The 17th annual St. Andrew Prom Closet at St. Andrew Methodist Church in Plano will invite teens to "shop" for their dream dresses in February. But first they need those dresses.
Organizers have begun accepting donations of formal dresses (sizes 0-30), jewelry, shoes, handbags, and wraps. They'd like to offer thousands of dress options for teens to take home at no cost.
“We’re calling on our community to help make prom dreams come true by donating dresses and accessories,” says Kathy Moore, organizer of the event, in a release. “Start the New Year by cleaning out your closet and bringing us your gently used dresses, shoes, jewelry, and handbags."
New items can also be purchased through their Amazon Shopping Link.
"Each year, we rely on the generosity of individuals, local groups, and businesses to make every girl’s experience truly magical,” she says.
Items should be cleaned and "like new" (as if they were being taken to a picky resale store).
They may be dropped off at St. Andrew, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., Plano, just inside the church’s north entry doors, on a designated dress rack. Drop-off hours are 8:30 am-8:30 pm Monday-Thursday and 9 am-12 noon Saturday.
Prom Closet is set up like a boutique, with thousands of gowns and accessories. Photo courtesy of Prom Closet
Volunteers needed
In addition to needing donations, organizers also need hundreds of volunteers to help run Prom Closet, from check-in and check-out, to personal shoppers, dressing room assistants, and set-up and tear-down crew members. Volunteers must be adults and must complete a background check. Sign up here beginning January 26.
A service of the Women of St. Andrew Methodist Church, Prom Closet allows teens the chance to "shop for" free dresses, shoes, and accessories in a boutique-style setting, complete with a (volunteer) personal shopper.
The event has grown from assisting 35 teen girls when it started in 2009 to 1,323 girls from 322 schools and 110 school districts last year. The girls come from all over Texas and as far away as Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, and exchange students from France, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and Thailand.
Shopping details
The 2026 shopping event will take place February 24-28 and March 2-5 & 7 at St. Andrew Methodist Church.
It is open to any high school girl from anywhere, no questions asked, but shoppers must register online beginning January 26 to book an appointment. There are 40 shopping slots per each 90-minute time frame. A few rules:
- Shopping is by appointment only.
- Each student must be present to shop for her own dress and accessories.
- Each shopper is allowed to bring along just one guest, age 16 or older.
Visit the event's website, call the Prom Closet informational hotline at 469-385-1810, or email standrewpromcloset@gmail.com for more information about donations, volunteering, shopping, and more.
