Finding the perfect prom dress can be costly and stressful. The task was a little easier for students this year thanks to the Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School Mother’s Club’s Graduation and Prom Dress Resale.
The high school’s Mother’s Club hosted its annual Graduation and Prom Dress Resale on January 24 and 25 at McAuley, located at 3737 W. 99th St., Chicago. Open to students from McAuley and neighboring schools, the event aimed to ease the financial and logistical burdens of finding formalwear.
“I love the McAuley dress resale because I always find a dress of my liking and my size,” McAuley senior, Kate Sleman, 18, of Oak Forest, said. “What even beats the beauty is that perfect price tag. Every time I go, I leave with more dresses to wear for an event and donate them back. This provides so much good for our local community.”
The resale offered a wide range of gowns in various styles, colors, and sizes, all required to be in like-new condition, dry-cleaned, and free of stains, tears, or faulty closures. The average dress price was $50.
White formal gowns and graduation gloves, traditional attire for McAuley’s ceremonies, were also available. The school’s graduation ceremony features students in white gowns with elbow-length gloves, carrying long-stemmed red roses — a tradition dating back to the early 1900s.
Browsing for both a prom and a graduation dress was McAuley senior Erin Connolly.
“I like the fact that these are hand-me-down dresses,” Connolly, 17, of Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood, said. “You know that a McAuley graduate wore this exact same dress to her prom and I think that’s really cool.”
McAuley Mother’s Club has been proud to be a part of this initiative for more than 30 years, providing families with cost-effective alternatives for special occasion dresses.
“The Mothers’ Club is all about bringing moms together to support the mission of Catherine McAuley in fun and meaningful ways,” Jill Kilgallon, President of McAuley Mothers’ Club, said.
Kilgallon said the Mother’s Club is a great way to meet fellow moms. The club meets once a month and organizes benefits and fundraisers like the dress resale with funding going back to the school for father/daughter dances, scholarships, retreats, prom buses and so much more.
“The inspiration for the dress resale came from recognizing the various dress needs that our girls have,” Kilgallon said. “We also realized that many people have gently used, but still in great condition, dresses sitting in their closets. This event provides a wonderful opportunity to help one another by offering a sustainable solution for finding the perfect dress while also raising funds for a good cause.”
Kilgallon has been involved with this project for the past four years and looks forward to it every year.
“I love seeing the girls get excited when they find the dress, and the parents are just as happy when they see the price,” she said. “It’s such a great way to recycle dresses and make prom more affordable. It’s a win-win for everyone; you can buy a dress, probably worn only one time, for a fraction of the price,” Kilgallon said. “And if you have a dress you want to sell, it’s a great platform to do so.”
Participation has grown steadily. After a pause in 2021 due to the pandemic, this year’s event featured approximately 400 dresses, surpassing the 300 dresses available last year. Donations from the community, including alumni and local organizations, contributed to the inventory.
By offering affordable options in a supportive atmosphere, the resale alleviates the stress and expense often associated with special occasion shopping. Students and community members were able to explore a variety of dresses alongside friends and family, ensuring a memorable and economical experience, including McAuley senior Ceci Soraghan, who found the prom dress of her dreams.
“I decided to come to the resale just for fun, to check it out and see what they had; and, I’m so happy I did because I found the perfect dress,” Soraghan, 17, of Beverly, said.
Related
link