There are 364 days in a year where everything is about me. But there's one day a year where I take one giant step back and put others in front of myself. Don't be stupid, it's not Christmas - I love presents way too much. Today was the Boutique Ball for The Corsage Project where I was allowed to used my vacuous powers for good instead of evil.
To provide some context (and a brief summary for those too lazy to click a link and read - which is odd considering how you got here) The Corsage Project works in partnership with the Children's Aid Foundation and their goal is to provide formal gowns and accessories, free of charge, to Toronto area high school girls who are unable to purchase their own prom attire. In its eleventh year, girls are nominated through confidential referrals from school guidance counselors, Children’s Aid, youth, or social workers to attend the Boutique Ball. She and a guest are paired with a personal shopper who help them pick out a brand new gown, shoes, shawl, handbag and accessories (donated by designers, boutique and stores across the city) along with getting their make up done by professional artists and having a keepsake photo taken.
This is my second year with the project and, no bullshit, this has become one of my favourite days of the year. This year I helped with set up, which consisted with me opening boxes upon boxes of dresses, hanging them on garment racks, sorting them by size and then colour blocking them. It was such a major departure from my everyday that I enjoyed myself thoroughly. Spending Saturday morning playing in piles of clothes? Count me in.
Now, I know what you might be thinking - this is such a "you would" type of event, Sarah. You may be thinking that I'm just another vapid girl who likes to shop too much. Sure, I buy shoes when I'm upset, I wander the hallowed halls of Holt Renfrew when I'm sad and sure my credit card is sitting in a tupperware full of water in my freezer - but this event is so much more than clothes and handbags. (Duh, there are shoes too!)
I was so excited after this event last year that I went home to tell my family all about how wonderful the entire experience was. And one Chan (whose title might rhyme with llama) commented that it seemed like a bad idea to instill these girls with such excess and vanity that they wouldn't be able to have again. And you can guess that I pretty much jumped on the dinner table and beat my chest like an ape (pause for visual) in order to defend what I know to be true: regardless of who you are, you deserve to feel and be beautiful and know that you have self-worth.
If this is one thing I can help a young woman with, you can sure as hell bet that I will. Better still, I can use the hours that I pour over The Cut (NYmag's Fashion Blog) to help a young woman achieve it, then yes I will spend time helping them picking out a dress all in quest for self-esteem. I could go into my self-esteem issues but today isn't about me, remember?
Let me tell you about the day I had: my first client came with her friend (also a corsage girl) who brought her sister. She started off the day thinking that she wanted a long gown, but she ended up with a one-shoulder fuchsia mini-dress from FCUK. When I told her I was going to buy that when it was in-store, she was pretty impressed with her choice. Moreover, she asked me if I was going to get a dress from here too. When I said no, she asked if I was going to get anything. The answer to that was also no and she said, in an almost confused voice, "so you're just here because you want to be?" and when I agreed she said "that's really cool." And that's just it right there - that in itself makes the whole experience worth it.
She and I had no luck with shoes for her super sassy dress, but she was so happy to find these spectacular gold earrings. She was apprehensive to get her make up done, but I assured her they were legit make up artists from MAC. And during her photo shoot, I saw a young woman who hesitantly walked into an overwhelming room full of racks of dresses walk out poised with her head up a little higher and with a much bigger smile on her face.
After a ten minute break where I chugged a bottle of water and ate a piece of bread with baba ganoush plus a few cubes of cheese (bless picked over volunteer food) I was off to meet my next girl. She came with her mother and younger sister. Her mother reminded me a lot of my own: meddling and overprotective. I instantly liked my girl all the more. Her mother swiftly found her a floor length strapless corseted mahogany brown gown with delicate beading within three minutes. It was the first dress we tried on and it was the winner. I guess mother does know best.
I found out that after graduation she was hoping to move out to go to school (truly a girl after my own heart) for sociology and drama. You can't judge these girls just because they come from a different background than you do. They have dreams and goals; they work hard and want the same things we all want (and also to get away from their crazy mothers).
While my client was in the make-up chair, I had some time to bond with her younger sister. She and I are both bratty younger sisters, both excel at math and science and both played (or are playing) sports with the boys at that age. But she had this inherent confidence that I never had at the age of thirteen. I told her that I really wanted to see her in four years when it was her turn to be a Corsage girl. And I meant it; because for sure I will be there in four years.
In the end, her mother gave me an enormous hug and the whole family headed for the subway with a Swarovski necklace, dress, shoes, bag and shawl in toe with the Pink! Victoria Secret gift bag that had full sized Estee Lauder products that I can't even afford.
And that might be one of my other favourite thing about the event, and no these girls aren't stupid or live under a rock, but for the most part they aren't "tainted" by labels and designers. Amidst the racks there was Hugo Boss, Emanuel Ungaro, Vera Wang but these girls aren't tag readers they are just girls who want to be beautiful for one night of their lives. And you wouldn't believe the power of stopping a girl in the hallway and telling her that she looks absolutely beautiful.
It was also really wonderful to see notable Toronto fashionites at this event too: Sarah Nicole Prickett (Fashion, Eye Weekly) was sorting dresses in the change rooms, Jessi Cruickshank (The Hills Aftershow) and Anita Clarke (fashion blogger @ I Want, I Got) were both personal shoppers. I apologized to my first client that I wasn't a celebrity.
If my heartwarming personal shopping experience hasn't melted your icy heart, I will say this: you're right, I haven't cured cancer, there are still international conflicts, people still went hungry. But in two one-and-a-half hour interactions with two young women I was able to establish a rapport, build trust and help them feel genuinely happy. What the hell did you do with your Sunday?
Coda: What the hell, it's past midnight now, it's all back to me now: I am glad that there are roadblocks on the expressway to douchedom that I seemed to be zooming down. I'll always be the same girl I always was, and somehow I'm okay with that.
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