Preparing for homecoming is supposed to be exciting—not stressful. 

The tradition is an undeniable aspect of the high school experience—but it comes with a price tag.

A set of acrylics—$70.

Hair? Call it a wildcard—hair type, the style, DIY or salon—all variables that set the price.

Spray tan—$16 with a student ID. 

Flowers, boutonniere, bouquet, corsage—they’ll each cost you $30 on the low end. 

Those are all just add-ons, ways to enrich the Homecoming experience; however, all girls need (for the most part) a dress. 

Even “budget” homecoming dresses now cost anywhere from $100 to $300—before shoes, jewelry or hair appointments. For some students, that expense can mean the difference between attending and staying home.

That’s why donating your homecoming dress matters more than you might realize.

When you pass along a dress you wore once, you’re giving someone else the chance to feel confident, included and seen—without adding another dent to their family’s budget.

Enter a mission born from compassion.

In 2014, Roxanne Hartrich took her niece Kirstin Miller shopping for a spring formal dress. What should’ve been a fun day quickly turned disheartening—every dress in the store was over $400. 

Miller didn’t want Hartrich to spend that kind of money, but there weren’t any affordable options in town.

That moment sparked an idea. Hartrich created a Facebook group called Illinois Dresses for Sale so students could resell formalwear locally. Within two days—and with help from local school counselors—over 1,000 girls had joined.

But the story didn’t end there.

After losing her young daughter Kara later that year, Hartrich turned her grief into purpose. 

She founded Kara and Kaylees Kloset, a nonprofit dress boutique named after her two daughters, designed to make special occasions accessible to everyone.

With dress sizes ranging from 0-28 for every occasion—from school dances to military balls.

What started in a bedroom with 100 donated dresses has grown to a full storefront—complete with painted walls, carpet donated by Lowe’s and shelves filled with more than 4,500 dresses.

The shop, now located in the Crossroads Center since 2020, is stuffed with homecoming gowns, prom dresses, flower girl outfits, even mother-of-the-bride wear.

It doesn’t feel like a thrift shop or charity, the “building does not look like Salvation Army.” Hartrich said, “It looks like a storefront.”

Kara and Kaylees Kloset offers the experience of dress shopping, without concern over cost. 

Gallery • 4 Photos

Supporters gather outside Kara and Kaylees Kloset during a ribbon cutting at the Crossroads Center in Normal, celebrating the organization joining the McLean County Chamber of Commerce in 2022. The nonprofit lends formalwear to students and asks borrowers to return dresses clean and give back through service. Photos Courtesy of: Kara and Kaylees Kloset

Instead of paying with cash or card, borrowers “repay” their dresses with acts of service. To borrow a gown, students commit to performing random acts of kindness or volunteering with one of 50 partnered nonprofits.

Over 10,0000 girls and women have borrowed dresses from Kara and Kaylees Closet since it opened—each one helping to continue a cycle of generosity.

And honor Hartrich’s daughter’s legacy—a girl who would scroll FaceBook with her mom at night “dream[ing] of the day she gets to be a princess,” to wear a gown—and never had the chance. 

Donating your homecoming dress isn’t just clearing closet space. It’s a way to ensure that the night you felt beautiful becomes the same night someone else gets to feel that too.

Because when you give a dress, you’re not just giving fabric and sequins. You’re giving a memory—one that someone else might otherwise never have.