Project Princess Brings Prom Experience to Disadvantaged Girls

Close your eyes and rewind a few years back to prom night. The warm air of Spring encompasses you as you take a deep breath before taking the monumental step into the decorated venue with your friends. You are polished from head to toe in the dream dress that took you countless months of exercise to fit into. Your hair and your makeup are styled exactly the way you planned them to be, both strategically coordinated to compliment your dress. You step in and exhale, because you know all of your hard work was worth it. The months of preparation, the money spent, and the tears that were spilled all built up to this once-in-a-lifetime event—and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now imagine prom without all of the glitz and glamour. Why? Because you simply can’t afford it.

The experience wouldn’t be the same. We’ve all experienced prom and understand the expensive price tag of the event all too well. Despite the glamour of dress shopping and whatnot, the reality is that there are many girls that are unable to afford prom. However, this does not have to be the end.

Each year, the Texas Lonestars, a service and spirit organization on campus, host and sponsor an annual prom boutique for economically disadvantaged girls in central Texas, where they get to pick out a dress, shoes and accessories for their prom—this project is given the fitting name: Project Princess.

“Project Princess works towards bringing the joy and privilege of prom to young high school women in Austin who otherwise might not be able to afford it,” Publicity Head Elyssa Berg said.

The goal of the project, as described by Berg, is easier said than done. Project Princess Chair Lindsay Taylor states that the entire process is yearlong, with several events in order to collect donations and the resources required to make boutique day possible. Some of the events include a benefit concert in early March and donation days throughout the year.

Regardless of the responsibility and commitment that the project entails, Taylor believes having a positive effect on the girls makes it worthwhile.

“Project Princess is not just something that we started or that we continue to do to make ourselves look good to the campus or the city,” Taylor said. “The philanthropy truly is the heart and soul of our organization. It is about making the girls feel really, really good about themselves. We want to impact their self-image positively and help them realize that they are beautiful, inside and out!”

Berg also finds helping the girls a valuable experience. She recalls one memory in particular that serves as a reminder of what the true purpose of the project is.

“One year, one of the girl’s mothers had promised to buy her a prom dress,” she said. “Unfortunately, that plan fell through and the mother couldn’t afford to. The same day she told her daughter she couldn’t afford to buy her a prom dress was the same day she was invited to participate in Project Princess. The girl was so appreciative and genuine when she attended Boutique Day. That story has always stood out to me because it represents the goals of Project Princess. It focuses on helping deserving girls by allowing them to show their inner beauty and confidence.”
One might argue that prom should not be about the materialistic aspects and that Project Princess promotes this idea, but Taylor disagrees. She believes the main focus of the project isn’t simply on the dress and makeup, but rather the entire experience as a whole.

“We get criticism from time to time that a project like this only serves to increase materialism, but we think it's about giving the girls an experience,” she said. “It's not fair that they should miss out on prom because they can't afford it. It makes them feel ostracized in a class full of people getting ready for one of the biggest nights of high school. That feeling goes beyond a simple inability to go to prom, and we hope to eliminate that feeling with the girls we help.”

Even though there may be negative opinions about the project, Taylor still keeps in mind that the objective of Project Princess is to help the girls. The Texas Lonestars are not trying to prove anything but only want to give disadvantaged high school girls an experience that they will never forget.

“I really want them to feel like princesses - even if it's just for the day!” Taylor said. “Between trying on dresses, having a personal shopper, getting their make-up done and having their dresses altered, I hope they feel like they get the whole prom-shopping experience. Beyond that, I really hope they connect with their personal shoppers and walk away feeling empowered and feeling like they have a support system in us.”

Want to help? If you have a dress in your closet that you haven’t worn or don’t plan on wearing, donate it to a young lady for her prom. If you are interested in learning more about Project Princess, please check out the website.