By Valerie Hardy

“Never in a million years” did Jen Chillo, a 16-year resident of Hinsdale, think she would end up teaching at the high school she attended. However, she considered it “serendipitous” when she was offered a position at her alma mater, Morton West High School, the week of her 20-year high school reunion.

Now in her seventh year at Morton West, Chillo serves primarily as a freshman biology teacher. However, one of her favorite parts of returning to her old school falls beyond the classroom.

Each spring, Chillo collects gently used formalwear and runs a prom boutique, which she dubbed “Say Yes to the Dress” after the wedding show on TLC. The boutique at Morton West is open before school, after school, and during lunch periods, so juniors and seniors can easily “shop” for dresses, suits, ties, shoes, and accessories, allowing them to put together the perfect prom ensemble without spending a dime.

Chillo had thought about starting a nonprofit prom shop at Morton West for years since nearly 80 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches based on their household income status. Meanwhile, in her own community of Hinsdale, just 10 miles away,

“people go to a lot of events, get photographed in dresses they may never wear again, then probably get new ones,” Chillo said. “This town is so social and so generous.”

Always confident her fashion-forward friends, neighbors, and other community members would contribute to a nonprofit formalwear drive to benefit the students with whom she worked, it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic hit that Chillo brought the prom boutique idea into actuality.

Tearing up, Chillo explained how the boutique came to life when Morton West stayed open “all throughout COVID because the students didn’t have internet access. The school was such a hub for the kids, but [due to social distancing requirements, their learning] was all on screens. It was distanced and lonely.”

Recognizing how much “connection was missing,” Chillo wanted to bring students together. She shared the prom boutique idea with her students, “a great group of freshmen who were really excited to be involved.” Six or seven of them took on leadership roles, spending their lunch and supervisory periods organizing donated apparel by color and size.

“It was just a really sweet, organic thing that happened because it was a time with a void for everybody,” Chillo explained of the boutique’s beginnings.

To further help lift students’ spirits during the boutique’s inaugural season, Chillo and student volunteers decorated the “changing room” (Chillo’s lab prep room) with affirmations like “you are the hero of your own story” and “you are beautiful.” They also provided food that was donated, so the students “felt pampered while they were shopping,” Chillo said.

She was surprised by how quickly donations came in, allowing “Say Yes to the Dress” to give away 30 dresses that first year. In 2024, the boutique displayed over 200 dresses, and approximately 70 were given away, along with men’s formalwear.

Contributing to this growth was the addition of a fashion show, in which boutique volunteers model looks that will be available. One of these volunteers is Morton West junior Isabella Salcido, the student leader of the “Say Yes to the Dress” initiative, who described the boutique as a “welcoming and comfortable place” for students to stop “stressing about assignments and simply enjoy being with friends and picking out an outfit for a core memory that is soon to be made.”

Salcido expressed gratitude for Chillo and her annual efforts around the prom boutique: “Without her passion for fashion and her dedication to the students, it wouldn’t be possible.”

Chillo, however, credits the boutique’s success to the formalwear and monetary donors as well as the staff and student volunteers who helped her vision become a reality.

These volunteers include Chillo’s daughters, Maddie (17), Gabby (15), and Leighton (12). Maddie, a junior at Hinsdale Central High School, got involved with the boutique when she was in middle school. “I learned how much good my community can do when we work together,” she said.

Maddie loves seeing photos of the Morton West students dressed up for prom and described the boutique as a “great way to turn old clothes into new opportunities for those that deserve it the most!”

The boutique has existing inventory from past years, thanks to generous donations courtesy of residents and businesses from Hinsdale and surrounding communities, but additional gently used formalwear and accessory donations are still needed to ensure students have access to a variety of sizes and the latest styles.

To learn more about helping with the boutique or arrange donation drop-off or pick-up, contact Jen ([email protected]) or Maddie Chillo ([email protected]), or direct message Project Say Yes to the Dress’s Instagram account (@psytdd).

Maddie Chillo and Samantha Douglas of Hinsdale Central High School help set up for the Morton West prom boutique.

Jen Chillo (right), Isabella Salcido (center), and Morton West staff and student prom boutique volunteers