Anonymous
Source: Assistance League of Santa Barbara
There are short gowns and ball gowns, bodycon, mermaid, off-the-shoulder, strapless, peblum, sheaths and shifts. There’s chiffon, jersey, lace, sateen, satin, tulle, polyster and even scuba fabrics. In fact, there are over 500 gently-used prom dresses waiting at the 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 Boutique is located in the back building of the Assistance League, at 1259 Veronica Springs Road. Limited hours of operation are from 3pm – 5pm, Wednesdays, through May 5, and from 10am – 2pm, Saturdays, through May 8. Masks and school ID are required. Due to Covid restrictions the dressing rooms will be closed and the gowns must be tried on over your clothes. It is suggested students come dressed with this in mind. The gowns must be returned to the Assistance League two weeks after the event. They will then be taken to be cleaned through a generous agreement with Ablitt’s Fine Cleaners & Tailors.
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.”
Along with its auxiliaries, Las Aletas and Assisteens, the Assistance League of Santa Barbara’s 350 members volunteer over 50,000 hours a year to improve the lives of residents in our community. The Assistance League Thrift Shop, located at 1259 Veronica Springs Road, is the major source of funding for these programs. www.assistanceleaguesb.org
