Don’t stress over the dress

Mar 11, 2020

Loralie Emslie is a Sydenham resident who works at CFB Kingston. She went to Sydenham High School (SHS) back in the day, and her daughter Gracie is in her graduating year at SHS and is one of the prom organisers

That’s how Loralie learned about the costs that are involved in prom these days.

“Not only are tickets $90, but for the girls the cost of a prom dress, which is most often only worn once, is about $400. That’s a lot of money for the girls or their families to come up with. The boys can just rent a tux, but girls don’t have that option,” she said, in a phone interview this week.

“We thought we could get the price down.”

That’s where the idea being ‘Don’t Stress Over the Dress’ came from. Just as there are families facing a $400 cost, there are other families with dresses from previous years that are sitting around taking up space, a constant reminder of their expensive single use.

Putting the work out on social media, Loralie has been securing donations of dresses from SHS alumnae and others, and has organised an event on April 3, from 4pm-9pm at The Town Loft, a venue at 28 Bath Road in Kingston that is owned by Janet Taite-Springer, another SHS alumnae.

Some Kingston retailers have provided door prizes, and shoes and jewellery available as well, all for free at what will be a fun event.

Donations of dresses, including bridesmaid dresses, in pristine condition, are still be accepted. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have a dress.

Loralie is also encouraging students who are attending prom to rsvp for the “Don’t Stress Over the Dress” even on April 3. The email address for that is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

“Apart from the costs that are involved and the potential savings if a girl finds a perfect dress for free, there is an environmental concern with all of the resources that go into produces dresses for a single use. It’s part of a greening of the prom initiative that is international in scope,” she said.