‘Universe was telling me’: Plus-size teen hunting for prom dress moved to tears by shop owner's $700 gift
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: A teen who drove six hours to find a perfect plus-size dress for her prom was left stunned after the boutique owner gifted her a gorgeous $700 gown. Elyse Monroe, 18, reportedly drove from Manteo to Charlotte to find her dream dress at Juicy Body Goddess, a plus-size-only boutique in North Carolina.
Monroe’s mother, two aunts, and grandmother, who all had very strong opinions on the teen's choices, helped her in choosing the ideal attire and also asked her to stick to their strict budget of $400. The owner of the boutique, Summer Lucille, told People that she could feel that Monroe was "shy and nervous." Monroe found Lucille's store in TikTok videos that featured her live-streamed consultations.
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'It'll work itself out'
Lucille recorded Monroe’s shopping journey in a viral TikTok video that has garnered more than 13.6 million. The video starts with the stylist telling Monroe, "Don't worry about the budget, we'll figure it out." Lucille told People that Monroe's fashion preferences were a little pricier than $400, but she continued reassuring her staff, "It'll work itself out." The boutique owner streamed Monroe's consultation on social media, where a generous user asked if they could donate $200 for the teen’s dream dress. "At that moment, I knew that was the universe telling me, just give her the dress," Lucille said. "That follower was just an angel just reminding me that just you have to give."
In the TikTok video, Monroe tried a number of gorgeous dresses but her heart chose a purple off-the-shoulder corset-style gown. "I adore that about you! It is very lovely," Lucille is heard saying in the video. The nearly minute-long video then shows Monroe’s family waiting at the counter, where Lucille makes them emotional. "So this dress is $700," Lucille said before quickly adding, "But it's free. We're giving it to you." Monroe was left in awe as her family became teary-eyed while struggling to realize what was going on. "I'm going to cry," the emotional teen says in the clip.
'Dressing these girls, it's healing'
Lucille claimed she had a soft spot for making prom unforgettable for teenagers. "I had a horrific time at prom. I couldn't find anything. The dress I wore was horrific," Lucille told the news outlet. "It was a very sad time in my life. So me dressing these girls, it's healing." The boutique owner also added that she had no idea how many people's hearts would be touched by her deed of compassion. "That video did something because a lot of people, not just chubby girls, but a lot of people have really bad memories from prom, from high school," she said.