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Prom dress secondhand sale to offer affordable gowns
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A number of dresses available for purchase at OneSixteen Bijous 209 Prom Dress Sale can be viewed at the events Instagram page, @209promdresssale. - photo by Photo Contributed

Prom season is just around the corner, but the glitz and glamour of high school dances often come with a hefty price. Downtown Turlock boutique OneSixteen Bijou is helping to alleviate some of that financial strain through its 209 Prom Dress Sale – an opportunity for high school girls to trade, sell and buy secondhand prom dresses.

OneSixteen Bijou owner Mikayla McSweeney was inspired to host the event in her boutique after her cousin, Downey High School student Hailey Hennigan, wanted to give local girls the chance to purchase affordable prom dresses that are still in good condition.

“Because everything is so competitive right now, brand name prices are outrageous,” said McSweeney. “This is an awesome opportunity for young girls to get their dream prom dresses for good prices so their parents don’t have to break the bank.”

Currently, there are nearly 40 dresses ready to be sold at the event, which can all be viewed on the Instagram page @209promdresssale. Girls from all over the 209 will be selling dresses, said McSweeney, providing a wide variety of formal wear in styles like two-piece dresses, floor length gowns and short, fun frocks. Anyone with a prom dress who would like to get off their hands is welcome to sell, and all sellers at the event will keep 100 percent of their profit.

Prospective purchasers can expect to find deals on dresses from anywhere between 70 and 80 percent off, McSweeney added.

“The prices are supposed to be reasonable,” she said. “One girl who is selling her dress bought it for $270 and is selling it for $50 with the tags still on.”

Downey High School is promoting the event to its students, and OneSixteen Bijou is collaborating with Turlock High School to encourage the city’s students to contribute to the sale. Others who would like to sell their dresses can show up to the boutique on the day of the event with their price, and McSweeney recommends that they also direct message the sale’s Instagram account with several photos, price and size of the dress.

“We can post it on the Instagram and that way they may have a potential buyer before they even show up to the event,” said McSweeney.

The 209 Prom Dress Sale will take place from 10 a.m. to noon March 26 at OneSixteen Bijou, 116 W. Main St. in downtown Turlock. For more information, contact the boutique at 209-250-0285.