ROSSVILLE — Nothing says spring has sprung like teens in prom dresses and suits, walking all around and getting their photos taken. For the last 14 years, many of those dresses were donated by Twisted Sisters — a resale shop in downtown Rossville that sells gently-used clothing, antiques, and home furnishings.
When Sherry Decker opened the shop in 2011, she knew she wanted to give away prom dresses and wedding attire to anyone in need.
“I came from a family of 10 kids, and if you come to the shop, you’ll see pictures of all of us at one stage or another going to prom,” Decker said, pointing to a photo on the wall. “My oldest sister is dressed up, going to the prom with a guy, and if you look at my picture when I was a senior, I’ve got the same dress on.”
“There’s definitely a need. We’re one of the poorest counties in the state … We get people from all over. People drive from Champaign and over in Indiana,” Decker said of those visiting the shop to search for their perfect dress.
Those well past their prom years can also benefit from a stop at Twisted Sisters, as places like Turtle Run hold annual adult proms. The shop also gives away wedding dresses.
“We give a lot of stuff away. My accountant always asks, ‘Did you want to make money?’ Well, that’s not really why we did it,” Decker said. “So, we’d go to rummage sales in the beginning and buy dresses, but now all of our dresses are donated.”
Decker estimates there are around 700 or 800 dresses in her shop, from long, sleek dresses to bouffant dresses with fluffy skirts to shorter mini-dresses in virtually every cut, color, and fabric.
Over the years, she has collected many stories of people who have come to visit the shop in search of a dress, but one that sticks out the most, she said, involved a single father who had brought his daughter to find a dress for her prom.
“She had dark skin and dark eyes and we got her in a yellow dress and I gave her shoes and jewelry. God, she looked gorgeous. When I got done, [her father] said, ‘What do I owe you?’ He didn’t know they were free. So when I said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you knew they’re free,’ he cried, I cried, we all cried,” Decker said.
Though she owns the shop alone, several of Decker’s sisters live locally and they often stop by and help out, thus the name.
Twisted Sisters is located at 129 S. Chicago St., Rossville. The shop is open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Library dress donations
Saturday, March 22, the Danville Public Library also gave away several dresses, thanks to donations from local residents and Twisted Sisters.
“We put out a call for donations in January, and so people have been dropping off donations since then all the way up until (March 21),” DPL’s Director of Community Relations Brooke Truscelli said. “Twisted Sisters even let us come and gather some from their shop just to bulk up.”
Donnisha Andrews, a student at Danville High School, found the perfect dress from among the library’s haul, as well as earrings, a bangle bracelet, and a wrap to wear around her shoulders.
“I really like this one,” she said, smiling wide as she held up the dress she’d chosen — a dark red dress with sequin detailing across the bodice.
Champaign event
Mike Ingram — former Champaign County Recorder in Champaign-Urbana who happens to be Decker’s and Browne’s nephew — will also be hosting a dress giveaway at The City Center in Champaign beginning April 10, sharing dresses from Twisted Sisters and others that were donated.
“This event is available to anyone. No one needs to prove that they are struggling or which school they go to. No judgment on style or gender expression. You do you,” Ingram said in a social media post announcing the event and calling for donations.
Anyone may come and choose a dress, regardless of where they live, Ingram said.
The giveaway will kick off Thursday, April 10, and later open shopping days will be announced, all the way up until Easter. It will be hosted at Beads n Botanicals, located at 117 N. Broadway Ave. in Urbana.