Shopping for an Affordable Prom Dress in Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon is a great place to shop for a prom dress. With boutiques, malls, and second hand stores all over town you should have no trouble finding the perfect gown. But all that abundance does not necessarily mean low prices. If you are shopping for affordable prom dress this year, here are a few places to try.

If you are not opposed to second hand glam, Portland cannot be beat. There are dozens of thrift stores, consignment shops, vintage boutiques, and plain old second hand stores. Do not assume that second hand means low price. A lot of cool vintage dresses are much more expensive than your standard prom gown. The Goodwill on SW 10^th Avenue stocks a lot of well organized dresses. Somewhere between the Goodwill and a vintage boutique is Red Light Clothing Exchange where the stock is good and fairly priced. Red Light also buys clothing, so if you need to earn a little extra to get your gown, this is the store for you. Head to www.redlightclothingexchange.com for the store location and all the information you need. Check out Decades Vintage for amazing vintage finds. Preview their selection at www.decadesvintage.com. Just a note on sizes, thrift shops and consignment stores usually stock a nice range of sizes. Vintage sizes are usually small, so if you are plus sized or very tall this is probably not the best bet for you.

Just because a store is in the mall, doesn't mean you won't find a great bargain. Deb has a particularly good variety of nicely priced dresses and stocks plenty of plus size looks. For an idea of what you'll find here, head to www.debshops.com. The Portland location is in the Lloyd Center. If you can't find what you are looking for at Deb, Mariposa is also a great store at Lloyd Center. They usually run specials on multiple dress purchases, so team up with a friend (or friends) and take advantage of the discounts.

There are dozens of bridal shops in town. Hit a few of these stores and check out their sales racks. When only the samples are left or just one or two dresses, bridal shops make deep discounts on their bridesmaids dresses. Since any color goes at prom, an out of season color on a bridesmaid dress can become a major savings coup and fashion statement all in one for you. Jenal's Bridal in Lloyd Center has a rack of sale dresses in a variety of sizes. This is a beautiful store, so it is definitely worth a look. If you plan on checking out a store that is not in a mall, it is probably a good idea to call ahead and see if they are stocking any sale bridesmaid/special occasion dresses because these stores can be a little intimidating to shop in.

Finally, do not underestimate stores like Ross, TJ-Max, and Marshall's. Most locations stock a big range of sizes and some really cute styles. Check out their websites for multiple store locations at www.rossstores.com , www.tjmaxx.com , www.marshallsonline.com .

The key to finding an affordable prom dress in Portland, Oregon is to start shopping as soon as you can. There are a lot of great stores in Portland, but you need to beat the rush to get a deal! Have a safe and happy Prom Season.

Sources:

www.redlightclothingexchange.com
www.decadesvintage.com
www.debshops.com
www.rossstores.com
www.tjmaxx.com
www.marshallsonline.com
www.lloydcenter.com