EDWARDSBURG — Whether it is for a dance, a pageant or a wedding, gowns are often expensive. What can make them even tougher on the pocketbook is that they are often worn once, put in a closet and may never again see the light of day.

Mica Yonker, owner Second Hand Rose in Edwardsburg, may have a way to lighten the financial constraints for anyone going to prom, competing in Miss Blossomtime or getting married.

She has owned the women’s clothing store for three years. Her mother-in-law is the original owner, and started the store because she wanted something to do when she retired, but instead she got a new job and Yonker stepped in to manage the store and three years ago purchased it. She says their mission statement is “making elegance affordable.”

“We do in-house alterations,” Yonker said. “We have new and consigned gowns that are gently used. We also are able to consign people’s gowns, so that when people bring stuff in they can actually make 40 percent of whatever we sell it for. They have an opportunity to get rid of the gowns instead of having them sit in the closet for the next 30 years and never been seen again.”

With two girls at home, she understands how expensive dresses and gowns can be. However, she says this is not something every parent realizes when their teenager goes to prom or they sign their child up for Miss Blossomtime.

“The store comes in very handy for pageants,” she said. “A lot of moms don’t realize that when they sign kids up for pageants that if they end up on courts, they’re obligated to go to other pageants, which means they need more than one dress.”

Yonker says that Second Hand Rose also offers dresses that cannot be found anywhere else in the Michiana area, as many of their items are no longer available. This will prevent her customers from worrying about showing up to prom in the exact same dress as someone else. This includes wedding dresses.

“I’ve actually had [customers] from as far away as Texas,” she said. “She was up here for a wedding because she saw a particular gown on our Facebook she had been searching for because it was discontinued and she wasn’t able to find it anywhere else.”

In addition to gowns, the store sells casual wear such as jeans, tops, shorts, purses, jewelry, shoe and “Eddies” gear.

“The Eddies clothing kind of just started out because my kids, when they were little, didn’t have anything for superhero day because they’re girls, so I just made them a couple of shirts and the next thing I know it kind of blew up,” Yonker said.

Yonker works closely with Edwardsburg Public Schools and volunteers her time by providing all of the alterations for band uniforms, choir dresses and she even does face painting in front of the football stadium before homecoming.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit the Second Hand Rose, LLC Facebook page.