Dazzle without spending a bunch of dollars with these prom dress sales

With high school prom season just around the corner, and prom dresses costing hundreds of dollars at some shops, it is good to know that there are places where girls can get a great dress for less. Or even free. 

Becca's Closet

Becca's Closet is a national program that collects and distributes free prom dresses for high school girls who need them. Every spring the local Fairview chapter matches up dozens of girls with dream dresses during the prom season 

This spring there are more than 2,000 dresses in a wide range of sizes, according to  Becca's Closet organizer Jamie Gillette.

The nonprofit has already outfitted a number of girls, including four refugee girls from Nashville World Outreach Partnership, with "perfect" dresses, according to Rebekah Pope, who works with the refugees.

"For many of the refugee students at Nashville World Outreach Partnership, prom is unattainable due to very limited financial means. Thanks to Becca’s Closet, NWOP was able to take four pretty refugee girls prom dress shopping. The girls were able to choose and receive a dress for free," she said.

The program works on an honor system — you just say you need a dress — and you can make an appointment to go see the inventory. Girls need to bring a high school ID to their appointment. For an appointment or to get information on the program or on donating dresses, shoes, jewelry, etc., email gownsforgirls@comcast.net.

 Details: beccascloset.org/chapters/fairview-chapter   

LUXE Prom Dress Consignment 

Shannon Bone has organized a consignment prom dress sale with about 100 to 125 dresses and prices ranging from $75 to $350 for designer brands, including Jovani, Mori Lee, Sherri Hill and Ellie Wilde. 

The consignment take-in is Feb. 12-16. Consignors price their own dresses and receive 70% of the sale price. The public sale is Feb. 27 through March 1 at 234 Old Columbia Road in Dickson. 

"Girls spend a ridiculous amount on designer prom dresses today (think $350-$800), so I wanted to provide a way for girls to come and shop designer gowns that are 1 to 2 years old, current styles and designer brands from all over Middle Tennessee," Bone said.

Details: Follow LUXE Prom Dress Consignment pop-up event on Facebook.  

$25 prom dress sale

The nonprofit Archie’s Promise is having a $25 prom dress sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 7 in The Maple Room at the Murfreesboro Housing Authority, 415 N. Maple St. in Murfreesboro. Archie's Promise founder Claressa Ham expects to have more than 400 prom dresses in sizes 0-32. 

It is a one-day sale but the Archie & Idalene Formal Shoppe thrift store sells donated new and gently used formal, semi-formal and business wear for $10 to $50 year round. It also has wedding dresses for $50 to $99. Spring hours are 3:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, or by appointment at 615-427-1816.

Details: archiespromise.org 

Goodwill gown sale 

Goodwill’s Midstate stores almost all have some prom wear in stock with prices starting at $7.99.

But the big annual gown sale is March 14 at the Rivergate Goodwill store, 2101 Gallatin Pike North in Madison. More than 700 wedding gowns and dozens of prom and bridesmaid gowns will be sold at bargain prices.

Wedding gowns will be priced from $49.99 to $399.99. Bridesmaid and prom dresses will range from $19.99 to $49.99. A selection of jewelry also will be available.

More details will be available closer to the sale at giveit2goodwill.org.

Consignment sales and thrift stores

Many of the spring/summer children's consignment sales include some prom wear. Encores South's pop-up sale Feb. 27 through March 1 is expected to include 40 to 50 prom-worthy dresses.

And most thrift shops, including This 'N That, Dickson Help Center, GraceWorks, ThriftSmart and Our Thrift, have a selection of prom gowns this time of year.  

Places to donate prom dresses

Becca's Closet welcomes donated prom dresses, shoes and accessories to give to high school girls who cannot afford a dress. Details: email gownsforgirls@comcast.net

Camp Okawehna, which is a weeklong summer camp for children 6-18 with kidney disease, has a prom night during the camp and always welcomes donated prom wear for the campers. For donations or more information, call 615-327-3061. 

Most thrift stores welcome donated dresses and accessories.   

Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”