WS Chronicle

In high schools across the country students are preparing for one of the most important events of their young lives, the prom. With the Trump administration implementing 20% tariffs on imports from China, where more than 50% of dresses come from, the price of this year’s prom may be a higher than past years. 

To help students prepare for prom night, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools (WS/FCS) has joined with community partners and volunteers to provide local high school students with free formal clothes and accessories. The clothes at the district “Prom Shop” are distributed in a boutique-style shopping experience where students can choose their outfits. Lauren Richards, one of the organizers, said the initiative started about two years ago at Reynolds High School. A parent at the school partnered with Lydia’s Prom Closet in Huntersville, North Carolina, who set up a pop-up shop for students. “This mom thought if we’re doing this at Reynolds, there has to be a need somewhere else, let’s expand it,” Richards said. 

Last year organizers held three pop-up shops at Reynolds, Mount Tabor and Parkland. This year all the students in the district were invited. “We’ve gotten some really great donations, and the vision has just kept expanding,” Richards said. “We said there’s a need for this permanently; so, let’s find a space where students from all over the county can come and shop.”  

During the grand opening last weekend, dozens of girls and boys took advantage of the Prom Shop, which is located at Main Street Academy, 2700 S. Main St. The Prom Shop will be open next Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. to noon. Donations for the Prom Shop can be made at WS/FCS District Central Office, 475 Corporate Square Dr.