A dream came true for an 18-year-old high school senior who drove six hours to find the prom dress she wanted. Thanks to an amazing boutique owner, the teen not only found the one, but she also got it for free!
Summer Lucille, the CEO of Juicy Body Goddess, a plus-size-only clothing store in Charlotte, North Carolina, said that when Elyse Monroe came in for a prom dress consultation, she could tell the teen was “nervous and shy.”
Elise was joined by her mom, two aunts, and her grandma, who were very opinionated about her options. They were also extremely firm on not messing with the $400 budget.
At the very start of the consultation, Summer’s store manager came to her and said that the kinds of dresses Monroe was interested in would cost her more than the family’s budget.
Summer’s response? “It’ll work itself out.”
“They drove six hours,” Summer recalled saying. “Don’t worry about the budget. We’ll figure it out.”
Summer said that she always streams her consultations and that during the 18-year-old’s shopping trip, she received a phone call from one of her followers, offering to chip in $200.
“At that moment, I knew that was the universe telling me, just give her the dress. I went in, and the mom and the aunties kept asking, ‘How much is this dress?’ “I said, ‘Well, we’ll worry about the price when we get to the register.’ “
And seeing Monroe find the perfect prom dress was an “emotional moment” for Summer.
In the now viral TikTok video – which garnered over 13 million views – the teen is seen trying numerous gowns, but one really her princess twinkle light up.
“When she got into that purple dress, she lit up,” Summer said. “I couldn’t let her walk out of that store without that dress.”
When the moment of truth came, the family was “in shock” finding the dress would cost them a whopping $700. But then they were informed them the prom dress was “free.”
In the video, the family’s joy is fully displayed when they realize what’s happening. “I’m going to cry,” an emotional Monroe says in the clip.
What you couldn't see on camera? The rest of the customers inside the store started cheering.
"It was a beautiful, beautiful moment," says Lucille.
Juicy Body Goddess founder Summer Lucille joins "CBS Mornings" to talk about how she encourages curvy women to embrace self-love through her inspiring messages in her stores and on her TikTok page.
Photo: Getty Images