The Green Team Environmental Club hosted its “Say Yes to the Thrifted Dress” event on Tuesday, February 3, in the Tribute Room, bringing students from all grade levels for an afternoon centered on sustainability, community, and fun. The event featured dozens of donated dresses available for students to browse, try on, and take home at no cost.
Students began arriving around 2:50 p.m, quickly filling the room as they explored dresses in a variety of styles, colors, and sizes. The event included changing rooms for students who wanted to try on dresses, creating a shopping experience similar to a traditional boutique—minus all the price tags.
“I think that this event is a nice way to get the word out about recycling clothes and giving them to other people instead of just using a piece of clothing once and throwing it away,” said Green Team member Olubukola Onimole.
In total, 40 dresses were donated for the event, including 10 brand new ones, according to Green Team moderator Brigid Wolff. All the dresses were in good condition and available for students to keep.
The event strived to make formalwear more accessible for students who may need dresses for upcoming special occasions such as dances or ceremonies. By offering them free of charge, the Green Team aimed to reduce financial barriers and encourage sustainable fashion choices.
“This event brings awareness to how much fun it can be to thrift and share resources,” said Wolff. “It’s exciting to shop with friends, especially for a fancy dress. It’s just overall a fun vibe.”
“I am very happy with the turnout we had, but I know many girls who told me that they had things to do after school and they couldn’t participate in this event,” said Onimole. “I think a lot of people had great experiences so that really motivates me to make this happen again as soon as possible.”
The idea for the event was created by Onimole who said she wanted to combine environmental awareness with an engaging experience for students.
“This event is very meaningful to me because it is something that I thought of all by myself and I had so much support along the way,” said Onimole.
As the event came to a close, one student had officially said, “Yes to the Dress” once, while another student had said the iconic phrase twice. With positive feedback from students and staff, Green Team members believe that the event may return in the future.
“If you have any extra dresses, go ahead and bring them to Marist,” said Principal Meg Dunneback. “We would love to do this event again.”
