Over the years, girls have increasingly stepped up their game when it comes to choosing the perfect dress for special events. Each year, a hefty toll is taken on their wallets—or, often, their parents’. But how much is too much? What’s the reasonable minimum to spend on a new dress each year?

Among a group of 20 girls from different grades, the minimum amount spent on a dress was $15, while the maximum was $200, and the average spent was $65. Opting for cheaper brands often comes with the risk of late delivery, forcing last-minute shopping at popular stores like Macy’s, Amazon, or Windsor, where you can find a little stringy sparkly dress that breaks when stretched with no padding of any type, or a short cupcake dress that comes in some of the worst colors, or the dress that is beautiful but looks awful when seen up close due to the messy stitching. 

“The prom dresses are better than the homecoming dresses at Windsor. The homecoming dresses are usually off with their size and they never have the right size. They break really easily, and they’re cheaply made. They are just bad quality,” said Senior Julia Galasso.

According to a review found on the Windsor website S Hanson said: “Absolute rubbish such poor quality, really nasty material. Don’t waste your time or money because the refund hoops you’ll have to jump through first are painful.”

However, even though many girls are spending within the aforementioned range, some of the prettiest dresses can cost between $250 and $300. And the difference in those dresses are sewn-in padding and thicker material that isn’t see-through and dresses that are long enough to squat without it rolling up. 

Each girl has a vision of the perfect dress for that special night, often setting a budget of around $50. However, expectations sometimes lead to disappointment, especially when the desired dress exceeds that budget—by $80 or more. Even then, there’s no guarantee the dress will be in stock when you finally decide to make the purchase. And who wants to wear the same dress from the previous year? So, the cycle continues—buying a new dress every time, adding the cost of a new pair of shoes is another $40 or so, and spending even more when a dress fails to arrive on time. For seniors, it’s even more costly, as they have to shop for three big events: homecoming, prom, and graduation.

It’s no secret that, even though these dresses are worn for just one night, every girl wants to look her best—and often even better than others. This desire to stand out can make it difficult to budget a dress for under $60. While cheaper dresses may look great at first, they’re often poorly made and prone to breaking. High-end designers like Sherri Hill and Jovani make beautiful, well-constructed dresses, but at $300 to $700 a pop, they are out of reach for the average person.

As a result, many girls turn to affordable alternatives, such as the $20 little black dresses from Amazon, which offer a quick fix but sometimes at the cost of quality. Last-minute purchases often come with a premium for faster shipping, sometimes arriving just in time for the event—or even after.

In today’s market, it’s clear that prices for dresses are running high, and finding a reasonable option that fits both your budget and style is becoming increasingly difficult.