Ron Cassie, The Examiner
2007-04-12 07:00:00.0
Current rank: Not ranked

BALTIMORE -

The Salvation Army’s annual Women’s Auxiliary Fashion Show and Luncheon will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday at The Middle River Boys and Girls Club.

“April in Paris” will showcase the organization’s industrious way of removing closet clutter while raising cash for a charitable cause, the Women’s Auxiliary said in a news release.

The event includes a bazaar that features secondhand clothing and accessories for sale and a fashion showcase of those garments.

Nearly 300 members of the Women’s Auxiliary, their guests, Salvation Army officers and staff are expected to attend. The event is open to the public, said Lafeea Watson, director of community relations and development for the Baltimore-area Salvation Army, but the $20 tickets must be purchased in advance.

Guests take part in pre-event consignment shopping for the purchase of vintage and secondhand clothing, accessories, shoes and purses at costs of 25 cents and up. Following the luncheon, members of the Women’s Auxiliary will model the most striking of the second-hand garments.

“Everything is for sale, and everything is for a great cause,” said Joan Fox, president of The Women’s Auxiliary, in a statement on the Salvation Army’s Web site. “Everyone’s looking to clean out their closets this time of the year, and while we know everything we find isn’t necessarily going to be gold, it’s the adage that one man’s, or woman’s in this case, trash is another woman’s treasure, that makes this event work for us.”

Fox added: “Much of the success of the fashion show and sale over the years comes from an increasing trend amongst the younger generation and celebrities of mixing vintage and thrift store pieces with newer, pricier items.”

If You Go

The bazaar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon, and the luncheon and fashion show will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday. The Middle River Boys and Girls Club is at 1400 Fuselage Ave.

For more information or to purchase tickets ($20), call the Salvation Army, Baltimore Area Command at 410-783-2920. More information is also available at www.tsabaltimore.org.

rcassie@baltimoreexaminer.com