It just doesn't seem fair to parents' wallets that there are two huge events per school year: homecoming and prom. Of course, guys have it relatively easy. They usually show up in casual wear for homecoming, and rent a tux for the prom.

Girls, on the other hand, put a great deal of thought into how they will dress for each event. If buying two expensive dresses (prom and homecoming dresses typically cost at least $100 each and usually much more), perhaps it's time to put your foot down and decree that the same dress can be used for both prom and homecoming.

Of course, if you make this decision, don't expect to be very popular with your daughter for a time. For reasons genetically programmed to elude men, no woman wants to be seen by her friends wearing the same dress twice. You can help your daughter through this dilemma by helping her accessorize in ways that will give her homecoming dress new life when prom season rolls around.

Choosing the Homecoming and Prom Dress

Encourage your daughter to choose a dress that is understated and elegant. If she selects something with sharp contrasts or something over the top, her classmates will certainly recognize it instantly when they see it again. Perhaps since you're asking your daughter to make due with only one dress, you could compromise and spend a little more to buy one of the designer labels that mean so much to teenagers.

Accessorizing the Homecoming and Prom Dress

Homecoming is usually held in the fall, when the weather is a little nippier. Perhaps your daughter could wear a light wrap with her dress. Makeup could emphasize the fall colors, as could jewelry, purse, and shoes (as long as the colors selected complement the gown).

For prom, encourage your teenager to wear her hair a different way (for instance, if she wore her hair down long to homecoming, she could wear it up for prom. Now that spring has arrived, she might want to wear white, low-heeled shoes and carry a white purse. Or perhaps, conversely, she will choose black high-heeled shoes and a black purse. Jewelry might be a classic silver or gold bracelet and earrings.

If she doesn't spill her secret, chances are excellent that no one but she, her best friends, and possibly her date will realize that she's worn the same dress twice. In the meantime, you'll have saved over a hundred dollars by having your daughter select one homecoming and prom dress instead of two.