Be honest: You never got around to shortening last summer’s bridesmaid dress to wear again. (As author Sloane Crosley just put it, “I think if you interviewed every tailor nationwide, you’d find out that this has never happened.”) But that’s okay, because now you can skip the tailoring fees and help local girls have an awesome prom.

Between now and April 25, drop off drycleaned dresses at one of five locations (listed below) and volunteers will organize them for a three-day dress “sale” in May, when girls from Fairfax County public high schools who can’t afford prom dresses can come and pick one for free. The program, called Princess for a Night, also accepts donations of shoes, jewelry, handbags, and unused makeup.

Princess for a Night takes all formal dresses, but “bridesmaid dresses are perfect,” says Katie Basinski, an FCPS social worker who runs the dress drive. “They’re usually great colors.” So tell your friends, grab your old dresses, and head to one of the following locations:

• Edison High School, main office (5801 Franconia Rd., Alexandria). Monday through Friday 7 AM to 4 PM.
• Annandale High School, main office (4700 Medford Dr., Annandale). Monday through Friday 7 to 3:30.
• South County Secondary School, main office (8501 Silverbrook Rd., Lorton). Monday through Friday 7 to 4:30.
• Gold’s Gym (7770 Richmond Hwy., Alexandria). Monday through Friday 4:45 AM to 11 PM, Saturday 7 AM to 9 PM, Sunday 8 AM to 9 PM.
• Hitched Bridal Couture and Creative Planning Salon (1523 Wisconsin Ave., NW). Tuesday through Thursday noon to 8, Friday 11 to 6, Saturday 9 to 5.

If you have questions or would like to volunteer with Princess for a Night, e-mail kathleen.basinski@fcps.edu.

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