Strangers are letting brides-to-be who are stressed and without a dress borrow theirs

When the Alfred Angelo chain of bridal stores went out of business, leaving some paying customers without dresses just weeks before their big day, former brides around the country heard the news and rallied to help.

Alfred Angelo filed for bankruptcy this month, and abruptly closed its stores. For brides who already picked out and paid for their dresses but now couldn't pick them up, it was a nightmare, but women who remembered how stressful planning a wedding can be quickly came to their aid. Using the hashtag #AlfredAngelo, they have been posting photos of their own dresses online, along with sizing information, and offering to lend their gowns to women affected by the chain's bankruptcy. Most aren't charging a dime, only asking for shipping fees.

"I remember feeling like a princess on my wedding day," Ishita Kent of Dallas told Today. "The thought that these women ... had all this extra stress put on top of what should be one of the best days of their life just broke my heart. If I can help ease someone else's heartache just with a dress that honestly isn't doing anything but sitting in my closet, then why shouldn't I do so?"

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