Courtesy of Ashley Chai

At last year’s Homecoming, juniors Anjali Shah and Ashley Chai sport their new dresses at Queeny Park. Chai bought her dress from Tobi.com for $24. “Tobi literally has the same dresses every year, so finding a dress I like for an affordable price [is the most difficult thing about Homecoming],” Chai said. “I look for websites that aren’t sketchy and brands I know I can trust.”

From events like spirit week, Powder Puff, the pep rally, Taste of West, the parade and football game, Homecoming is a jam-packed time for students, parents and faculty. While this can be the most exciting week of the year, it can also be the most stressful, due to dress shopping. To help alleviate some of the stress because, honey, I bet you’re getting plenty enough of that with schoolwork, here are cheap places to get a head start on this year’s perfect Homecoming dresses!

Romwe

Cringey graphic t-shirts with the saying “Slay Girl, slayyyy!” no longer appeal to customers (but did they ever?). Boycotting once-popular brands due to rising prices and atrocious designs, customers have turned to Romwe for cheaper and cuter shirts. While Romwe shirts are constantly praised, their dress section is also undeniably diverse in its different styles, colors and fits. With the priciest dress barely exceeding $30, the majority of their dresses lay well below $10. If you do not have any dress ideas yet, scrolling through Romwe will give you plenty of options for your new Homecoming outfit. Many have also found shipping quite fast for a Chinese website, which is perfect for that last-minute dress shopping. The only downside about Romwe is that some dresses don’t have models to exhibit what the clothing looks like on a person, so to avoid any sizing mishaps, make sure to pay close attention to the sizing chart provided.

SHEIN

As the sister site to Romwe, you can find very similar dress styles that are less casual and more “boujee.” You can hunt through this site for hours on end due to the endless inventory, and the average dress price ranges from $15 to $20. These dresses are made with more comfortable and sturdy material and are no doubt worth the extra couple dollars. If you have no problem buying more cheaply-made dresses because you don’t want to spend too much on a dress you will only wear once, head on back to Romwe over SHEIN. However, the latter has more frequent sales, so check back often to catch the latest deal.

Boohoo

Named after my tears of being date-less for yet another year, Boohoo displays all the popular types of dresses that you will see at Homecoming. From oversized hoodie dresses looking like you just rolled out of bed to tight bodycon dresses for a cocktail night, the site makes it easy to pick out exactly what look you’re going for. There are useful options on the side to filter through dresses of various sizes and colors as well as eliminate certain price ranges. All dresses are accompanied by modeled pictures, capturing all the clothing’s essence. The most expensive prices may reach over $100, but Boohoo’s frequent deals plunge the price to half-off, definitely making it worth your while.

Savers

Savers is not a website, but it is a must-go when it comes to cheap dress shopping. This thrift shop located in Ellisville will provide you a unique dress that, guaranteed, no one else at that same Homecoming dance will have. Not only will the fear of wearing the same dress as someone else become irrational, but thrift shopping is a good way to recycle and repurpose clothes you no longer wear. Buying gently worn dresses helps to eliminate waste and promote ethical practices. A couple of trips to Savers may be necessary to find the perfect dress, but with its insanely cheap price, distinct styles and eco-friendly benefits, you won’t regret stopping by.

Showpo

At first glance, the prices of Showpo’s dresses diverge higher than the prices of other sites mentioned. However, one thing that makes this site distinct from others is its effort to include models of all body types to showcase the apparel. This pure and significant effort is definitely worth the mention. This catalog is also less “out there” than Xenia’s, so the dresses can be more versatile and worn for multiple occasions, making the $60-dollar-average less of a big deal.

Xenia

To avoid the frantic worry of if your dress will be delivered in time, it’s best to place your order here as soon as possible as Xenia’s clothes ship all the way from Australia. While some of the other places mentioned include a variety of casual dresses in addition to the more fancier options, this website solely displays snazzy dresses. These dresses are definitely “out there” with deep cuts and tighter styles, so if you’re feeling a little riskier this year, Xenia is perfect for you. The prices are displayed in Australian dollars, but multiply the number by 0.72 to get the equivalent in American dollars. Most of these dresses can be pretty pricey, but there are a handful of options that are on sale with much more affordable price tags. Nonetheless, due to the site’s high-quality clothing, the spending a little extra may help you achieve the Homecoming of your dreams.