Every time I go to a formal, I seem to squander valuable getting-ready time standing in front of my wardrobe dithering over what dress to wear. Have I worn this one too many times this term? Is this too lightweight for winter? Am I going to look like I’m trying to match the paint on the walls of the hall if I wear this? The endless demands of formalwear make me think how convenient it must be for people who just throw on a suit and tie.

If, like me, you frequently suffer from dress decision paralysis, then you know that the only cure is to just have plenty of options for what to wear. The good news is that as a seasoned formal attendee, I can assure you that you don’t need a ridiculous budget to have a respectable wardrobe; you just need to know where (and where not) to look.

“When buying secondhand online, make sure you know your size, and what brands you’re looking for”

Steer clear of fast fashion

As a rule, if a company has suspiciously low prices, you shouldn’t buy clothes from them – especially not formal dresses. Companies like Shein, Temu, and Cider infamously steal designs from independent and smaller brands, and encourage a hyper-consumerist approach to clothes that aren’t built to last, meaning you’ll probably throw them away when they inevitably fall apart. Most items from these retailers are also composed of what is essentially plastic – apart from the environmental concerns associated with this, highly synthetic clothes don’t age well and aren’t very comfortable to wear, especially in a stuffy hall, a packed college bar or under the weird polyester blend our gowns are made of. Just avoid shopping for dresses (and any other items) here.Shop secondhand

Secondhand and charity shops are a great (if obvious) place to look for formal dresses. I personally avoid platforms like Depop and Vinted; you can definitely get good deals there, but a lot of sellers run their shops as fulltime jobs, and massively mark up preloved clothes they’ve found elsewhere – the same is true for vintage stores. In my opinion, charity shops have better deals, and it’s nice to feel like you’ve personally rescued an item from landfill and also donated to a worthy cause. Lots of charity shops also have online stores, so you’re not limited to what you can find locally. This is especially useful since Cambridge doesn’t have very many charity shops, and the ones we do have don’t offer much nice formalwear; the upcoming break will be an ideal time to search your local high street!

“The same dress can look completely different on different people!”

Ebay is another great place to look – I think sellers there are a bit less likely to mark up items, and even if it takes more searching to find what you want, you’re more likely to get a good deal. When buying secondhand online, make sure you know your size, and what brands you’re looking for. Including keywords like sleeveless, occasionwear, ruffle, lace, slip, maxi (or whatever other features you’re looking for) will help to make sure that you find items that match your style!

Share with your friends

If you’d rather not buy (even secondhand), you can always share dresses with friends. A communal wardrobe is a great way to expand your formal clothing choices, and since lots of people (including me) don’t rewear dresses more than once or twice a term, sharing your clothes with each other gives everyone more options. The same dress can look completely different on different people! When it comes to May Ball season, there are various Facebook groups dedicated to swapping and reselling dresses, so if you’re already looking for your May Week wardrobe, dress sharing is worth investigating.

Building up a repertoire of formal dresses to have on rotation doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, and you don’t have to resort to fast fashion to save money. If you know the right places to look, it’s very easy to avoid wardrobe decision paralysis and have something fun to wear for any formal.