According to The Toronto Star, prom (aka spring formal) going gals will spend an average of $500 per outfit this year that will be worn no longer than half a day, depending on how late their curfew is.

The occasion inadvertently promotes the idea of disposable consumer culture: expensive dresses worn once, matching strappy sandals that are barely broken in, topped off with plastic bling, hair extensions and perhaps a tiara. The prom is a teenage wasteland…Yet prom doesn’t have to be detrimental to both the environment and parents’ chequebooks. An eco-friendly prom is in. From prom queen to prom green.

So take heart young dancers. Vintage dresses are always in. As are those in organic cotton, or re0used fabrics. And hey, don’t forget those sustainable, organically-grown wrist corsages!

Photo credit: Bostom.com/Dennis Walker