A teen drove six hours to shop for her plus-size prom dress and was shocked when the store owner gifted her the $700 gown.
18-year-old Elyse Monroe met with North Carolina boutique owner Summer Lucille to find her dream dress at Juicy Body Goddess.
Monroe, who drove from Manteo to Charlotte, found Lucille’s store on TikTok videos showing the stylist’s live-streamed inquiries.
The teenager had a budget of $400 to splurge on a dress, but it was not enough for the one who felt the most beautiful.
“Don’t worry about the budget, we’ll figure it out,” Lucille told Manroe, according to People.
Elyse Monroe, 18, drove six hours to shop for her plus-size prom prom dress and was stunned when the store owner gifted her the $700 gown.
The teen had a budget of $400 to splurge on a dress, but it wasn’t enough for the dress she felt most beautiful in.
Monroe’s viral shopping video garnered more than 13.6 million views as TikTokers walked the teen’s shopping trip from start to finish as she tried on a sparkly black one-shoulder strap dress to an orange gown Until he found the one.
Summer Lucille, owner of Juicy Body Goddess, in North Carolina
Lucille recalled that Monroe had been shy at the beginning of the consultation and that her family was worried about finding a dress within their budget.
Monroe’s taste of the style was a little more expensive than $400, but Lucille kept assuring her employees that it “will take care of itself,” she told People.
The store owner broadcast Monroe’s inquiry on social media, and a generous viewer asked if they could donate $200 toward the teen’s dress.
“In that moment, I knew it was the universe telling me, just give her the dress,” Lucille told the news outlet.
Dodging the family’s questions about how much the dresses would cost, Lucille focused on finding Monroe the one that made her feel beautiful.
‘Well, we’ll worry about the price when we get to the register,’ Lucille told the family.
Monroe’s taste of the style was a little more expensive than $400, but Lucille kept assuring her employees that it “will take care of itself,” she told People. Pictured: Monroe’s perfect purple dress
TikTokers walked the teen’s shopping trip from start to finish as she tried on a shiny black dress with a one-shoulder strap to an orange dress until she found the right one.
In the TikTok video, Monroe tried on three different dresses, but she was most confident in a purple off-the-shoulder corset-style gown.
‘I love that in you! It’s so beautiful,” Lucille can be heard saying in the background of the video.
“The Disney princess,” Lucille added as Monroe spun around.
The nearly minute-long video showed the family at the register in the purple dress.
“So this dress is $700,” Lucille said before quickly adding, “But it’s free.” We give it to you.
The emotional finale showed Monroe in awe as her family teared up as they held each other.
The nearly minute-long video then showed the family at the register in the purple dress before Lucille told them the dress is free.
The emotional finale showed Monroe in awe as her family teared up as they held each other.
Making prom special for teens has a special place in Lucille’s heart. She recalled her own prom night which was ‘awful’.
“I had a horrible time at prom. I can not find anything. The dress I wore was horrible. It was a very sad time in my life,” Lucille told the news outlet. ‘So me dressing these girls, it’s healing.’
Little did Lucille know that her act of kindness would touch the hearts of many others.
“That video did something because a lot of people, not just chubby girls, but a lot of people have very bad memories of prom, of high school,” she said.
Within days of posting the video over the weekend, TikTokers donated around $12,000 who want to help other girls feel their best at prom.
The North Carolina store has attracted several TikTokers with its offer of plus-size dresses.