A downtown shop now run by one of its own customers
Gabby Plachetka bought both her junior and senior prom dresses at The Prom Shoppe on Main Street before graduating from Oswego High School in 2003. Today she and her husband, Mike, own the place. Shaw Local's Kendall County Now reported in February 2025 that the couple had taken over The Prom Shoppe and its sister store, Bella-gia, a contemporary women's clothing boutique in the same building, from Greg Kaleel, whose family opened American Male in 1977 and grew the business from there.
That kind of continuity is rare. Gabby had already worked at the stores as a sales associate for 13 years before buying them, and manager and buyer Stacy Shaw had been there 23 years. "We want to continue the legacy," Gabby told the paper, adding that people ask about the shop all the time.
For anyone who grew up in Kendall County, the address alone means something. The shop sits on South Main Street in the old downtown, a block or two from the Fox River, with extra parking available at The Reserve at Hudson Crossing according to the store's FAQ. It is a place where a dress errand turns into an afternoon downtown.
The shop has some personality inside, too. Oswego High's student newspaper, 42Fifty, described the upstairs sales floor in 2020 with its blue and gold embroidered carpet and crystal chandeliers, and a bright lower level with white walls and patterned columns.
Ask the owners what keeps a downtown boutique going and the answer is the experience. "You come here and you get an experience," Gabby told Shaw Local, describing the chance to try things on and talk through different ways to wear them. Customers text the staff photos of what they have on, she said, and that is part of the fun. Mike's version is about money as much as style: "We try to make sure we have something for everybody's budget."
What is on the racks
The Prom Shoppe is built for prom and homecoming, with dresses at a range of prices so most students can find something that fits both the look and the budget. In that 2025 Shaw Local story, the owners put the prom range at roughly $205 to $1,200. "Everybody wants a Sherri Hill," Gabby said, and the designer list backs her up. The store names these labels on its site:
- Sherri Hill
- The most-requested prom label, per the owners
- Jovani and JVN
- Sequins, cutouts and big-entrance gowns
- Rachel Allan and Primavera
- Deep runs of prom and homecoming styles
- Alyce Paris, Faviana and Mori Lee
- Familiar names across a wide price spread
- Ellie Wilde, Clarisse and Colette
- Romantic and classic silhouettes
- Amarra and Ava Presley
- Trend-forward shapes and colors
Per the store, the floor carries dresses from size 000 to 20W, though each designer cuts a little differently. You can shop by style online, too, filtering by A-line, ball gown, fitted, mermaid, long and short. Prices for some dresses do not appear on the website because certain vendors do not allow it, so a visit is the best way to see the full picture.
Dates are covered on South Main Street too. Tuxedos at The Prom Shoppe has its own phone line and shows styles from names like Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole and Mark of Distinction, so a date can sort out a tux through the same shop.
Shoppers come mostly from Oswego High School and Oswego East High School, both in Oswego Community Unit School District 308, with a steady share from Yorkville High School and Plano High School. The 42Fifty story noted that students from Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville shop here too, which tracks with the shop's reach across the Fox Valley and this corner of northeast Illinois.
A few house rules apply. All dress sales are final, and the shop does not hold dresses. Photos are encouraged, and no appointment is needed, so it is easy to stop in after school. The racks look full, and there is a reason for that.
No, they are not samples. In order to provide you the greatest selection of choices, we place our entire inventory of dresses on the sales floor.
That answer sits in the store's FAQ, under the question of whether the floor dresses are samples.
The Prom Shoppe on sizes, alterations and walk-ins
Do I need an appointment?
No. The store's site says no appointment is needed. Seasonal hours change from January through April, so check the site for the current schedule.
What sizes are in the store?
The store stocks dresses from size 000 to 20W, with fit varying by designer.
Does the shop do alterations?
The Prom Shoppe keeps a tailoring list on its site so you can line up a local seamstress after you buy.