COMMUNITY
by Charlotte Kovalchuk • photos by Rebecca Beach
MakingDreamsComeTrue
A
s a young girl, Rebecca Beach's daughter grew out of dress up clothing very quickly and, by age 6, she had grown out of everything in the toy section. So, once she was able to fit into gowns, Rebecca began buying thrift store dresses for dress up. Eventually, she found herself with a collection of more than 100 fancy garments. After being encouraged by friends and coworkers to start renting out dresses, Rebecca founded Fairy Godmother’s Closet of Jarrell. From the start, she had two goals – to help families recovering financially from the pandemic and give girls and women the chance to dress up. “Buying a gown to wear one time doesn’t make sense for a lot of people,” she says, adding that “everyone should play dress up if they want to, or just have access to gowns. It’s something that’s fun, and people don’t get to have that kind of fun anymore.” Since creating the closet, others have helped her build her inventory, including several local ladies who have donated dresses. As well, a friend in Ohio, Melissa Clary, donated dresses even before the official closet launch because she loved the concept. Rebecca says, “Melissa regularly messages me with photos of new dresses to add to the closet. I’ve definitely received and enjoyed having strong support from others so I can't take all the credit.” Fairy Godmother’s Closet features a wide selection of prom dresses plus gowns for all ages, sizes, and occasions, from cocktail parties and weddings to family photoshoots in a bluebonnet field. “I have a soft spot for contradictory pics, like a gown on a farm. To me that’s a lot of fun,” Rebecca says. “You're only limited by your imagination.” 14
N O V E M B E R 2023 M Y JA R R ELL M O NT HLY
CHECK IT OUT Anyone interested in checking out dresses can message Rebecca through the organization’s Facebook group and set up a time to visit Fairy Godmother’s Closet of Jarrell. Currently, she is running it out of her garage in Jarrell but is happy to bring dresses anywhere locally. When Morgan Collard’s daughter told her she needed a dress for a school dance two days away, Morgan knew there wouldn’t be enough time to find the right ensemble. Then she remembered one of her coworkers, Rebecca Beach, was opening the Fairy Godmother’s Closet of Jarrell. Thanks to Rebecca, Morgan’s daughter found the perfect dress for a special school event. “It was a total lifesaver because it was actually her first dance,” Morgan says, adding that they have since used Rebecca’s Closet for other dances to the point where her daughter specifically asks about it. Fairy Godmother’s Closet of Jarrell has helped Morgan not just in time savings, but also financially. “I have four kids and spending $100+ on a dress to wear to a school dance once is rough. So Rebecca’s closet really was a huge saver in the stress of trying to find a dress last minute because your daughter gave you a 48-hour notice, and because I don’t know that I had $100 to spend on a dress with that kind of notice either,” she says. “It was her first dance, and I didn’t want to ruin this for her. And you could see by the smile on her face, she was really happy.”
