Gently Worn Dresses Get a Second Chance with Annual CCUP Prom Sale

With the weather warming up, it’s almost time to start shopping for that annual high school rite of passage—prom.

For frugal fashionistas, that means heading to the fourth at the on Rochester Road.

This year’s event—which features new and gently worn formal dresses sold for $20 each—will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 24 at the church. There also will be shoes, jewelry, purses and more on sale at the event.

Admission to the sale is free.

Volunteers at the church will fetch dresses for prom-goers and monitor the dressing rooms. Seamstresses onsite will provide free consultations and minor alterations.

“We’ve never had any girls fighting over dresses,” said Halley Bannon, publicity chairwoman for the sale. “It’s just such an amazing event.”

Bannon said the church began collecting formal dresses in January. Because of overstock or sample dresses that area bridal boutiques donated, some of the dresses have never been worn. Other formal attire has been worn only once.

“Most of the time you’re just going to go to an event once and then that dress just hangs in your closet,” Bannon said.

For some attending prom, buying a gently worn dress at a bargain price is the only way they can obtain a formal dress. Bannon noted shopping for prom can get expensive, with dresses typically costing $300 to $400 each.

Kelly Stebor, dress sale coordinator and cofounder of the event, added there are many families in the area who don’t have money to spare to buy the dresses new. That's when CCUP comes in handy.

“Every teenage girl should be able to attend their prom, but unfortunately, many families cannot afford the price that goes along with it,” she said. “The beautiful, barely worn dresses that members of the community donated and those that surrounding bridal/prom dress shops donated obviously were expensive.

"We get them organized and available so that another girl can enjoy the dress, and we price the dresses low enough to ensure that every teenage girl can afford to attend their prom.”

The church will continue to accept dresses, jewelry and shoes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays until March 23 at the church office.

Last year, Bannon said CCUP collected more than 1,400 dresses for the event. This year, she estimated there would be at least 1,000 dresses, all displayed by size, at the church.

“The first year was a huge success,” she said. “Each year has gotten exponentially better.”

Bannon said the sale is a hit with girls from across the region. Often, prom-goers will line up at the church for as much as an hour before the event begins, waiting for the doors to open. While some are in search of a frugal find, other girls are on the hunt for the perfect vintage dress, Bannon said.

“You would not believe the number of girls who come in and want a vintage dress,” she said. “They are psyched. You can’t buy that kind of dress in stores, and they want to be unique and they want to be different.”

If you’re going

The Second Life Prom Dress Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 24 at the Waiting room doors open at 8 a.m. in the upper level of the church. There will be coffee available. The church’s café opens at 9 a.m., and there will be sandwiches, salads, drinks and cupcakes for sale.

The church accepts cash, check, Visa, MasterCard and Discover credit cards. All proceeds from the event benefit CCUPC’s various outreach ministries.

For more information, visit the dress sale’s Facebook page by clicking here. Find the event on Twitter by clicking here.