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Tackling the anxiety of finding a plus size prom dress

BBC A teenage girl stands in a formal dress shop wearing a light blue sparkly halterneck evening dress. She has long brown wavy hair and is smiling. There is a strappy lilac ball gown on a mannequin in the background. BBC
Ruby-May says she was 'scared' of going to try dresses on, but now she's excited about choosing one

When Ruby-May Walker started her last year of school, her friends began talking about the event they'd all been waiting for - the prom.

While it's not until June, thinking about prom dresses and even shopping for them, can start very early.

But Ruby-May, who is 15 and from Wrexham, says that as a plus size girl, she didn't feel she could look forward to it in the same way.

She felt anxious about what she could wear - are there enough options out there for all?

According to a social media influencer, things have got better since her prom in 2007, while some businesses have even seen a gap in the market to provide more options.

"I was excited about the prom but nervous about finding a dress," said Ruby-May.

"They all make a big deal about making a big entrance... but I have always been nervous about how I'm going to look compared to everyone else."

But Ruby-May says her confidence "sky-rocketed" after she found a shop that specialises in prom dresses for plus sizes, where she was able to try on "every dress in there" because she knew they would all fit.

Ruby-May said the experience of having the pick of the dresses was "amazing".

A woman with long brown hair, wearing a black v-neck jumper stands in a dress shop looking at a black sparkly gown she has just taken off a rack of evening dresses which range from light blue, to dark blue to black. There is a neon sign in the background which reads "Hello Beautiful"
Wendy Thompson says the girls are no longer restricted to just a few choices

Helping girls such as Ruby-May is why Wendy Thompson opened Ffansi Ffrogs with daughter Robyn Unsworth, to help them find their "dream dress".

They opened their plus size shop in Ruthin, Denbighshire, after finding their other prom dress shop couldn't offer enough choice in the larger sizes.

"We felt like we weren't giving plus size girls the same experience," said Wendy.

"We were saying 'these are the ones you can try', but there there were loads they couldn't, and their dream dress may have been there."

She said sometimes the plus size girls were having to choose a dress from just three or four options.

But now, by carrying a complete range of dresses from size 18 up to 30, in a dedicated shop, Wendy says they can give the girls the "experience they deserve".

"Every dress is available to them to try," she said.

"We want them to come out and stand on the podium... and when they see themselves in the mirror, it's like 'oh my goodness'.

"We want them to see that size isn't a barrier for looking amazing for prom.

"Prom is important for every single girl."

Teenage girl with long blonde wavy hair smiles, standing in the dress shop. She is wearing a navy blue round neck jumper and a silver pendant and silver earrings. In the background is a dress hanging up on a rack and a there's a pink neon sign to her right surrounded by flower petals, but the sign is not legible in the picture.
Robyn says the prom can put a lot of pressure on a girl to look good

Robyn, who's 17, acknowledges that wanting to look good for prom is a "pressure" because of the high expectations.

"There are loads of people looking, loads of people taking photos, everyone expects you to look nice - you want to look nice," she said.

She added that it was great to be able to help girls look good and feel confident, saying: "One girl came in recently and she was really shy and she was reluctant to try dresses on because she said she always wears baggy clothes.

"When she came out in the first dress, she couldn't stop smiling.

"She said 'I look beautiful'. She said she had never felt like that before."

A red satin dress on a mannequin inside a shop window. The picture is taken from within the shop. The dress has thin straps and a lace-up back.
Some plus sized girls visiting the shop never wear dresses in day to day life

Plus size body positivity influencer, Michaela Gingell, who posts on TikTok and Instagram as Cardiffoniagurl, says things have got better since she went to her prom back in 2007.

The 33- year-old from Risca, Caerphilly county, says she couldn't go prom dress shopping like her friends because there was "nothing" for her, and she had to have her dress specially made.

"Those experiences stick with you and it hurts," she said.

"Plus size fashion has got better, but it's still mainly an online offer, there's not much on the high street."

She added it "resonated" hearing about Ruby-May's experience.

"It's great that there is someone offering this and giving plus size people the opportunity to have that experience that other people have without even thinking about it," she added.

Cardifforniagurl/Nabila Baharun A woman in her early 30s sitting on some steps in the sunshine. She is looking away from the camera and wearing a long pink and blue summer dress, there is a pinkish bare plaster wall behind her and some Morrocan style lamps in the foreground. A basket weave bag sits on the step above her.Cardifforniagurl/Nabila Baharun
Michaela Gingell says it "hurt" that she couldn't go looking for prom dresses with her friends

Ruby-May still hasn't decided which dress will be the one for her prom, but she says she now feels able to join in all the chat about dresses, hair and make-up, and she says she can't wait to "look amazing and have lots of fun".

She says that other plus sized girls should just "go for it" when choosing what to wear.

"Don't be scared, keep your mind open and try things you would usually be scared of," she added.

"This is your one chance to go to your prom."