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After store closing leaves brides stranded, women donate their old wedding gowns

When Alfred Angelo stores suddenly closed, women on Twitter began offering their dresses to brides.
/ Source: TODAY

Everyone knows better than to mess with a stressed-out bride-to-be. Well, everyone except bridal store and dress manufacturer Alfred Angelo, that is. The company abruptly closed its doors last week, leaving thousands of brides who had ordered (and, in some cases, paid for) wedding dresses in the lurch.

Fortunately, plenty of women who have already worn their dream dresses down the aisle are here to lend a hand.

Using the hashtag #AlfredAngelo, women are listing their dresses — along with photos and sizing info — on Twitter. Most are offering them for free, asking only that borrowers pay the cost of shipping to help out a fellow bride in need.

Something borrowed? Check!

"I remembered feeling like a princess on my wedding day," Ishita Kent, a Dallas, Texas, woman who donned an Alfred Angelo dress for her own wedding six years ago, told TODAY Style in an email. "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."

She added, "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?"

Kent, 28, isn't at all nervous at all about letting a stranger borrow something so meaningful. "I trust in the humanity of people," she explained. "I actually think it makes it even more meaningful to know that I may be able to assist someone."

Competitors, along with other wedding services such photographers and caterers, are extending discounts to brides who can show an Alfred Angelo receipt. Popular dress store David's Bridal is offering these customers 30 percent off wedding gowns and 20 percent off bridesmaids dresses through Aug. 14, with no rush fees for last-minute alterations.

"David's Bridal knows the excitement and anxiety that comes with planning a wedding," the company shared in a press release. "Purchasing a wedding dress is an emotional decision that no bride takes lightly ... David's Bridal is in a unique position to help."

So stay calm, all ye jilted brides-to-be. We do ... have your backs!