Some girls go the DIY route to prom dresses

Kayte Postle's prom dress is deep blue with a shimmery overlay that mimics the night sky.

The skirt touches the ground -- and then some -- and the dress' overall appearance is elegant. But it can't be bought in a store.

Vogue pattern 2788 actually is a wedding dress, Postle explained, as she pinned a few pieces together less than two weeks before the Career and Technology Education Centers of Licking County prom on April 11.

"I just made a little bit of modifications to it," she said.

Homemade prom dresses aren't exactly a spiking trend, Postle said, but the C-TEC senior has been making sun dresses for years, and why not use the senior prom to make a statement?

Her motivation is part originality, part cost and part modesty, she said.

"It's a money-saver, but I'm also getting exactly what I want," she said -- and yes, that includes straps. (She also considered sleeves but decided against it.)

Other teens across the country have different reasoning: For some, making clothes is a creative outlet; for others, inspiration comes from TV shows featuring fashion designers, and a growing number of celebrities launching their own clothing lines have helped build interest in do-it-yourself wardrobes.

"It's a nice feeling when someone asks, 'Where did you get it?' and you can say, 'Well, I made it,'" Postle said.

Annie Henderson, a senior at O'More College of Design in Franklin, Tenn., got her start sewing in 4-H.

Originally from Somerset, Henderson made two of her four homecoming dresses in high school and also has made two prom dresses for high school girls.

"I would say the biggest advantage is probably the price," Henderson said. "The next best thing about that is that you get what you want."

The cost of making a prom dress varies depending on style and fabric, but in general the homemade varieties are a deal compared to their store-manufactured counterparts, said Postle, who estimated her dress cost about $70.

"Seventy dollars for exactly what I want when most dresses are over the $100 mark, that's not too bad," she said.

Henderson said the prom dresses she made were "around the $100 range."

And, of course, there's always the originality factor.

"You don't have to rely on what's in style or what someone else has designed for you," Henderson said. "I know the first year I made one, I made a hot pink dress -- every other girl had a black dress."