Prom Dresses Given New Life

As quoted from the original article published in the Herald-Zeitung on June 11th, 2012

“According to statistics from Seventeen magazine, on average, girls spend $195 dollars on their dresses for the big night. After prom night, the once-worn dresses often end up in a variety of places.

Second-hand stores, such as My Sister’s Closet, a consignment operation specializing in women’s designer apparel, end up with dresses after the party is over. Owner Marsha Kelley said that during the season, dresses that were formally top-dollar have to be marked down.

“I usually put them on consignment. There was a Betsy Johnson dress and I know (the dress owner) gave like $500, but people aren’t usually going to pay even $400 for a prom dress,” she said. “They are just happy that somebody else gets it, and that it isn’t sitting in their closet at home. The prom dresses have many lives.”

Kelley said she buys second-hand prom dresses during the season, but has trouble selling them after girls are done hunting. Occasionally, people need dresses for themed parties or events, such as the recently-held 1980s “Mom Prom.”

“Every once in a while, someone will need a formal but they won’t usually wear a big poufy prom dress,” she said. “I can’t sell them, and they just take up room.”

If the dresses don’t sell, Kelley said, she donates them to Community in Schools, which gives them to girls who can’t afford them otherwise, or to the Brauntex Theatre.”

 The full article can be read HERE