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Spring is nearly here, and for many teenage girls, that means one thing: prom is nigh. The night can be the stuff teenage dreams are made of (or by-the-book teenage romance movies, at least)—or, as Budget Ecoist points out, it can be an awkward or demoralizing time for teens who don't have the ability to splurge on a dress, let alone hair and makeup.
This is where the former prom-goers come in: I'm willing to wager that there are a lot of old prom dresses gracing the backs of closets out there. I have one that I'm saving "in case I ever decide to be a lounge singer," (delusional! I'm delusional!) and another that's just so gaudy that no one in my family has wanted to touch it again. But one person's shiny purple Jessica McClintock mistake is another person's prom treasure. Operation Fairy Dust and its sister programs across the country exist for one purpose: to help turn your old duds into prom dress magic for those with limited resources.
So if you didn't happen to be a fashion savvy teen and opt for a less formal, cocktail-style, eco-friendly prom dress, and if your dress is just too prom-y to upcycle, consider reaching out to Operation Fairy Dust (or a similar program) to put your old dress to good use.
If there's no such program in your area, consider donating it to a local youth theater company or to Goodwill.
