Prom season will be here before you know it! And your mom wants to know, where are you renting your prom tuxedo from? Maybe you’ve seen some flyers floating around the cafeteria, or your friends are trying to convince you to order from their chosen tux shop (because that means they get the discount for referring you).
Tuxedo rentals can cost between $120-$200 for one day and are often high quality and durable. Sounds like a good thing, right? Well, they need to be when one rental tux is worn an average of 40 times, each experiencing all of the moves the average prom king or dance maniac will do. Who cares, when you’ll never be wearing it again!
Besides you go-to tee shirt, does anything you own get worn 40 or more times? Do you think 40 people wore that tee before you bought it? That would be like wearing the same shirt for half of the week for a year!
“Hmm… Should I rent or buy my prom tuxedo?”
We’ll break down the cost of owning your tuxedo for the next few years, our bodies change, so we’ll be realistic about how long it will probably fit.
Most teens never have and never will have the need to wear a tuxedo. You spend most of your time in sweats. But when spring time comes around you need a tuxedo on several occasions. Each time you think it will be the last time you will ever need a tux, but now you’re realizing you’ll probably wear one more than once.
Let’s compare costs:
The average rental price of a tuxedo, shirt and shoes is going to be $190 ($150 for the tux, $20 for the shirt, and $20 for the shoes)
Purchasing a tuxedo, shirt and shoes from PromGuy is $303 ($194 for the tux, $49 for the shirt, $60 for shoes)
Repeated costs to wear:
Rental: $190
Owning: $25 for dry cleaning after each wear
Total cost:
Rent: $190 x 2 = $380 (Junior and Senior Prom)
Own: $303 + 2 x dry cleaning = $353 (Junior and Senior Prom)
Let’s also not forget the extra hassles of renting a suit or tuxedo:
- Finding the right size each time because, depending on the brand you’re renting, your size will vary with every rental.
- Some rentals hem your pants, others require you to do it.
- The pick-up and drop-off. Many places require you to return it by a certain time the following day. Mornings after a night in a tuxedo are meant for sleeping in, not setting an alarm to get it back to the store first thing in the morning. Also, what if you’re leaving town after the dance because your friend has an awesome lake house to spend the night at? Even online options require the tux to be back in the mail within a couple days.
- Most importantly: you break it you buy it. Should anything happen to your rental tux, or it gets returned late, you will end up having to purchase every single piece for an escalated price.
Besides the fact that purchasing a tuxedo online can be the more affordable option, it is WAY more convenient. At PromGuy, we believe every man should own a tuxedo, look sharp, and not spend a fortune. Buy our classic tuxedo here and don’t forget the accessories (shirt, shoes and bow tie) you’ll need to complete the look.
More from the Style Blog

What To Wear For An Interview Online
Do you have a job interview, college or graduate school entrance interview, or press interview coming up? Chances are companies and schools will have you stay...

2020 Graduation Events - Mark your Digital Calendars!
Friday May 15, 2020: Facebook is hosting #Graduation2020: Facebook and Instagram Celebrate the Class of 2020 with a commencement speech by Oprah Winfrey and appearances by Miley Cyrus, Lil...

Chicago Mayor Announces Virtual Graduation
City of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Tik Tok, where else, that there will be a city-wide celebration of graduation for the class of 2020...