At 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, the Marin Prom Boutique opened its doors for the third year in a row. Hundreds of dresses in every style, shape and color lined the store at The Village at Corte Madera. Jewelry and shoes were carefully arranged around the room by Leadership volunteers as shoppers mingled and searched for their perfect fit. The best part: all of the dresses were free for high school students. 

A study by Visa found that Western Americans will spend an average of 1,073 dollars on prom. Additionally,  The Daily Mail found that only one in five students plan on rewearing their dress. The cost, combined with sustainability concerns, can make purchasing a new dress seem difficult. The Boutique addresses both of these concerns by providing donated items at no cost. This year’s Boutique was spearheaded by senior class president Morgan Sicklick and our Leadership program and uses a combination of community and brand-donated dresses to stock the store. 

Mariana Silva, a junior Leadership member and participant in this year’s Boutique, has seen the impact the event has had on the community firsthand.

“[The Marin Prom Boutique] is a really great opportunity. It’s an honor to help my community, and I know it can help a lot of people, especially at a time like prom,” Silva said. 

This sentiment was shared by Leadership teacher Christy Silkworth. 

“It  brings the kids so much joy to be able to have this and for people to come in and get dresses. Usually by the time the prom boutique ends, we’ve given away upwards of 300 to 400 dresses. It’s also great that anyone can come in, [and] everybody is welcome. Come in, get a dress, it’s that simple. There’s no stigma around it. If you find [a dress] you love, grab it,” Silkworth said. 

With the event growing bigger every year, Leadership has expanded efforts to collect and organize the dresses, with many of the potential prom fits staying with Redwood Foundation representative and parent Jennifer Sicklick. 

As for the future of the program, Jennifer Sicklick believes it could expand beyond the Tamalpais Union High School District.

“What Morgan and her predecessors have done is show that with organization skills, leadership skills, empathy and kindness, this can grow into an event that could maybe include schools from the East Bay, from San Francisco, as well as Southern Marin and Northern Marin. I really can’t think of something that makes me more proud than students who want to help other students and families and make prom something that isn’t a burden, but a happy and celebratory time for juniors and seniors across the county.”