Trending: Communion dresses

School’s out for midterm, and that means peak Communion dress-buying season across the country. This week hundreds of families will be scouring shops for that perfect white dress with a focus usually reserved for another, bigger day.

London-based Kerry woman Carol Kearney, when shopping online, was surprised to see a lack of simpler styles. "The dresses all seemed to have diamantes and sequins and huge skirts. I began to wonder if every mother and little girl really wanted a dress like this for their First Holy Communion." Kearney felt there was a gap in the market and set up Trumpets and tiaras.com, where parents could buy "a simple and more childlike dress".

Kathryn Curran, a fan of plain styles herself, is the owner of The Princess Dress Company (princessdresscompany.com) in Naas, Co Kildare. She says her fairy-tale range is by far the most popular in her shop. When she opened in 2010 she sold outfits that were far more understated, but in the last two years, with shows such as Toddlers and Tiaras and My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding , over-the-top styles have become popular. While in the past children had little say when it came to Communion clobber, Curran says these days they hold more sway. "The children go through our website themselves and pick out the dress they want," says Curran.

If the thought of a church full of identikit mini-brides makes you nauseous – the Princess Clara gown pictured here costs €220 – you’ll be glad to hear the pendulum is beginning to swing back to a simpler time.

Kearney believes this trend may be austerity-driven (although Petit’s outlets on Merrion Road and Exchequer Street in Dublin sell dresses for up to €650). Her most popular dress, The Iris (£98), is a crochet lace, cotton-mix dress that could be worn again. Sleeves and lace overlays are also a trend this year.

Kearney’s daughter, Isla (6), will be making her Communion next year. She will have her pick of her mother’s collection. “I want her to look like the sweet little girl she is,” says Kearney.