Grade 12 students in Surrey, Delta and New Westminster were fitted with graduation gowns, suits, shoes and accessories during another “Boutique Day” organized by You Wear It Well.
The local not-for-profit group works to give grad outfits to those in need, at no cost to them.
Every March a “Boutique Day” is held for grads to try on clothes of their choice, ahead of spring graduation ceremonies. This year’s event, held in New Westminster from March 4-6, attracted 165 grads from more than 35 schools.
“Because of COVID we haven’t been able to have our big event at Surrey City Hall,” explained Brenda Stadel, who volunteers with You Wear It Well. “However we have managed to have the kids at our storage facility and still supply them with their outfits. Unfortunately the building we were storing the outfits at was going to be sold and we had to move.”
Referrals are made by school counselors, teachers, administrators, youth workers and other social services. The students come from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds and often face multiple barriers to success, Stadel explained.
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Some photos from a special ‘Boutique Day’ that gives Grade 12 students a chance to look good on graduation day. This month’s You Wear It Well event attracted 165 grads from dozens of schools in Surrey, Delta and New West.
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) March 9, 2022
STORY: https://t.co/Y0u8TKi0Fw pic.twitter.com/M6Kq5NsaL5
On Boutique Day, personal assistants help the grads choose special clothing and other items, with the help of professional tailors. All items picked out by the grads are theirs to keep.
“This is an exciting event for the kids, and the people involved,” Stadel added. “It makes the lives of the students brighter, to see the kids so happy and overjoyed with an outfit that they may not normally have been able to access. It’s definitely more than an outfit, it makes them look and feel their best.”
You Wear It Well is run by five volunteer board members (Brenda Stadel, Lynn Lenaghan, Kathy Wilson, Margaret Wills and Darcy Sudeyko) with the help and support of local businesses and community members.
Donations are welcomed on the group’s website (youwearitwell.org), and a drop-off location for clothing is located at C&K Courtesy Cleaners in Surrey (#139-1959 152 St., call 604-538-8231). New volunteers are also welcomed, as more than 200 volunteers are need to make Boutique Day a success.
The website includes photos from previous Boutique Day events, held since 2012, with more posted to the group’s Facebook page.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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