It’s debs season for some secondary school students right now and costs have gone through the roof. When it comes to attending a debs, your own or someone else’s, girls in particular can bear a big financial burden.
Apart from a new dress, there are the shoes and bag to think about. Getting your hair and make-up done professionally, as well as a spray tan, a manicure and a pedicure might also be in prospect.
For the boys, it’s a tuxedo, shirt, bow tie, some dress shoes and maybe a haircut.
Of course, all of these things are optional. But when everyone else is doing them and because how you look is being committed to social media, it can feel hard for teens and their families to opt out.
There can be a “TY debs” in transition year, as well as a Leaving Cert debs.Some teens will attend their events as well as being invitees to others.
A new debs dress can cost hundreds of euro. Teens grow and trends change and so an outfit’s lifespan can be short. Something can go from cutting edge to dated in weeks.
For those conscious of being snapped in the same dress at two different events, one dress may be worn only once. That suits manufacturers and retailers just fine as they constantly push us to buy the next thing.
There can be other paraphernalia to think about too – a corsage, food and drinks for a pre-debs family meet and greet and a balloon backdrop for the photos have all become popular additions.
Tired of the debs treadmill, some schools have started to take a stand against the cost and waste of it all. Before it’s their turn, some class groups are looking at what it would mean to have a more sustainable debs.
The ideas emerging include holding events where students can offer preloved debs dresses and tuxedos free of charge, or at a discount.
Borrowing your dress or tux, getting it from a charity or vintage shop, or a resale site like Depop and eBay needs to be normalised, students say.
Buying second-hand can broaden your fashion references too, helping to ensure you are not rocking exactly the same look as everyone else.
Travelling by bus to the venue, asking the venue about locally sourced, in-season food and avoiding plastic cups and utensils will also make things more sustainable.
Avoiding glitter which has microplastics, and swapping helium balloons in favour of biodegradable ones will be better for the environment too.
Community groups and county councils are getting in on the act. Wicklow County Council promoted a library event last week to find new owners for preloved debs outfits.
Library staff put out the call for old debs dresses and tuxedos. They then hosted a Once Upon a Debs event; a dress and tuxedo swap, where preloved formal wear got a second chance to shine.
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Debs-goers were invited to come along on a Thursday evening to “shop” for an outfit new to them.
The event follows a growing number of swap events where libraries and schools are trying to fight the cost and waste of buying one-off occasion wear like Halloween costumes and Christmas jumpers too.
Recycling isn’t the answer to everything, though. Everyone buying a new debs dress every year and donating it doesn’t fix the debs dress problem.
The endless cycle of shopping, which causes water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and landfill, is the real problem that needs to be faced.
Materials like plastic sequins and polyester in particular will last long beyond the debs. Polyester is a form of plastic usually derived from petroleum. A lot of energy is required to make the stuff, and it pollutes the water and air. Polyester clothing lasts for years and it’s headed for landfill where it never biodegrades.
So when it comes to the debs, don’t buy new if you can, and swap what you’ve already got.
