Prom is an event most high schoolers find themselves looking forward to throughout their high school years. As seniors across the country begin to prepare for this evening experience, the cost of little things starts to add up. Dress shopping, tuxedo rentals, clothing alterations, comfortable shoes and matching accessories are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to curating a look for the prom experience. The Oregon-based non-profit organization Abby’s Closet gives individuals looking for formal dresses an opportunity to wear them for free. Abby’s Closet was founded in 2004 by Abby Egland, a then-high school graduate moving away to college. She wanted to give her old prom dress another life, so Egland created this organization to open more opportunities for high schoolers to access formal wear. This took shape into a weekend-long event where high schoolers across the Pacific Northwest sign up for a time slot to sift through and pick out a prom dress, completely free of charge. Students also have the opportunity to leave with not only a dress, but a formal pair of shoes, jewelry, or makeup.

When sharing their story on their website, Egland wrote, “For some students, getting a free dress from Abby’s Closet is the only way they’re able to attend prom, an important celebration and rite of passage.” Their mission also extends past formalwear accessibility and inspiring confidence. All available dresses are donated by community members and stores, helping reduce the amount of formalwear waste that goes to landfills. This allows for one of the biggest perks: the assortment of donated dresses means each dress is unique. From sequins to lace, Abby’s Closet has a dress for everyone who comes through their giveaway. 

Many students at Ida B. Wells attended the event this past weekend and had a positive and inviting experience. Amanda Jessing, a senior at IBW, shared her experience, stating, “I was nervous to go, but I got there and everyone was so nice and I felt really included and like I belonged.” Jessing wasn’t the only one feeling nervous during the lead-up to the event. IBW junior Malia Fernandez said, “I felt really anxious before and wasn’t sure if I would go because I didn’t have anyone to go with. But I got there and met some really nice people and just thought that the environment was so inviting.” 

At the event, hundreds of volunteers adorned in pink Abby’s Closet merchandise were hustling across the convention center floor. This inspiring group of individuals did everything from dress alterations to restocking dresses on racks, and even personal shopping for those who weren’t quite sure what they wanted. Alongside the volunteers were the 19 Student Advisory Board members, including Sadie Hyde, a junior at Ida B. Wells. This is Hyde’s first year being a part of the Student Advisory Board. When asked about her favorite part of the organization’s cause, Hyde said, “I am a big advocate for sustainability and preserving our environment. Abby’s Closet takes donations from someone donating a dress directly to them and large department stores, so it saves thousands of dresses from going into landfills every year.” She isn’t the only one who aligns herself with the mission of Abby’s Closet. Fernandez mentioned, “I like how Abby’s Closet wants to inspire confidence in young women because I’ve had a really hard time with that within myself and that experience really just made me feel so much more confident about dress shopping.” 

Thanks to this nonprofit, thousands of high schoolers across Oregon and southern Washington were able to access formal dresses. Abby’s Closet has provided dresses for more than 40,000 teens in the 20 years they’ve been running, hoping to expand past Oregon and Washington in future years. Past the prom dress giveaway event, Abby’s Closet also provides scholarship opportunities for young women with a variety of different future goals, including community college, trade school, 4-year college and those with a goal of going into healthcare. Egland has been helping students go to prom since 2004, all while inspiring confidence and education.