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In a world where first impressions can make or break opportunities dreams and relationships, having the right outfit for an event is often crucial. For women, this is truer than ever. Yet many women lack access to good quality clothing due to financial constraints. This is what freshman Avery DelPonte works to combat with her charity, Dressed to Impress.
Dressed to Impress is an organization that provides feminine clothing for any type of formal event. Anyone in need of assistance can visit the website, Dress To Impress, and click the “Book appointment” button under “What We Do,” where they will fill out the necessary information. They can also email the charity directly using the contact information at the bottom of the page.
After this, they will work with the team to figure out what the best type of outfit is for the occasion. They can also order accessories, and get their hair and makeup done by their stylists. Then, measurements will be taken, and the team will send the client photos of a few potential outfits to understand their tastes. Once they work out all of the details, they can finally pick up the outfit. This can happen in a few ways. The client can specify a location at which they can receive their order, or they can meet with DelPonte in her home, where they can browse a multitude of options.
I was always volunteering and helping out with the community, but I realized I wanted to do something more.
— Avery DelPonte
Since its establishment on Nov. 20, 2023, they have supplied women with professional attire, prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses and more. DelPonte devised the charity when volunteering at a local food bank in the summer of 2023. “I love doing charity. I’ve been doing it forever, but it was always under someone else. I was always volunteering and helping out with the community, but I realized I wanted to do something more,” Delponte said.
After deciding on a name, she began distributing flyers and orally advertising the cause. She then reached out to influencer Hannah Stella, who helped the charity gain attention and became its largest donor. With the project becoming increasingly solid, they decided to create their website, recruiting Frankie G to help with its creation and organization, roles she still fills. Later, Liz Bhandari joined the project as the team’s stylist, handling cosmetics treatment and interacting with client’s digitally. They then began to reach out to other influencers and organizations for partnerships and advertising. Recently, they partnered with the Women’s Club of Chevy Chase, donating clothing to their upscale resale charity.
As the director, DelPonte oversees every aspect of the organization, including its by women, for women approach. Other than her father, Paul DelPonte, who provides the project’s funding, the team is entirely made up of women. The supply of professional attire provides clothing for job interviews, with the goal of helping women looking to enter the workforce. DelPonte also runs a girl centered blog with monthly articles on style advice and feminine lifestyle and activity recommendations. This way, even those who do not need their assistance in the moment can gain feminine inspiration.
“It’s also to create a safe space. I know some of these people that I’ve worked with, it can be a very scary experience because they don’t know where their next meal is coming from…so we can really just create a space that’s safe for them-that’s our main goal,” Delponte said.
Those who want to donate can also visit their website and choose the Donate Here icon under “What We Do.” This leads to a page that asks for their name, email address and any message they want to send to the team. Delponte’s contact information including email and phone number are also provided on this page.
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