The run up to prom is a magical time for most high schoolers, but for foster youth it’s often a period of great anxiety as they worry about the expenses of suits, gowns, shoes, makeup and more.
But on Saturday, March 4, the nonprofit organization CASA of Los Angeles waved a magic wand and zapped this stress away by providing about 250 foster youth with everything they need to go to the ball looking and feeling their best.
The organization’s annual Glamour Gowns Suit Up event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center and gave out free bras, gowns, suits, dress shoes, and heels. While these items are often deemed non-essential expenses by the foster care system, CASA/LA volunteers know that they are absolutely essential for young people to feel accepted and empowered at prom.
Allison Hirsch, co-chair of CASA/LA’s Glamour Gowns Suit Up Committee, said it’s amazing to see the transformation that takes place when teenagers try on their new clothes.
“The teenage boys often come in all slouchy, and then by the time you see them dressed in a suit in front of the mirror, their shoulders are back, their head is up, you can just see the confidence,” she said.
Girls also love the experience and some are so excited that they wear their new gowns out of the Convention Center, Hirsch added.
The event is not merely a clothing giveaway, but an head-to-toe makeover. The young women got dress fittings, alterations, makeup tutorials and manicures, while the boys got suit fittings, complimentary hemming and an all important bow tie tying lesson. And, for those who identify as non-binary, there is a special “rainbow room” where they can select any type of outfit and get a private fitting.
“These kids don’t really have, like a lot of autonomy over their own lives, so this is a day where they get to choose the dress, they choose the shoes, the tie, the jewelry,” Hirsch said. “It’s a wonderful carefree day. It’s really just all about them.”
To make the experience as personal as possible, a team of volunteer tailors and seamstresses from the Motion Pictures Costumers Union Local 705 help with alterations so everyone has a look that fits perfectly.
In addition to clothing and accessories, attendees are sent home with goodie bags of makeup, skin care and personal hygiene products. While these may seem like small things, they can mean a lot to foster youths, Hirsch said, as these teenagers often have few personal possessions.
“A lot of times when you’re a foster youth, you are handed a plastic trash bag and told you have 15 minutes to get your belongings because DCFS is coming to take you if your parents are, for example, in a domestic dispute,” she said. “Can you imagine being a 13-year-old kid or 15-year-old and being like ‘What do I take?’”
The glamorous outfits they get from CASA/LA also have uses beyond prom, such as dresses for graduation and suits for job interviews.
“One boy even told us that he wore our suit to his grandmother’s funeral and he thought that she would be so happy about that, and that he looked good for her funeral,” said Hirsch.
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The event also includes a resource fair where City National Bank offered financial advice, the City of Los Angeles hosted a voter registration drive, and nonprofit organization Angels Nest provided information on housing resources for teenagers when they “age out” of the foster care system.
Pulling off the annual event requires a small army of volunteers, Hirsch said, adding that she is extremely grateful for the many brands, organizations and volunteers who donated their time, money and products.