How much is too much for a costume

I have a preliminary comp coming up and I’m not sure what is too much of a dress for my level. I was thinking of getting a stoned Brad Griffies dress and using it the rest of my skating or most of it. (I’m 16 so I won’t grow out of it)....the competition is just a small local one at my rink

Will a fully stoned Brad Griffies dress look appropriate for my level?

You might consider reading this thread for some insights: https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?75544&p=2180139#post2180139

Heavily crystalled dresses like those made by Brad Griffies are typically extremely expensive because of the labor and material costs that have gone into making these sparkly dresses. By no means is it necessary to have something that fancy at a preliminary competition. As you'll see in the thread I linked, it can be argued that you wouldn't "need" it unless perhaps you're going to Sectionals/Nationals at a Junior or higher level. This is definitely subjective, and if you want to spend this kind of money now, by all means go for it! No one will stop you or complain that your costume is too fancy for a preliminary competition. But on the other hand, skating is expensive and costuming is an area where you can cut expenses by using simple dresses that you might stone yourself, or checking Ebay or Facebook groups for gently used dresses. Many skaters will only use a dress for one season and then retire it, so 1) there are lots of used dresses in good condition, and 2) don't expect to use your one expensive dress for all of your future competitions. Just my two cents.

A stoned Brad Griffies costs a fortune! And you won't be able to use the same dress forever, it won't match your programs unless you plan on doing all the same type of program your entire skating life.

If you really want something fancy, look into second-hand or the cheap Chinese knockoffs on ebay. Or you could sew one yourself, they're not especially difficult.

Brad Griffies makes a lovely dress but what you are proposing is a not a great choice. Why? I think you will get bored with just one dress and styles change over time.

Have you called Brad Griffies and asked about their current lead time? A couple of years back, I tried to order one of his dresses but I waited too long. If I remember correctly, I called in late January and I needed the dress for a competition the first weekend in May. They told me they could only get me an unstoned dress by then. If I still wanted it, my daughter could wear the unstoned dress at the May competition, after she wore it I could then ship it back so they could then stone, and I could have it for her next competition (mid-June). I decided it was not worth it and found a different dress.

Del Arbour usually runs a winter sale and if you are lucky, you can find a nice unstoned dress for about $100. Last year, I got two of those, paid someone to stone them and they still cost less than one Brad Griffies dress. Not only that, if Del Arbour has your size/color in stock, you can have it by the end of the week. Del Arbour may not be Brad designs but they are still nice and wear well.

A fully sequined/beaded/stoned Griffes dress is very expensive. There are elite skaters who can't afford them.

You shouldn't need more than something like is here https://www.jerryskate.com/Products/Women-Girl/women-girl-dress7.html or here https://www.shoprainbo.com/product-category/dresses/
They are affordable as well.

You aren't going to have the same theme or music for all of your skating career (I'd hope) so having the same dress is not going to work out.

Good luck!

I agree to what everyone has said so far. I have purchased a bunch of dresses from ebay (Chinese knockoffs) and the quality is actually pretty good. I would be able to reuse the costumes if I were to keep the same type of programs each year. I do the ones with custom measurements.

I kind of see where you're coming from - So many off the rack $50 dresses look like they're made for little girls, or look super cheap. Like you I would rather have a few classics than get something new every time I do a new program. However, like other posters said, the wait time is long and the cost for the ones you've seen at elite competitions could be $5,000+. There is a middle ground. Brad Griffies sells most of his dresses unstoned, in a huge variety of colors. You could add a few stones yourself, or hire someone local, but if you get one of the more unique shapes and colors he has, you won't need any stones at all, it'll be simple and flattering, and under $200.