Cinderella’s Closet
Saturday, March 7th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sunday, March 8th from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm
Cinderella’s Closet is a fun formal wear boutique, where high school students can shop for formal attire, jewelry donated by Claire’s, purses, shoes, and makeup for a $35 donation or free with a referral from their high school guidance counselor.
New for 2026, the event will also offer suits, tuxedos, button-down shirts, ties, bow ties, suspenders, and cummerbunds. All are welcome.
At the event, you will be greeted by a personal shopper who will help you explore thousands of formal wear options. Items are current styles, many new with tags, and available in a wide range of sizes. Once you find your outfit, you can select jewelry and accessories to complete your look. Each student will have access to a private dressing room.
To be eligible for entry, you must be a current high school student with proof of enrollment.
Cinderella’s Closet is by appointment only on the dates listed above. Please review the 2026 Cinderella’s Closet Guidelines (Guías de Cinderella’s Closet 2026).
Volunteer
Cinderella’s Closet is run solely by volunteers. Volunteer responsibilities may include sorting & purging dresses, event setup & breakdown, personal shopper, runner, and seamstress. Cinderella’s Closet uses an electronic volunteer tracking system called SignUp. If you are interested in volunteering, please click the link below to be redirected to our volunteer tracking site.
Donate Formal Wear
Donating formal wear is simple!
We accept donations year-round, including formal wear such as dresses, dress shoes, suits, tuxedos, button-down shirts, shoes, ties, bow ties, suspenders, cummerbunds, and accessories. Donations can be dropped off at the YWCA, 220 East Chicago Street, Elgin, IL 60120 during business hours. Items may be handed in at the Customer Service Center, and you will receive a donation receipt for tax purposes.
Do you want to hold a dress/accessory drive?
Dress/accessory drives are usually held from the beginning of January through the end of February. This being said, that does not mean that you must have your drive during these months. Please remember that for us to process the dresses for this year’s sale, they must be to us by the first week in March. If you are not concerned as to whether or not the dresses/accessories collected are used at this year’s event, feel free to run your drive any time you like. Running a drive for about two weeks is common, but you can have it longer depending on your needs.
We want to help make your event a success, so please let us know how we can be of service to you. When the racks get full, your donations can be delivered to the YWCA Elgin.