A Boy Mom's Guide to School Dance Formal Wear- Homecoming, Prom, We've Got You Covered.

Brooke Amidei
Sep 22, 2025
6 min read

Updated: Sep 23, 2025

The responses were exactly what I expected and have experienced in my own home. Hand me downs, old funeral clothing, etc. because the boys really just can't be bothered.

We reached out to all the boy moms we know and quizzed them on their favorite places to shop for boys formal wear. Here were their responses:

Clothing- Pants/Jackets

This is the main thing you are likely needing to purchase and curious where to start.

Kohls

Kohls came up a lot in the responses. If you shop there you know that it can be shopping gold with a great selection on one shopping trip and then super picked over and disappointing the next time. This is a great place to start if you have time because it is affordable and you can also pick up some of the other basics on your list like dress socks, shoes, belts, etc. while you're there. Don't forget about their 30% off coupons and Kohls cash!!

Scheels

I had an inappropriate moment asking my young male physical therapist where his dress pants were from after watching him demonstrate squats in these amazingly stretchy and not wrinkly, incredibly cool pants. When he told me they are the 7 Diamonds brand and that he buys them at Scheels I was shocked. I love Scheels, but think of it as more of an athletic wear store, but these pants are in the same line as a LuLulemon athleisure type. Honestly they are perfect for high school aged boys who are not going to be acting all prim and proper in their suits and they have the more trendy, hip cut to them. Shopping at Scheels was great too because their staff tends to be young and it is a store the boys are comfortable in so it doesn't feel stuffy. They can do their suit shopping and then go look at their sport of choice's department to reward their grown-up behavior. Their items are a little more on the pricey side, but gorgeous and will last until your boy outgrows it. 10/10 experience and if us boy moms don't get the opportunity to dress shop with our daughters, I'm taking this near equivalent experience. You can get a sneak peek here of our shopping trip.

H&M

Now this is a fun option. The price is right. The style is trending. And if you can find the right sizing for your son you could be done shopping in record time and hitting the food court. H&M is great if you don't necessarily need (or want) a suit that he will have to wear for ALL of the upcoming dances so you have the flexibility to swap out styles or colors because it is more affordable.

Banana Republic

Who doesn't love a guy dressed in the class that is Banana Republic?! One mom just keeps her eyes peeled for their really great sales and gets her sons all set for the upcoming year's dances. Classic style and tailored fit, you know they are going to look incredible!

Zara

We don't have a Zara where we are, but I am familiar with the brand and feel like this sits pretty similarly to H&M. More on trend and modern looking, affordable and maybe even getting some pieces with a bit of character or whimsy. Definitely worth checking out!

Nordstrom Rack

You never know what you're going to get here, but you can really score! This is a really great spot for some of the other items on your list like shoes too. Just hard to stay out of your own section and focus solely on your son at Nordstrom Rack!

Men's Warehouse

This is where I thought we would be going for suit shopping, but that must be oh so 1990s of me. I did have a couple of mom's mention that they had good luck there. For me it feels a little formal and more grown-up, uncomfortable for my son's (and my) taste when there are so many other more casual and cool shopping options out there, but you know you're going to get the job done there which is worth something.

Amazon

Amazon was top of the list with a majority of the moms when it came to button up shirts, ties and belts. There are a TON of shirt options so you can find the type of fit your son is after and the correct sizing (plus obviously easy to return/exchange if you don't love it). The tie game on Amazon is perfect especially when you are trying to match their date's dress color. Both of these seem like a great way to save a little cash on Amazon and spend the big bucks on the pants and jacket elsewhere, although one mom mentioned she saw some boys in Amazon suits that looked great too!

These $10 ties come in 40 different colors!

This is our pick for a nice button down dress shirt.

These dress shoes get great reviews and are half the price of other options.

My absolute favorite black/brown reversible belt!

These dress socks are so inexpensive and give the boys a little style choice.

Also might be a good idea to grab some new (not dingy) undershirt tanks.

TJ Maxx/Ross

Also good for ties, belts, button downs and undershirts. Maybe even cologne.:)

Zappos

Somehow I personally missed the Zappos train, but so many swear by it and this was mentioned a lot for shoes.

General Boy Mom Formal Dance Advice

I would strongly consider if you are buying a more expensive suit that you think about the color a lot. We spent a good chunk of change on my son's first suit at Scheels and got excited about a tan suit. Well, because he just wore it for a few hours over the course of a year and it still fit great, it made sense to keep wearing it again the next year and we were all kind of over the tan suit. He stood out (which can be a good thing), but if I were to do it again, I might encourage him to get a black suit for our spendy purchase and then keep other colors and trends to Kohls or H&M.

As mentioned above, if you are purchasing your son's first nice dress belt, it's great to get one that switches from black on one side to brown on the other (genius) so you are covered for all occasions! I like this reversible belt.

Let your son borrow one of dad's old school nice watches and watch them transform into the male model you always knew they were. It is really cool to watch how cool they feel with a big, heavy watch on their wrist.

This is also a good opportunity for some good father/son (or mother/son) teachable moments including how to tie a tie and the correct length of where you want the tie to hit as well as shaving lessons.

For the love of God make sure he has black socks or something purposely fun. No dingy Nikes tonight boys!

While you're at it, you could get them a nice pair of underwear. We all know the difference in having nice lingerie when we get dressed up versus our Sunday cotton grannie panties. It just makes you feel a little fancier. These might be a good solid black option.

Talk to them about how they might want to show a little of their personality and style. The girls get the chance to do this with their dress- the style, color, etc. but the boys don't have as much wiggle room here. Is there a fun sock that they like? Are they wanting to rock a bowtie? Suspenders? Penny loafers? The no sock look? A monotone black suit with black button down shirt and tie? Let him have a little fun with his formal wear- it's high school after all!

Offer to host the guys get ready party. At our house that means putting on football for homecoming and either ordering or making food. They really don't "get ready", but it is fun for them to have a day of hanging out like a lot of the girls are doing together when they get ready. It might even be fun if you are crafty enough to have them make their date's flower bouquets and/or do some face masks. We've also hosted the sign making party when the boys were making their "promposal" signs to go ask their dates to the dance. They set-up a long card table, again in front of the TV watching football, and got out all of our art supplies and snacks. I loved seeing their creativity!

Don't be afraid to hop in and help coordinate plans for the fellas with photos and dinner reservations and plans. Especially if they are going with a group of friends they may need a little direction and support. If they are like most boys they aren't going to want anything to do with it, but once they are all snazzy and out on the town, they will be making fun memories and forget all about how annoyed with you they were for getting involved and making it happen.

I'd love to hear from more boy moms about what advice you have and where you would suggest to shop for our sons. Please message me at: brooke@babblewithbrooke.com so I can add your advice to this article.

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