Dress exchange offers girls a Cinderella story

While princesses and peas may not mix, three cans worth is all that’s needed to provide a fairy tale dress to any Johnston High School girl headed to a formal event.

Pat Colardo owns Richard’s Hair Studio on Atwood Avenue. She has two daughters, Marcella who graduated from the high school in 2014 and Marlaina, who is still a student. Through her family’s experiences with winter dances, semi formals, proms, and other events, she recognizes how costly these experiences are for families.

Prom season is now here, with the Junior Prom being held on Friday, May 5, at Alpine Country Club and the Senior Prom taking place on May 26 at the Hotel Viking in Newport, and expenses for the big day can snowball quickly. Haircuts and styling, makeup, jewelry, accessories, gowns, alterations and other costs can add up to several hundred dollars, if not more. These costs may cause some young women to forgo attending such events.

“No one should miss a once-in-a-lifetime event because they can’t afford a dress,” said Colardo, who added that a gown is usually the most expensive item a young woman has to purchase.

To alleviate these burdens, Colardo created Mrs. C’s Dress Exchange at the high school. A few years ago, she started soliciting dress donations from the community and businesses, such as Party Dress Express and Stefania’s in Cranston, in an effort to create a wide selection of styles that would appeal to any girl. Through her efforts, her stunning dress collection now numbers over 250 garments.

Colardo said that about 99 percent of her dresses are brand new, with price tags ranging from $120 to $600 still on them. The dresses are stored at the school in a special closet, where girls can make their selections for their big day. The school’s PTO and the Johnston Education Foundation also generously donated dress storage racks for the endeavor.

Partnering with Social Studies teacher Rhonda Perrotta at the school to assist girls with their selections, the duo hopes to get the word out that these dresses are available.

“It really is rewarding to see the girls not worry about the cost of a dress and worry more about having a good time and coming down here and having fun trying on dresses that they may not have experienced before,” said Perrotta. “For some girls, they might be going to one or two events which really gets expensive.

According to Perrotta, both she and Colardo provide girls with feedback on their selection and answer questions to help students make the best choice.

“In order to take a dress from Mrs. C’s Dress Exchange, girls come down and try dresses on. If they find one they like, we’ll put their name on it to reserve it,” said Colardo. “When they come to pick up the dress, the cost to take it is three non-perishable food items as a donation for local food pantries. So girls could get a $600 dress for three cans of peas.”

Along with food items, students must sign a contract before obtaining a dress. They agree not to make permanent alteration, and must return the dress within three weeks of the event it’s borrowed for.

“This program is designed to help young ladies attend their formal events, and without the return of the dresses this program will not be a success,” said Colardo. “We’re well stocked, we’re ready to go, I’ve got some incredible designer dresses, such as Tony Bowls, and these dresses are amazing. For someone not to take advantage of a situation like this is kind of crazy, because money for dress expenses can be put towards a better use.”

Colardo’s worked out an arrangement with Vaughn Cleaners in Smithfield. Typically, it costs more than $50 for a dress to be cleaned, however girls are given a special voucher for cleaning before returning the dress to the Exchange, which brings their cleaning costs to only $10.

Mrs. C’s Dress Exchange offers gowns to any girl at the school who wants or needs one, regardless of their financial status. Dresses are available throughout the school year, and are not restricted to school functions alone. Girls may obtain a dress for weddings, ceremonies, and other celebrations by coordinating with Mrs. Perrotta.

“No girl should miss a once-in-a-lifetime event, whether they have a date or don’t have a date, they should absolutely go. Wear a beautiful dress and enjoy yourself and have a ball,” said Colardo.

Those interested in contributing dresses to the Exchange may contact Pat Colardo at Richard’s Hair Studio at (401) 943-8741.