More to the Story with Staley: Donating Dresses

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — He runs one of the world’s largest independent fashion internet sites. Yet he does all he can to help underprivileged young women. He’s been doing so since 2017, with great success.

Sam Sisakhti is the owner of “UsTrendy,” one of the largest independent fashion ecommerce sites in the world.

Some six years ago, Sam started a new venture called “Believe in Yourself.” It provided brand new dresses for underprivileged girls.

Sisakhti struggled mightily to get “UsTrendy” going. Beating the odds, overcoming roadblocks, with all of that, he still wanted to share his good fortune.

“A lot of times, people have dreams as a kid. But over time, those dreams go by the wayside,” Sisakhti said. “That’s why overcoming my adversity, I always wanted to give back. And that’s why the organization is called Believe in Yourself.”

UsTrendy deals with women’s apparel. At first, Sisakhti was donating dresses to celebrities and influencers. But then he started “Believe in Yourself,” donating to those who really need a helping hand: for occasions like a prom or a homecoming.

But Sam says it was nerve-wracking!

“I remember the first few times I did it I was nervous. It was because I wanted the kids to like the dresses,” Sisakhti said. “We just try to get them what they want!”

Sisakhti says as time goes on, he wants to expand his project to include young men as well. For now, he’s only dealing with brand new dresses for the young women.

And for the most part, Sam says he’s using his own money to buy the clothing. No problem!

“It’s been great. We’ve done about 30 states. We’ve helped thousands of kids,” said Sisakhti. “It’s one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever worked on. My favorite part is seeing their reactions.”

Sam says even as a young tyke, he was into fashion. Now, he’s into helping. As the old saying goes, we only have what we give.