Places to Find Free or Low Cost Prom Dresses

For the Low-Income Family

Prom is a milestone for high school students, yet many of them may not be able to attend prom because it is too expensive for the family budget. Whatever your particular circumstances, if you cannot afford a prom dress help is available. This article will direct you to the places in which you can find assistance getting a prom dress at low or no cost.

One place you may want to begin looking for low or no cost prom dresses is with your local Circle K or Kiwanis organizations. Some of these organizations collect new or gently used prom dresses and give them to teens who are not able to afford a prom dress. Oftentimes, the sponsoring organization will hold a boutique of sorts where teens can come and pick out the dress they want.

While Cinderella Projects are springing up all over the United States, each one may operate a little differently. For instance, one Cinderella Project based in New York requires an adult, social worker, teacher, or pastor to fill out a referral form for girls they feel cannot afford prom dresses. When the girls get their invitations to come to the boutique, they need to call and schedule an appointment because this specific operation does not allow walk-ins.

Another operation of the Cinderella Project in Atlanta, Georgia allows girls to come into the boutique on "shopping days" to browse the selection of dresses. This operation does not have a referral process and they take walk-ins. The coordinator of this operation has even gotten a local salon to provide hairstyling for low-income teens.

The Glass Slipper Project is another way girls can get prom dresses for free. Like the Cinderella Project, girls come to the boutique to select their dresses, but this project also collects prom accessories, such as shoes, purses, and jewelry to distribute to teens who cannot afford their prom accessories.

The Goodwill carries gently worn prom dresses, which can be purchased for a fraction of the price a new prom dress costs.

Alternatively, low-income parents might ask other parents if they have any formal dresses their teen can wear to her prom.