New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Cheshire teen tries to make prom more affordable
CHESHIRE — When high school girls get ready for prom this year, many will be wearing dresses that they got for free at the Prom Closet, a project with the goal of making prom more affordable organized by Cheshire High School junior Jillian Falcone.
Falcone sorted about 200 donated dresses, in a variety of sizes, by color on racks to create a regular dress shopping experience at a recent pop-up event at Allin Hair Studio. Each shopper also got five free raffle tickets for items, including having their hair done for prom, their makeup done for prom and a nail salon gift card.
Falcone said 55 people got free dresses, and most of them came from outside of Cheshire, after she spread the word through guidance counselors, Facebook forums and fliers in other towns.
“It makes tons of girls’ day,” Falcone said, “It felt really good to see all these girls bring home dresses and be happy with themselves and feel confident in whatever dress they got.”
Prom costs can be significant, especially when factoring in tickets, which can be up to $150; corsages that can cost up to $60; and hair and makeup that can cost up to $350, according to an article about budgeting for prom 2024 by online dress brand Amarra.
The most expensive dress on the online store PromGirl costs $2,310, while some of its final sale dresses cost $50 or less. Falcone said a typical dress can run from $350 to $850.
“Prom dresses are very expensive, especially if you’re only going to wear it for one time,” Falcone said.
Falcone’s older sister, Madelyn Falcone, had the idea for the Prom Closet in 2020 when she went prom dress shopping for the first time. Surprised by prices, she wanted to do something to make prom more affordable for everyone. After the COVID outbreak, the event took off the next year.
Madelyn Falcone said her favorite moments of the project are seeing girls smile when they find their dream dress, especially the time she recommended her own former dress to a girl who loved it.
“I was filled with so much joy to get to pass my dress down to someone else,” Madelyn Falcone said. “It was a thousand times better than having it sit in my closet.”
She said she’s proud of her sister for taking the initiative to continue the project. Jillian Falcone said she wants the project to continue after she graduates, maybe one day being run by their younger sister, who is 11.
This was the second year Allin Hair Studio hosted the event, and Sonia Agostinelli said she and her partner Elizabeth Markette will continue to do so. Agostinelli said they feel everyone should be able to go to prom and feel beautiful.
People could drop dresses off at the salon prior to the event, with the unused dresses going into storage for next year.
“This has become a tradition that our studio looks forward to participating in every year,” Sonia Agostinelli said. “Our goal is to continue to expand this event and work toward making it bigger every year.”