Collections
Everything for the day, under one roof.
Wedding gowns to tuxedos, all fitted the same way: in a room with a door, with the people you brought, and altered in the same house before it goes home with you.
We don’t list stock online. Dresses come and go every week, so call with your size and your date and we’ll tell you what is here to try on.
(860) 489-4774
Bridal
Wedding gowns
Try gowns on in a room with a door, with the people you brought, and with someone who will tell you the truth about the fit.
Bridal appointments are the slow kind. You bring photos of what you like, shoes at the height you will wear, and the people whose opinion you actually want. We bring the gowns out to you a few at a time and get you in and out of each one properly, so what you see in the mirror is what the dress will look like, not a version of it clipped at the back.
Most gowns are made to order after you choose them, and they take months to arrive. Alterations come after that, in the same house, so the calendar matters more than anything else. Call as soon as you have a date. If your date is closer than you would like, call anyway before you assume it cannot be done.
What to bring
- Photos of gowns you like, and a few you don't
- Shoes near the height you plan to wear
- The undergarments you would wear with a gown
- Your date, your size, and the number you want to spend
The wedding party
Bridesmaids and flower girls
The whole party measured in one place, by the same hands, so the dresses that arrive are the dresses that were ordered.
A bridesmaid order goes wrong in two places: the measuring and the follow-up. We measure each person here, write it down in front of them, and order from the size chart of the dress they are actually getting, not a guess. When a bridesmaid lives out of state, call and we will tell you exactly which measurements to send and how.
Flower girl dresses are sized in the shop the same way, usually a little ahead of the wedding so a growing child still fits on the day.
What to bring
- The bride's dress or a photo of it, and the colour you are matching
- Every bridesmaid who can come, or their measurements if they cannot
- The wedding date
Mothers of the bride and groom
Mothers' dresses
A dress for a long day: the ceremony, the photos, the dinner and the dancing, chosen with someone who knows how each fabric behaves.
Mothers usually come in with a photo of the bride's gown and the bridesmaids' colour, and leave with something that sits beside both without competing. We look at the venue, the season, the length of the day, and how much you want to move, and we keep pulling until it is right.
Alterations are done here, so a dress that is close can be made exact.
What to bring
- A photo of the bride's gown and the bridesmaids' colour
- The date and the venue
Prom and homecoming
Prom and homecoming dresses
Real fitting rooms, honest sizing, and alterations in the building, so the dress you loved on the hanger is the dress you wear.
Prom shopping is faster than bridal and just as important to the person doing it. Call to book a time, tell us the school and the date, and bring the number you want to spend. We will only pull what is in it.
Dresses come off the rack or are ordered in, and either way the alterations happen here, usually with one more fitting before the dance. Homecoming works the same way in the fall, with a shorter runway, so earlier is better.
What to bring
- The date and the school
- Shoes if you have them
- Your budget
Quinceañeras
Quinceañera gowns
A ball gown for the big birthday, tried on with the family in a private room and fitted here so it holds up for the whole night.
Bring the people who are helping choose, the colour or theme if you have one, and the date. We pull gowns in your size and your number, and you try them on properly, with time to turn around in front of the mirror and see how the skirt moves.
Whatever you choose is altered in the house, with a last fitting close to the day so it fits on the night it matters.
What to bring
- The date
- Colours or a theme, if you have one
- Shoes near the height you will wear
Tuxedos and suits
Tuxedo and suit rental, and purchase
Measured here, delivered here, tried on here before the event. Rentals through Jim's Formal Wear, and suits to keep.
We are a Jim's Formal Wear rental shop. You are measured in the store, the tuxedo or suit arrives here ahead of the event, you try it on here, and you bring it back after. Groomsmen who live far away can be measured near them and the order still comes to us, so the whole party matches on the day.
If you would rather own the suit, we sell them too, fitted the same way and altered in the building.
What to bring
- The event date
- The colours the party is wearing
- Everyone who can come in to be measured
Finishing
Veils, headpieces, jewelry and shoes
Tried on with the dress, in the same mirror, so nothing has to be guessed at home.
Veils and headpieces are chosen with the gown on, because the same veil looks different against lace than it does against satin. Jewelry and shoes are here for the same reason: the hem is set to the shoe you will wear, so it is worth choosing the shoe before the last fitting.
What to bring
- Your gown if you bought it elsewhere, or come at a fitting
Alterations
Alterations, in the house
The dress is pinned by the people who sold it to you, in the room where you tried it on, and you try it on again before you take it home.
Every dress that leaves here is fitted here. Hems are set to your shoes, bodices are taken in or let out, straps are set where they belong, and bustles are added so the train stays off the floor at the reception. At your last fitting you put the whole thing on, shoes included, and we show you and the person helping you how the bustle works.
Rush work has been done here when it mattered. If your date is close, call first and tell us about the dress and the day; we will tell you straight whether it can be done.
What to bring
- The dress
- The shoes
- The undergarments you will wear on the day
When to call
A bridal shop runs on a calendar.
January to May
Prom season
Prom dresses start arriving after the holidays, and the earliest shoppers get the widest choice. March and April are the busy weeks, when fitting rooms and alteration slots fill up.
August to October
Homecoming
Schools announce dates in late summer and the dance is often only weeks later. The earlier in August you call, the calmer it is.
All year
Wedding gowns
Made-to-order gowns take months to arrive, then alterations take more. A year ahead is comfortable. Closer than that is a phone call, not a lost cause.
Spring and fall
Tuxedo season
Proms in the spring and weddings in the fall fill the rental calendar. Measuring is quick, but book the fitting a few weeks ahead, not a few days.
By appointment only
Start with the date. Call us.
Tell us the occasion and the date, and we set aside a fitting room for you and the people you bring. Every appointment is booked by phone.
(860) 489-4774Tuesday to Saturday during open hours. If we are with a bride, leave a message and we call you back.