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A plus-size-only boutique owner in North Carolina whowent viral after gifting a free prom dressto one lucky teenager is opening up about what makes prom so special.
“No matter where you come from, what size you are, wherever you come from, everybody connects to prom,” said Summer Lucille, owner ofJuicy Body Goddess, during an appearance on the fourth hour ofTodayon Wednesday.
While Lucille’s boutique is home tofashion ranging from"corporate work attire to date night looks," she shared with hostsHoda KotbandJenna Bush Hagerthat she has a particular interest in prom since her boutique is one of few plus-size only shops that carry prom attire.
“It’s bittersweet for me,” she explained while adding that she was “limited” in choosing a dress during her own prom experience “because of [my] size.”
“I didn’t feel trendy,” she said. “And my date three days before told me, ‘No, I’m not going to prom.’ And guess who I saw there? The guy actually showed up to prom.”
While Lucille said that she used to look at her prom experience with sadness, she shared that meeting prom-goers at her boutique has allowed her to look back at her prom with a new mindset.
“Dealing with these girls, and listening to them, and pouring love into them, and them pouring love into me, I don’t look at those pictures like that anymore,” Lucille said. “I want little girls to know yes, you can, no matter what your size is, what you look like, you can be a princess on prom night.”
Last month, Lucille went viral after a video of her gifting a prom dress to Elyse Monroe, a teenager who drove six hours with her family to her boutique, garneredover 13 million views on TikTok.
“When she got into that purple dress, she lit up,” Lucille recalled about the experience in aconversation with PEOPLE. “I couldn’t let her walk out of that store without that dress.” Lucille added that gifting the teen the gown (worth $700) was a “beautiful, beautiful moment.”
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Instead of making a big announcement, Lucille left a comment saying anybody interested could go to the store’s website to buy gift cards. Since posting the video, she says $12,000 worth of gift card purchases have already been made.
source: people.com
