Watching her daughter return to the fitting room with an armful of dresses, Chicago resident Simone Jackson shook her head, smiling.
“The blue one!” Jackson said. “Try on the blue one for me.”
Jackson said before she learned about the Dreams Delivered prom boutique, she worried she wouldn’t be able to afford a prom dress for her daughter, Senn High School senior Trinity White.
The event, hosted Sunday through Tuesday at the Woman’s Club of Evanston, offered free dresses, shoes and accessories to all attendees. According to the Woman’s Club’s website, the program is in its 18th year and has outfitted more than 1,000 total students.
Dreams Delivered Committee Co-Chair Chris Gretchko said she hopes the boutique minimizes stress for high school upperclassmen who are already worried about applying to jobs or paying for college.
Each attendee is paired with a personal shopper to help them pick out the right look for the occasion. Gretchko said she sees girls blossom when they find “the dress,” even if it’s not the style they were originally looking for.
“Girls are transformed,” Gretchko said. “They’re happy. They feel beautiful in whatever they choose, and that’s what it’s all about.”
Warren Township High School senior Naomi Matias said her stepmother heard about the event, and they drove from Gurnee, Illinois for a chance at finding a dress at no cost.
Matias said she fell in love with the first dress she saw, a royal blue maxi dress with silver rhinestone details. Sure enough, she said when she tried it on, it fit perfectly. Personal shoppers then helped her pick out an assortment of jewelry to match.
“After that they were asking if I should try on the other dresses,” Matias said. “I’m like, ‘No, this is the one.’”
For those whose dresses needed alterations, volunteer seamstresses provided free, on-the-spot tailoring. In all, Gretchko said no fewer than 100 Woman’s Club members participate in the event in some way.
Personal shopper Mary Kay Conlon, a longtime member of the club, said she enjoyed helping White pick out dresses, even though it was tough to make the final decision.
“It’s very fun to watch her face light up when she sees something she likes,” Conlon said.
As White and Jackson debated between a red, mermaid style dress and Jackson’s favorite blue dress, one volunteer compared the scene to the reality series “Say Yes to the Dress.”
Ultimately, Jackson said it was White’s choice. She said she was in tears watching her daughter try on dresses, as White will be deployed into the military about a month after she graduates, leaving her mother an empty nester.
Jackson said she appreciated the professionalism, patience and smiles of the personal shoppers, adding she hopes this event will continue for years to come.
“It’s priceless. It’s like I’m going to a wedding, I’m sitting here emotional,” Jackson said. “But I appreciate everything.”
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— Amid wellness crisis, Woman’s Club of Evanston grant program aims to help struggling teens, seniors
— Community cleans city streets to celebrate Earth Day
— Dreams Delivered holds annual free prom dress boutique for Evanston high schoolers
