Cinderella’s Closet
When: March 11, 2023, from 9 am – 4 pm and March 12, 2023, from 10 am to 3 pm. By appointment.
Where: YWCA Elgin, 220 East Chicago St., Elgin, IL 60120
Contact: Sherry Kinser, Cinderella’s Closet Coordinator, 847.815.0502
The YWCA Elgin and our title sponsor, Claire’s, will help make your prom dreams come true at this year’s “Cinderella’s Closet” event! Cinderella’s Closet is a fun formal-wear boutique where high school students can shop for dresses, jewelry, purses, shoes, and make-up; for a $25 donation or free with a referral from their high school guidance counselor.
At the event, you will be greeted by a “Fairy Godmother” who serves as your personal shopper as you select from thousands of beautiful dresses. All our dresses are current styles, many new with tags, in sizes ranging from petite to plus sizes. Once you find your dress, you can select jewelry and other accessories to complete your outfit.
To be eligible for entry, you must be a current high school student with proof of enrollment.
***New to 2023***
- Facemasks are optional.
- There are now individual dressing rooms versus the community dressing rooms that we have had in the past.
- There will not be a waiting area in the lobby of the YWCA Elgin. Shoppers will be allowed to bring one guest with them. This guest must identify as female and be over the age of 13.
Additional Cinderella's Closet Information
Cinderella’s Closet Volunteer Opportunities
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.
Donating a prom dress is simple! Dress donations are 
accepted year-round and all you need to do is drop by the YWCA, 220 East Chicago Street, Elgin, IL 60120 during business hours. Dresses can be handed in at the Customer Service Center and in return, you will receive a donation receipt that can be used when filing your taxes.
Do you want to hold a dress/accessory drive?
First off, we would like to thank you from the bottoms of our heart for taking the time out of your day to do this for us! Secondly, we promise to help make your dress/accessory drive simple and painless. Cinderella’s Closet is in need of formal dresses in good condition and in current styles, particularly in plus sizes. We’re also looking for formal jewelry, handbags, wraps, and new, in-the-package cosmetics or samples. Do not feel that you need to include all of these items in your 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 hold your drive during these months. Please keep in mind 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. It is common to run the drive for about two weeks 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, or feel free to contact Sherry Kinser, Cinderella’s Closet Coordinator, by email kinserton@yahoo.com and we will arrange a pick-up.