A child’s First Holy Communion can be an expensive affair so Consumer Choice has a look at some of the dresses and suits available on the high street, which can offer consumers good value.
The primary focus of First Holy Communion according to the Catholic Church is the reception of the Body of Christ for the first time and the continued growth of the spiritual life of the child, but it can also become a bit of a fashion show. This indicates also how the secondary and additional areas of highlight fall. primarily, under the heading of Money! All the pressure of trying to make these sacramental days special for the child can cause parents a lot of financial worry.
The Church is very concerned about the cost issue facing parents and believes that simplicity ought to characterise the social celebration of these sacramental occasions so that their faith significance is not lost. A spokesperson for the Department of Educations said a standardised approach to the arrangements and preparations for Communion, including communion wear, is a matter for individual schools, parents and the local parish to agree upon. Easier said than done.
A survey by the League of Ireland Credit Unions shows that 64% of parents whose child received their First Holy Communion in the past 3 years found that the outfit was the biggest cost. They found that the average spend on a child’s full outfit in 2011 was €465.
Parents can be pestered into buying not only a beautiful dress or suit that may never be worn again, but also shoes, bags and gloves, not to mention hair bands, tiaras, wraps or shrugs. In many places you won’t get much change from €500 for the entire outfit, but there are plenty of more reasonable alternatives if you shop around.
If our current recession has done nothing else it has, to a great degree, reintroduced realism into retail consideration of what is affordable and value for money. So we see a significantly changed set of offerings at decidedly leaner and competitive prices.
High street options
Debenhams offers a price to fit every budget and a wide range of Communion occasionwear available for girls and boys ages 7, 8 and 9 years. Dresses from Pearce II Fionda start at €88 and for boys the Rocha.John Rocha suits start at €84, to complete the look including accessories and shoes the average cost will start at €180 catering for all budgets.
Marks & Spencer has introduced a new Communion range for 2012, which is available now in selected M&S stores acrossIreland. The Autograph Communion Collection includes four Communion dresses for girls and stylish, sharp suits for the boys. Dresses are priced from just €59 and boys’ suits from €45.
For the first time ever, TK Maxx has launched a new affordable range of Communion dresses available in their 16 stores nationwide. Ranging in price from €26.99 to €54.99, the dresses are available in a variety of styles.
Arnotts have a wide selection of Communion wear in their children’s department on the first floor. As well as high end dresses they have more affordable options in the Stardust range of Communion dresses in three different styles, Adelphi €154, Avril €147 and Trudy €154.
Choice Comment
Though the term ‘shopping around’ is so overused, consumers should spend their money where it is appreciated through realistic value-for-money pricing – within their budget!
