Min Chen, left, helps her daughter Adrianna Rosenboom, 13, look for a Grade 8 graduation dress at W.I. Dick Middle School in Milton, Ont., on May 7. The Fashion Forward program provides free prom dresses, suits and more to students in need.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
With prom just around the corner, Vivian Dunham took her daughter, Farah, a high school senior, to the mall last month to look for dresses.
But most of the gowns on offer were between $500 and $600, with the cheapest option still $250.
“That’s two weeks of groceries,” said Ms. Dunham, a mother of three who manages the children’s program at a local church in Milton, Ont.
Hoping to save money, she remembered an event being held by the Halton District School Board to provide free prom dresses and suits for students in need.
The event, called Fashion Forward, got prom outfits to more than 350 students this year, said Danielle Dunlop, a school counsellor who oversees the event.
“For them to be able to come and just pick whatever dress they want, to celebrate their hard work, it’s really rewarding,” she said.
High-heeled shoes on display at the Fashion Forward event. Students have dresses, suits, ties, shoes and jewellery to choose from as they put together the perfect prom outfit.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Organizations across Canada that provide donated prom outfits at little or no cost have seen an upsurge in interest this year.
The higher demand is partly owing to wider awareness, say organizers, who spread the word with school counsellors and other administrators. But mostly, more families are coming to them because the high cost of living means many parents cannot afford to shell out hundreds of dollars for a prom outfit.
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At a middle school in Milton, Farah flipped through racks upon racks of dresses brought in by Fashion Forward, many with their price tags still attached.
“I’m already a big thrifter, so this kind of stuff is like my favourite thing,” she said, holding up a long blue sequined number.
Farah Dunham, 18, left, looks for prom dresses with the help of her sister.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
Down the hall in the library, volunteers held suits up to young men to find just the right size, while people browsed tables full of shoes organized by colour. Pop songs played from a speaker in the corner.
“Some kids are coming from families where both parents are working full-time and they still can’t afford to buy a dress that their kids are going to wear one night,” said Darcey Sudeyko, a member of the organizing committee for You Wear It Well, which provides free prom dresses to students in three school districts in B.C.’s Lower Mainland.
Last year, the organization served 160 students. This year, it was 245.
Without these types of events, some students likely wouldn’t go to prom at all, Ms. Sudeyko said.
“Families send us cards and notes by e-mail about how happy they are for their kids, and they all say that if it wasn’t for a service like ours, their kids wouldn’t be going to grad because they don’t have anything to wear,” she said.
Lukas Leach, 13, tries on a tie for his Grade 8 graduation with the help of Fashion Forward volunteer Theresa Dillon.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
This year, the Calgary-based GRADitude Project brought in about 200 students, double the numbers from last year – in part because they began offering suits as well as dresses.
“We heard it from parents and guardians this year more than we’ve probably ever heard of how much this is helping families,” said Sylvia Galica-Casuncad, who oversees the event.
The best part of running these kinds of events is seeing the smiles on students’ faces when they arrive, said Daniella McDonald, who is on the organizing committee of the Gowns for Grads event in Winnipeg.
“They think they’re just going to walk into a thrift store that’s disorganized and smelly,” she said. “But we really, really try to make it a shopping experience so they get the same vibe as their friends who are going out with their moms or whatever to get a dress at a store.”
Creating a welcoming space, whether it’s playing music or organizing tables neatly, is essential, said Jerushia Hoang, who oversees a YMCA event in Guelph, Ont., called Red Carpet Ready, which provides complete prom outfits for $20.
“We just want people to feel welcome,” she said.
Amalia Trusca, right, helps her son Alex, 17, pick out shoes for his prom.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
At the Fashion Forward event in Milton, Amalia Trusca looked on approvingly as her son, Alex, a high school senior, tried on a grey suit and blue tie.
Alex had at first picked out a grey tie, but a volunteer convinced him to go with blue.
“I’m not allowed to pick anything anymore,” Ms. Trusca said, laughing.
Farah had the blue sequined dress under her arm but was still looking through the racks for the perfect outfit.
As much as she was looking forward to prom, Farah said she was even more excited about her postprom plans with her date and two close friends.
“We’re ditching all the prom parties and just going to get burgers.”
