GREENSBORO – Think you could put together an outfit, using brand-name clothing, for $25 or less?

No?

Then Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina is out to prove you wrong.

The organization will present its first-ever fashion show this week, showing off approximately 50 ensembles that have been put together at local Goodwill stores, all for no more than $25.

“We’ve kind of taken the idea from other Goodwills who have done this and put our own unique spin on it,” says Tammy Friedeck, marketing specialist for Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina.

“We just wanted to show people that Goodwill is not your typical thrift store, but you can really find some treasures if you just take the time. We’ve got everything from formal gowns to jeans and casual shirts, and I think just being able to see the variety of stuff you can get is going to be an eye-opener.”

The show will be held Thursday evening at The Empire Room in Greensboro, with a cocktail hour beginning at 5:30 p.m. and the fashion show beginning at 6:30 p.m.

According to Friedeck, about 50 volunteers from communities across the Triad – including a group of students from High Point University – will model one outfit apiece during the show.

“This is just a way for us to highlight all the good deals you can get at Goodwill and to show that we have name brands at Goodwill,” Friedeck says. “The models will represent your typical Goodwill shoppers – all ages, boys and girls. We just wanted to make it relate to everybody.”

The fashion show, which Goodwill officials hope will become an annual event, takes place at a time when Goodwill stores are experiencing an increase in shoppers because of a difficult economy.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in the number of people shopping at Goodwill, and an increase in the number of people coming to Goodwill for the first time,” Friedeck says.

“That’s also partly why we decided to do this fashion show. We figured if some people can become converts, we think everybody should be.”

Tickets to the fashion show are $40 apiece, and proceeds will benefit Goodwill’s many work programs.