Dancing dreams

Help fill the Plano Prom Closet with 4,000 dresses for deserving teens

Last year's gala gown could be this year's prom dress.

Photo courtesy of Prom Closet

A Plano event is poised to make prom dress dreams come true for the 15th year. The 2024 Prom Closet at St. Andrew Methodist Church will open its doors in late February to distribute thousands of formal gowns, accessories, and shoes to deserving teens - free of charge.

But first, they need the merchandise.

Organizers are now accepting donations of dresses (sizes 0-30), jewelry, shoes, handbags, and wraps. Items should be cleaned and as "like new" as if they were being taken to a picky consignment store for resale.

Donations may be dropped off just inside the north entry of St. Andrew, 1401 Mira Vista Blvd., Plano, on a designated dress rack. Drop-off days and times are 8:30 am-8:30 pm Monday-Thursday, 9 am-4 pm Saturday, and 9 am-12 pm Sunday. (For the north entrance, they say, look for the covered walkway and sign on the building.)

An Amazon wish list is available here for anyone who would like to help by purchasing items, which will be shipped directly to the church. They expect to make about 4,000 gowns available for distribution.

In addition, online registration (for shoppers and volunteers) opens Monday, January 22.

Plano Prom Closet Volunteers act as personal shopping assistants for each girl.Photo courtesy of Prom Closet

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 1,060 in 2023, organizers say.

And they're not just from the Dallas area: "Over the years, Prom Closet has welcomed girls from across Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma as well as exchange students from Germany, Poland, Switzerland, and Thailand," organizers say in a release.

The 2024 shopping event will take place February 20-22 & 24, and February 26- March 2.

It is open to any high school girl from anywhere, no questions asked, but shoppers must register online to book an appointment. There are 35 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.
Each shopper is allowed to bring along just one guest, age 16 or older.

Additionally, volunteers for the shopping days must register online, be 18 years or older, and complete a background check.

Plano Prom Closet The Prom Closet is set up as boutique filled with thousands of dresses and accessories.Photo courtesy of Prom Closet

Prom Closet was created in 2009 to provide a unique shopping experience for young ladies for whom going to prom was financially out of reach.

“Not only is the need great, but the impact the dress makes on the girl and her family is immeasurable," says founder Devra Helffrich. "Each volunteer strives to provide an uplifting experience for the young ladies letting them know they are loved, and they are beautiful. There are countless beautiful and emotional stories of girls and their families who have received prom dresses and accessories.”

Visit the event's website, email promcloset@standrewmethodist.org, or call 469-385-1810 for more information.

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Shopping news

Charleston jewelry boutique Hart makes Texas debut on Dallas' Knox St.

Photo by Kathy Tran

The new HART Dallas boutique at 3212 Knox St.

Charleston-based personalized jewelry brand Hart is debuting its first Texas boutique in Dallas, and it couldn't have picked a better spot than the bustling Knox Street district.

The boutique will open Saturday, August 29 at 3212 Knox St., marking the company's fifth retail location nationwide, after stores in Charleston, New York, Nashville, and Nantucket.

According to a release, the Dallas shop will offer Hart's (officially styled HART) popular collection of talismans, chains, cords, bezel jewelry, earrings, and gemstone strands, designed to be mixed and layered. The brand is particularly known for personalized jewelry, with shoppers able to work one-on-one with a member of the Hart team to select symbols and talismans for a custom piece.

The Dallas location will also carry a collection of pieces created specifically for the Texas market, the owners say.

HART Exclusive Dallas charms at Hart.Photo by Kathy Tran

For the store's design, Hart worked with Dallas firm Burkle Creative, which specializes in residential, hospitality, and retail interiors.

"Hart has built a brand around meaningful pieces that tell a story, so our approach was to create a retail environment that feels equally personal," says Javier Burkle, Burkle Creative principal and creative director, in the release. "We wanted the Dallas store to honor Hart's Charleston heritage while embracing the spirit of Texas, blending their unique character and a sense of discovery throughout the space.

"The result is a store that feels like stepping into the home of a well-traveled collector, where every detail invites customers to explore and connect with the brand."

The Dallas opening follows Hart's move into a permanent New York flagship on Bleecker Street in the West Village.

"Dallas has one of the most stylish, confident, and individualistic customer bases in the country," says Hart Hagerty, Hart chief creative officer. "We've been inspired by the Dallas woman for years, her boldness, her sense of self, her commitment to dressing with intention. We are so excited to finally be here."

Curry Hagerty, Hart's CEO, said Dallas has been a hot market for the brand online and through local wholesale partners Clover and St. Bernard. Now they're bringing everything directly to Dallas shoppers.

"Dallas has consistently been one of our top markets for online sales," Hagerty says. "We also have strong wholesale relationships already in the market through Clover and St. Bernard, so we know this customer and she knows us. Opening in Dallas was less a question of if and more a question of when."

HART Dallas Hart joints the bustling Knox St. shopping and dining district.Photo by Kathy Tran

Hart's new store will be part of the Knox Street shopping and dining district, near the Katy Trail and surrounded by more than 70 shops and restaurants.

A grand opening event will take place Saturday, August 29 beginning at 10 am. The first 50 people will receive a custom Hart Dallas tote, custom bandana, and $50 gift card. A latte art cart will be on site to supply sustenance.

Once fully open, the Dallas boutique will be open 10 am-7 pm Monday-Saturday and 10 am-6 pm Sunday.

knox district knox street jewelry shopping