@zleap @neil the dresses are indeed equally pricey - there's a whole mutual aid group in my area to help out parents who can't afford prom outfits. I think most lads wear normal suits (not black tie) to these proms.
Still don't understand why we have them here in UK in the first place, I suspect its a hangover from the days of short term temporary affluence from neoliberalism that occured in the 90s and 2000s..
Parents need to fight back, as they hold the money, club together and hire the local nudist camp out for the evening, if the kids (being 18 year olds they are adults anyway) want a prom they can have one there, with associated dress code.
Would save all the problem of expensive suits / dresses etc.
Would also probably make a good few of em think twice about if a prom is needed.
The alternativfe is, if they really want a prom, they get a part time job from 16, save up for the required attire etc.
Think of it also as revenge for the constant I want, I want, all the time.
some do (especially the LGBT+ ones and the more introverted), but the whole USA high school culture (including the conflicts between subcultures and bullying) seems to have a big hold over a lot of the population (same as how/why Facebook is so popular and took over from local/country specific social networks)
@zleap @neil
these events, in their present form and fashions also exclude those who might be unsure about their gender identity (or just non binary)