Going to a military ball can be a fun, but expensive outing. One of the pricier items that military spouses may find themselves paying for is a formal dress. Depending on how many military events you plan to attend, you may have multiple formal gowns you need to invest in. While this type of investment might seem a bit daunting at first, luckily military spouses have many options at their disposal. Below, we are sharing several ways to get your dream formal dress, without breaking the bank.
Buy a Brand New Military Ball Dress
It can be fun to get a new dress for a formal event, so don't be afraid to spoil yourself. If this is something you want to do or enjoy doing, there isn’t any shame in getting a new dress for each formal event you attend.
If your family has the means to make this happen, or if it is a priority for your budget, then it is perfectly acceptable to enjoy the excitement of finding a dress and getting to wear it.
Borrow a Dress From a Friend
One other popular idea is to borrow a dress from a friend. Because military spouses attend various formals, it isn’t hard to start collecting dresses.
Sharing them with friends so that they can get more life out of the dress is great.
Often, a way to say thanks for borrowing a dress is to have it dry cleaned after the event. The cost of dry cleaning is considerably less than buying a new dress.
Utilize Operation Deploy Your Dress
Operation Deploy Your Dress (ODYD) is a nonprofit organization started by a group of Army military spouses.
Yvone Coombs was one of those five spouses, and said it began as, “...a complete and total accident. We were Army spouses at Fort Bliss looking to help our units boost the attendance of the spouses at our upcoming military balls. We knew that spouses weren’t skipping out on the military balls because they weren’t interested in going. They were skipping the events because it was a huge financial strain on the family’s bank accounts. We knew if we found a way to cut the costs of attending, we’d likely get more spouses to go.”
So, they threw around a few ideas and decided to try and help military spouses get free dresses for the formal events. Their goal was to collect 200 dresses, before they knew it they already had 3,000 dresses.
With ODYD military spouses can get free gently used formal gowns for spouses or dependents that have been donated to ODYD. Britteney, a Space Force spouse who has attended their pop-up event and said, “The financial and time burden of shopping for a dress and accessories has always felt like a monumental task. ODYD has removed the burden and stocked my closet with dresses that make me excited to have a reason to put them on.”
Rent a Dress
Another new popular option is to rent a dress for a military ball. There are several different organizations that offer options to rent a dress.
Prices vary based on what style or designer you pick, so ensure you go into the process of renting a dress with a budget in mind. It will help you focus on dresses within your budget.
Also, plan for the timing so you don’t incur late fees. It is also important to know your proper size so you don’t end up with a dress that doesn’t fit.
Check a Local Thrift Shop
Another option that might take more work, and just a little bit of luck, is searching at local thrift shops. Depending on where you live, you might be able to find an amazing dress for a considerable discount.
Kelly, an Air Force spouse said, “I found a beautiful dress at a thrift shop, I took it to the dry cleaner, and it was perfect.”
Wear a Dress from a Previous Assignment
There are some military spouses who do not like to wear the same dress to various events. But, there isn’t any reason you can’t wear the same dress you wore in the past. Especially, if you have moved to a new assignment.
More than likely no one will remember what you wore last year, and if you are at a new assignment the dress will be brand new.
Getting dressed up is part of the fun in going to a military ball. Having a dress purchase weigh down your finances does not have to be part of the experience.
Use the tips above to see if there are other alternatives to help you get a dress for free or at a limited cost.
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