Britain has entered peak school prom season as students celebrate the end of exams. If you are the parent of a teenager, or work in education, you have my sympathies. Like Black Friday, school proms are a costly US import. The past decade has seen the old UK sixth-form discos and leaver’s balls transform into showy rites of passage, locking parents into a spending arms race. For girls, the prom experience can be akin to a mini wedding.
Hardcastle calls this “Eco prom”, noting that searches for upcycled fashion on Pinterest are up nearly 300 per cent in a year as teens become more conscious of their consumption. Customising a dress from a thrift store or forgotten classic from your mum’s own wardrobe wins political points as well as style ones. An alternative is renting designer gear from other people’s wardrobes. The app By Rotation hires out prom dresses from £5 to £50 per day, plus postage.