Teen who drove 6 hours to buy a prom dress gets a $700 gift from the store owner who says “ I want to make people feel good.”

Teen who drove 6 hours to buy a prom dress gets a $700 gift from the store owner who says “ I want to make people feel good.” 

“When she wears that purple dress, she lights up,” says Summer Lucille, owner of Juicy Body Goddess, a plus-size boutique in North Carolina.

A teen drov six hours searching for the perfect prom dress; not only did she find it, but she also managed to score it for FREE.

 

Summer Lucille, owner of Juicy Body Goddess, a plus-size  boutique in North Carolina, told PEOPLE that when Elyse Monroe came in for a wardrobe consultation, she could tell the young woman was "nervous and nervous." shy".

PHOTO: JUICYBODYGODDESS/TIKTOK

Helping her choose the perfect dress were her mother, two aunts and her grandmother,  all of whom had very strong opinions about the teenager's choices. They were also very adamant about sticking to their $400 budget.

Right from the consultation, Lucille's store manager came to see her and told her that the dress styles that students were interested in would be more expensive than that. The store owner's reaction? "It will be fine."

“They drove six hours,” Lucille recalls. “Don't worry about the budget, we will find a solution.”

PHOTO: JUICYBODYGODDESS/TIKTOK

But the topic of money continues to come up.

Lucille said  she usually broadcasts all of her consultations, and  during the teenager's shopping trip, she received a phone call from one of her subscribers, offering to top up $200.

“At that moment, I knew it was the universe that told me to give her the dress,” Lucille said. “This disciple is just an angel  reminding me  to give.”

“I walked in and my mom and aunts kept asking, ‘How much is this dress?’” she recalls. "I said, 'Well, we'll worry about the price when we get to the checkout counter.' "

And seeing the student find the perfect dress was an "emotional" moment for Lucille.  In a viral TikTok dress fitting video - which has more than 13 million views - the young woman tried on several dresses, but one really took the cake.

“When she puts on that purple dress, she lights up,” Lucille told PEOPLE. “I couldn't let her leave that store without this dress.”

In order not to  let the good news come too soon - "I'm not good at keeping secrets," she said - Lucille tried to carry the dress as fast as possible to the checkout counter.

When it finally came time to tell them how much the dress cost, the owner said the family was "shocked" when she told them it was a $700 dress.

But they were even more surprised by what she told them next:

“Well, it's free.”

In the the Tik Tok video, the family's joy is on full display when they realize what is happening. “I'm about to cry,” the teenager said emotionally in the clip.

Elyse Monroe and family. JUICYBODYGODDESS/TIKTOK

What can't you  see on the camera? The remaining customers inside the store started clapping.

“It was a very beautiful moment,” Lucille said.

For Lucille, who has only offered plus-size fashion in her store since 2016, her store is about more than just clothes.

“I know how difficult it is to not be able to find anything to wear,” she said. “Unlike other places, we have two dresses that you can customize. Any dress can fit you."

More than that, she said her goal is to create a "safe place" and "give people an experience  they won't forget" — especially when it comes to prom.

"Prom is a whole new level of excitement and joy. I cry  every consultation," the owner said. “I had a bad time at the dance. I didn't find anything. The dress I wore was horrible. It was a very sad time in my life."

“So dressing these girls has a healing effect,” she added.

And although Lucille says  many acts of generosity  take place at her store and she doesn't share them, she knows she can't keep this  to herself.

"I want people to feel good. I want people to understand that you have to give," she explained. But  even she couldn't have imagined what this TikTok post would inspire.

Summer Lucille at Juicy Body Goddess. JUICY BODY GODDESS

“The answer is out of this world,” she said. "In my comments, people say: 'How can I donate? How can I give? How can I help the next girl?'"

Instead of making a big announcement, Lucille left a comment saying anyone interested could visit the store's website to purchase a gift card. Since posting the video on Saturday, she said she has spent $12,000 in gift cards.

"That video did something because a lot of people, not just chubby girls but a lot of people have really bad memories of prom, of high school. I think that's what makes people want to give," she said.

As for teenagers? Well, she's  looking forward to going to prom in April.

“Shopping is usually pretty stressful for me, which is why I mostly shop online — but we laugh all the time,” the 18-year-old high school student told Today in an interview.

She added: “I feel so beautiful in this dress.

For Lucille, it was a new mission accomplished.

“I just want everyone to know that this place is  a safe place for everyone,” she told PEOPLE.

“Regardless of your size, you have a purpose here  and you have the right to be loved.”