school formal in Sydney.Credit: Jessica Hromas
Alice Richards, 18, who recently graduated from MLC Melbourne, said her formal this year was warm and welcoming.
Alice Richards with her father before her year 12 formal earlier this year.Credit:
“It was an opportunity for all of us to get together, and it felt very judgment-free,” Richards says. “Everyone was excited to be there for the same reason, and people didn’t really care about the groups that usually form at school.”
Her mum, Jenny, who wore a “strapless velvet dress with a big taffeta skirt” to her formal in 1984, was happy to hear about the “judgment-free” tone of the event, which has come a long way since her school days.
“There is absolutely no way known that you could have gone without a male date or on your own [back then],” Jenny says.
While Alice wore a black, flowy dress from Review and a $10 op-shop purchase to the after-party, she says many of her peers felt pressure to spend beyond their means.
Sam Oakes started The Formal Project in 2019 for this very reason, improving access to formal wear for all teenagers. Housed in the car park of Minto Mall, in Sydney’s south, the volunteer-led initiative provides free dresses and suits to students either in-person or shipped Australia-wide.
This year, Oakes says, they’ve outfitted more than 4000 teens.
“It’s just really important that these kids realise they’re not alone,” she says. “There’s a whole community that has stocked up an entire shop full of dresses because they don’t want these kids to go without. And kids forget that they do have a cheer squad behind them.”
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