Local places to take your old prom dress

By Tori Sydenstricker

It’s prom dress season, and teenage girls everywhere are looking for beautiful and affordable prom dresses. Girls are flocking to stores such as David’s Bridal or Henri’s Cloud Nine to search for the perfect dress for the big night. However, not all girls can afford such luxuries, and are looking for donation places and secondhand stores to find their gown.  If you are looking to make these girls’ nights, or even wanting to make a quick buck, donating or reselling your old prom and homecoming dresses is the way to go.

Oftentimes, people resort to selling their old dresses on the Facebook Marketplace. Normally, this is a quick and easy way to get rid of that old dress at a fairly cheap price. It can be quick and easy, and all you have to do is meet with the person buying the dress. However, there is a possibility that the dress may not sell.

A local way to donate is through Gowns For Your Day. Located in Marietta, they have multiple dress drives as well as giveaway days. They will be having another dress drive this Saturday at the Gift Gallery of Vienna. The nonprofit organization also has set days for teen girls to snag themselves a free dress if they choose.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Dresses is located in Athens, Ohio, and they take dresses as a community project and allow girls to find their perfect dress. If you’re willing to travel to Athens, they take your dresses anytime, but the event where people can find their dream dress is in March. Their Facebook page has not been updated, but they post when the dates and times come for their event.

Goodwill and the Salvation Army are also a way to donate if you want to quickly get rid of your prom dress. Both organizations are for profit, however your dress will sell at a cheaper cost versus going to a larger dress store. If interested, you could even search for a dress for yourself and pay no more than $30. They will also take dresses of any age, so the average upcycler can remake your old dress into something even more beautiful.

If you are in need of money for your prom dress, you could always head down to the Too Small Shop in Parkersburg to sell your dress. They will buy new and slightly used dresses at any length and size. They post about most of the dresses they receive on Facebook so you may get to see the interest in the dress you previously wore.

Most high schools will also take donations of prom dresses around prom season. It’s at no cost to you or the girl searching for a dress, and will even benefit the ones that cannot drive or will not have rides to the dress drives they might want to go to.

Prom dresses are always in the market, whether it be for prom, homecoming, or even a dress for a local pageant. Donating your dress could help a girl find her dream dress at a low cost, and help you clear out your closet of those dresses from high school.