I’m excited to announce that today we had the opportunity to give our first Style Lottery to five beautiful women from the Exodus House. These ladies were headed to a dinner tonight so we have the privilege of styling their outfits and helping them get ready .

We had been given their sizes earlier so were able to pick out dresses for them beforehand. Some of them were a hit and a perfect fit and others required a replacement or a second look.

My favorite part of the whole day was taking the ladies to the attic to let them shop from the Style Lottery closet.

I was overwhelmed with happiness when I saw them going through the racks with gusto and unbridled excitement.  It was so wonderful to see that something as simple as a shopping spree could put a smile on someone’s face. We love our happy customers!

After they picked out their clothes and got dressed, we sent them to hair and makeup. Our volunteer, Jen (a fellow Syracuse grad student), applied makeup and gave the ladies a natural makeup look.

During this first Style Lottery, we discovered just how much clothing can contribute to how we feel about ourselves. Our biggest success of the evening was with Sam. Sam is a beautiful girl with a great curvy shape. Jen and I went through dozens of outfits, but none of them were really her. With the help of one the ladies, we found this gray blazer and paired it with a top from the Style Lottery closet. She wore her own pants and boots. She loved the outfit and rocked the look to the dinner. We could see the look of relief and confidence she wore along with her outfit. We knew we’d made the right choice. She looked, on the outside, the way she felt on the inside– like a beautiful, confident young woman. 

And this is why we’re doing what we’re doing. We want to make more women like Sam smile. She deserves to be pampered and to look nice and we’re here to help.

Special thanks to the women who attended the December Clothes Swap. Without them, this first Style Lottery would not have been possible.

Special thanks to Exodus 3 Ministries for nominating these women to win a Style Lottery.

If you know a woman who would enjoy a Style Lottery, you can nominate her here. Our next Lottery will be after Spring Break 2014. Our goal is to give away at least 15 Lotteries. Spread the word.