There are short gowns and ball gowns, bodycon, mermaid, off-the-shoulder, strapless, peplum, sheaths and shifts. There’s chiffon, jersey, lace, sateen, satin, tulle, polyester and even scuba fabrics. In fact, there are over 500 gently-used prom dresses waiting at Assistance League of Santa Barbara for someone to come and take one home to wear to the big event. The gowns are loaned completely free of charge, and all sizes are available.
The Prom Dress philanthropy was started in 2006 to help make prom more affordable to all students. “It was noticed that girls tend to only wear a new gown once, and there were a lot of beautiful dresses out there,” said Susie Kircos, Prom Dress chair. “The community responded to our request for gently-used dresses, and they’ve responded ever since.”
